Minuteman Press franchise owners score big with Marion Berries partnership & win volunteer award

It has been a busy and productive year for second-generation Minuteman Press franchise Owners Craig Davidson & Carolyn Davidson and their fellow Co-Owners Christopher Brown & Lisa Brown.

Together, they own Minuteman Press in Tigard, Oregon, which has been in the Davidson Family for 38 years since 1987, as well as Minuteman Press in Salem, Oregon, which they purchased in April of 2024.

Tigard Chamber of Commerce: Volunteer of the Year Award

First, in April of 2025, Craig Davidson was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award by the Tigard Chamber of Commerce. Craig Davidson shared, “It was amazing to be selected as the Volunteer of the Year by the Tigard Chamber. It was an honor I never set out to get, and I was shocked when I got the phone call from my Tigard Chamber CEO that I had received this recognition. Honestly, I just made myself available whenever I could. You’d be surprised at the opportunities that come your way when you are able to do this. Whether it’s helping set up tables and chairs at a networking event, or stuffing food boxes for a local charity, I was just trying to be as involved as I could be.”

Craig Davidson continued, “Winning this award makes me feel like I have some big shoes to fill! I looked at all those individuals who have won the award in years past. It’s a real laundry list of local politicians, mayors, CEOs, and movers and shakers in the community that make things happen. The recognition makes me want to step it up where I can and contribute even more than before.”

As someone who grew up in and around the family business, Craig Davidson understands the importance of giving back to the community. He said, “I think as business owners, we are duty-bound to be involved in the community. It strengthens the bonds between yourself and others; it’s good for your own personal growth; and it creates a positive and thriving environment for everyone. Being involved definitely has led to increased business for us. And while that’s a distinct benefit, it’s not the sole reason I’ve been involved. Sometimes, it’s just the right thing to do.”

Marion Berries partnership in Salem 

This summer, the hits kept on coming for Craig Davidson and Co. when Minuteman Press in Salem became the printing partner for the Marion Berries, a new baseball team competing in the West Coast League. Craig Davidson said, “We learned about the Marion Berries through a connection at the Salem Chamber. They approached us with a sponsorship opportunity that we felt was a home run! Through this partnership, we printed outfield and infield banners for all their sponsors, business cards, programs for each homestand, posters, A-frame signs and inserts, tents, tablecloths, tension fabric displays, custom countertop boxes, and pocket schedules.”

The partnership has helped Minuteman Press in Salem expand its brand awareness and visibility in the community. Craig Davidson shared, “The visibility has been huge! The general manager of the Marion Berries, Patrick, has been keen to send as many of their sponsors to us as possible. As a result, we are now doing business with several large Salem-area businesses that we hadn’t before. Our Minuteman Press banner is right next to the scoreboard, so every time fans are looking at the score, they see our banner! Having our logo repeated across several items and locations in the ballpark is nice to see, and I can’t help but believe that our overall presence in the Salem marketplace will continue to grow because of this partnership.”

There are also other fun perks to being a partner with the Marion Berries. Craig Davidson said, “Lisa and Christopher’s daughter got to throw out the first pitch for the July 7 game, and I got to throw out the first pitch for the July 19 game. As part of our sponsorship package, we received season tickets just to the right of home plate, and we have all taken the opportunity to go as often as possible to support the team. We have also sent prospects and current clients when we were not able to make the games. If you have the opportunity to pursue a sponsorship like this, do it! I firmly believe that as time goes on, we will continue to see a measurable impact from our sponsorship.”

Second-generation business & expansion to second location

Craig Davidson & Carolyn Davidson shared the following additional thoughts on carrying on the family legacy of Minuteman Press in Tigard and expanding to their second location in Salem:

Family legacy

Craig Davidson shared, “It’s a real honor to carry it forward, and all the while live up to the same standards of exceptional quality that our clients have come to expect since 1987. It’s about honoring the past and having a new vision for the future. It’s about forging your own way and being okay with not doing everything exactly the way your parents did things. It’s a unique blend of old and new, of tradition and new technology. It’s about finding your own niche in the business and seeing where you thrive, but being adaptable enough to fit anywhere. It’s about finding your own unique style of management that you might not have known you had. It’s about surrounding yourself with the right people. If you can blend all these things, you’ll do just fine.”

Growing up in the business

Craig Davidson reflected, “I really don’t know how my folks did it sometimes. They were at the shop open to close, of course, but they still managed to make it to extracurricular events that my sister and I had. They were actively involved in church, rotary, and several other organizations, too. As for some of my earliest memories of the shop, I distinctly remember spending summers there when school was out. If there were jobs to be done, I’d help out and get a regular paycheck too, which was great! We still have clients today that were our clients in ’87, and it’s wonderful to see jobs come through the shop that I actively worked on when I was just a kid! All in all, I have very fond memories of having grown up in and around the business.” 

Expanding into Salem

Carolyn Davidson said, “We officially took over the Salem business in April of 2024. It’s been a lot of work, and we’ve made huge strides connecting to the Salem community and leveraging our experience in Tigard. Making connections through the Salem Chamber has been great, and having Lisa join full-time in Salem has been a huge help as well.”

Networking & managing the business

Craig Davidson said, “I do all the networking and get out there to meet as many people as possible. Christopher and Lisa are at both shops actively managing employees and workflow, which enables me to be flexible with meeting times for events and social engagements. My wonderful wife, Carolyn, has fully supported me in this endeavor from the beginning. I couldn’t be more thankful.”