Phil Kotula in 2002

A Man with A Plan

The MPX Group started in 1987 when Phil Kotula, a 24-year-old kid with an entrepreneurial mindset, decided he’d learn more about business by running one himself than by going to grad school to get his M.B.A. So, Phil used what amounted to his grad school tuition and paid $25,000 for a Minuteman Press franchise. He opened a 350-square-foot shop in the back of The Four Seasons Mall in Plymouth, Minnesota. All the printing was done on two offset presses, and now-antiquated tasks like stripping with rubylith, “opaquing” negatives, cutting and pasting type, and making camera stats were still the norm.

But Phil had a plan. He decided not to compete with other small press operators and copy shops for the walk-in business and one-off orders they attracted. Instead, he would create a company that provides marketing and branding support to businesses of all sizes, using cutting-edge technologies that bring their ideas to life. Over the years, he strategically assembled a wide array of services and equipment to benefit his clients and rebranded his company as The MPX Group. His innovative approach to the printing business led to his being named PrintImage International Printer of the Year, the most prestigious award in the industry.

The MPX Group is now a leading commercial printing and marketing support company with clients across the country. Its new state-of-the-art facility incorporates digital, offset, large format and specialty presses with design, mailing and database services, and marketing support into one building so clients receive even faster and more cost-effective services.

It seems the kid didn’t need an M.B.A. after all.