SYOSSET, N.Y. & FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – In 1971, Todd Brown began his career in printing through a special program that gave him paid work at the school district print shop. 50 years later, Todd shares his incredible story of longevity in the industry, which includes over 40 years as an integral employee of Minuteman Press in Syosset, N.Y. The Syosset franchise is one of the original ten Minuteman Press locations.

Todd says, “I started with Minuteman Press in September 1977. It was an entirely different business back then, and I was hired by Mike Jutt (Executive VP & Director of Training) as a press operator for the Syosset location. We had the original husband and wife owners and myself. I did whatever needed to be done and I already had six years of experience doing the kind of printing that we did during those early years.”

Speaking on his printing background before Minuteman Press, Todd shares, “The school district print shop is where I was first hired while I was in high school. I was able to learn how to run a printing press and it’s where I cut my teeth in the industry and learned how to deal with paper and ink. After graduation, I worked for several print shops. One of my jobs was with Hills Supermarkets doing their printing. I was laid off and that’s when I replied to an ad for Minuteman Press.”

Todd’s original run with Minuteman Press in Syosset lasted eight years. “I left for three or four years to learn more and take other positions. The owners reached out to me to come back and I agreed it was the best fit. I was now married, I had a house, and I agreed to come back to run the back of the shop and become Shop Manager.”

“I simply know printing and I love what I do. I always took the attitude of treating the shop and customers like it was my own. You can’t work in this business and say ‘that’s not my job.’ It’ll get you and the business nowhere.” -Todd Brown

Evolution of Printing

Todd reflects on how the printing industry has changed over the years as well as how he has been able to keep up with the changes. “The entire industry has evolved. Digital printing is constantly changing as is technology.”

He further explains how he was able to adapt to new technology over the years: “When computers became more prevalent, I made it a point to learn graphic design on my own with whatever programs were available. I’ve been a musician my entire life so I would use different programs like Adobe PageMaker, Photoshop, and Print Shop Deluxe for passion projects but also to learn more about graphics from a printing standpoint.”

He adds, “As the business changed, I was able to pretty seamlessly move into that side of the business. When I created flyers for my band, I knew what I needed to do in terms of matching the design to the plates.”

“The main thing about the printing side of this business that most people don’t realize is that it’s still about paper. Paper is the one thing that has remained consistent no  matter what else has changed. Paper has certain characteristics and when you do a job, even digitally, you have to know the intricacies of the process. As a