Minuteman Press franchise owners buy longtime business in Kalamazoo, Michigan
JB Printing, which was founded in 1933, was bought by Minuteman Press owners Mike Luepke & Jess Luepke.
JB Printing, a longtime Kalamazoo, Michigan, printing business that was founded in 1933, has been sold by John O’Keefe and Donna O’Keefe to new Minuteman Press franchise owners Mike Luepke and Jess Luepke. Moving forward, JB Printing is now operating as Minuteman Press in Kalamazoo.
Buyer Mike Luepke shared, “JB Printing has built a strong reputation for quality work and dependable service, and we were fortunate to acquire a business with that kind of legacy and trust already in place.”
Seller John O’Keefe added, “Mike and Jess Luepke are geared to succeed in meeting the customers’ requirements while offering products beyond what a typical printing company can. We are excited for this new chapter for JB Printing clients who are in great hands with Mike, Jess, and Minuteman Press.”
History & sale of the business
The O’Keefe Family purchased JB Printing in 2013 and has owned a printing business since 1984. John O’Keefe explained, “JB Printing was founded in 1933. We acquired the business 80 years later, and now we are proud to transfer the business over to Minuteman Press in Kalamazoo and begin this new chapter.”
As far as his experience in the industry is concerned, John O’Keefe said, “After taking printing classes in high school and working in the industry for years, we started our first business, AmeriKal Printing. We started as a quick print shop and grew into a full-service commercial printing business. Our growth was due to focusing on providing top-notch customer service, hiring great employees, adding services, and a lot of hard work. We acquired JB Printing in 2013, and the rest was history.”
With retirement approaching, it was time for John O’Keefe and Donna O’Keefe to think about selling the business. At first, John O’Keefe said they couldn’t find the right fit. He explained, “We had been approached by numerous people interested in purchasing JB Printing. The people that we met with did not meet our criteria for what was important to us. Our primary concern for potential buyers was the future and success of our employees and the care of our faithful customers. We did talk to a business broker, but did not move forward with them. We felt that they were not going to find us the best buyer or get us a good price for our business.”
John O’Keefe shared how he discovered Minuteman Press as a resource for sellers and his experience in selling the business, saying, “Over the years, we were contacted by Minuteman Press, but we were skeptical and delayed taking it seriously. Realizing that we needed to plan for retirement, we finally reached out to them. Michigan Regional VP Rich DeRosa replied, and after numerous discussions to learn more about us, our goals for the company, and our employees, we met with Rich. We had concerns about finding the right buyer. Rich calmed our anxiety about the process and our need for confidentiality. Rich is great about communicating and was driven to find a good match for what we wanted in a buyer.”
He continued, “Minuteman Press provided us with a fair valuation for the business. The great thing about the process is that Minuteman Press vets potential buyers and then provides them with training and support to help them thrive during the transition and grow the business. Rich DeRosa kept everything moving forward and made a complicated process easy.”
Welcome to Minuteman Press Kalamazoo
Mike Luepke and Jess Luepke officially took over the business in January of 2026. Mike Luepke said, “Before joining Minuteman Press, Jessica and I owned and operated a boutique fitness gym. Through that experience, we developed strong skills in marketing, sales, operations, and culture-building. We continue to own the gym today, but we have strong systems and leadership in place there that allow it to run smoothly. That gave us the opportunity to take on a new challenge and apply our entrepreneurial experience to another industry.”
When asked why they chose to join the Minuteman Press franchise family, Mike Luepke shared:
- “The reputation of the business itself. JB Printing had built an incredible reputation in the Kalamazoo community and had a loyal customer base that had been developed over decades.
- The strength of the business financially. The company was very profitable even without a major focus on marketing or sales efforts, which told us there was a significant opportunity for growth.
- The Minuteman Press culture and system. From the beginning, we sensed a genuine family atmosphere within the organization, from the leadership team all the way through the franchise network.
- Finally, the training, systems, and ongoing support that Minuteman Press provides — especially for people like us who are entering the printing industry from the outside.”
Mike Luepke added, “Working with Rich DeRosa and the Minuteman Press Team has been a very positive experience. The process was professional, organized, and supportive from the beginning. When we lost a key employee, Minuteman Press went above and beyond by keeping a regional representative on-site to help stabilize the operation and ensure a smooth transition. We were able to hire a strong replacement quickly, and Minuteman Press continued supporting us longer than expected to help train the team. That level of commitment was extremely impressive.”
On the transition of the business from JB Printing to Minuteman Press, Mike Luepke stated, “We feel very grateful to step into a business with such a strong history in the Kalamazoo community. As a team, our goal is to honor the reputation JB Printing built while continuing to grow and serve local businesses well into the future. Our message to customers is simple: the talented people who produce the work you rely on are still here, and we are excited to support them and continue delivering the quality and service this business has been known for.”
And on a personal note, Mike Luepke expressed the following heartfelt sentiments about this new opportunity to connect with the Kalamazoo community, stating, “I have only known operating a small business within a local community. At heart, I am a connector and a problem-solver. Whether it has been in the world of fitness or now in the world of printing, I enjoy helping people solve problems and connecting them to solutions — often custom solutions. Printing and marketing are really about connection. We help individuals, businesses, organizations, and even local governments communicate clearly and reach the people they need to reach. That is very gratifying work.”
He continued, “On a deeper level, I believe that family is God’s primary design for redeeming culture. In many ways, a healthy business can function similarly. When you build a strong team, empower people, and give them opportunities to succeed, it becomes something bigger than just work. Watching people grow and succeed together is one of the great joys of leading a business in a small community.”
Final thoughts & reflections
As John O’Keefe and Donna O’Keefe ease into retirement, they are happy to have found Minuteman Press International to secure their exit strategy. John O’Keefe said, “Selling your business is one of the most frightening and stressful undertakings you can have. The commitment from Rich DeRosa and Minuteman Press to fairness, confidentiality, and bringing the right people to the table brought as much inner peace as you can hope for.”
When one chapter ends, another begins, and Minuteman Press in Kalamazoo is now in the capable hands of Mike Luepke and Jess Luepke. For his part, Mike Luepke concluded, “What I can say about my own journey is that at this stage of my career, I see myself more as a buyer than a builder. That is one reason we chose to purchase an existing business that was transitioning into a Minuteman Press location rather than starting something from scratch. The training and support from Minuteman Press has been top‑notch. The technology team at MPIHQ has also been excellent at helping us navigate their systems. They have been responsive, patient, and extremely helpful as we learned the operational side of the business. Overall, the support has truly been second to none.”
