DLS Group

What DLS Group does

DLS Group is a privately held, family-run full-service design, print, and interactive marketing company headquartered at 2990 Airway Avenue, Ste. A, Costa Mesa, California. The firm operates from a single Southern California facility and delivers end-to-end brand, design, print, large-format signage, and web development services, with the company stating its family has served the Southern California community for more than 50 years. Its service portfolio is organized around four pillars — DLS Strategy (brand consulting and audience research), DLS Design (graphic design and creative), DLS Ink (digital and offset printing production), and DLS Interactive (websites and web applications) — supplemented by specialized practices in corporate printing, higher education printing, POP and packaging, large-format signage, vehicle wraps, and selective pro bono non-profit work.

The underlying technology stack is conventional for a print and design house rather than a software platform: in-house offset and digital presses (including a digital press capable of 48-hour short-run turnaround), large-format production for banners, floor graphics, vehicle wraps, and signage, and a digital/web development capability staffed by seasoned Rails and WordPress developers for websites, web apps, and eCommerce. The company does not expose a public or partner-facing API, and customer file intake is handled via a WeTransfer portal tied to [email protected]. Technical differentiation centers on complex print engineering (die cuts, perforations, double-thick spreads, multi-page inserts, saddle stitching, self-mailer trim) and integrated single-source delivery rather than proprietary software.

The business model is professional-services / project-based: engagements are quoted per scope and pricing is not publicly disclosed. The customer base is diverse by vertical — higher education (Occidental, USC, UCI, Pomona, Whittier Law, Chapman, Scripps, CMC, Harvey Mudd, Southwestern Law), healthcare (Orange County Memorial Hospital), automotive (Currie Enterprises), hospitality (St. Francis), consumer goods/beverage (Core Power), tourism/government (Visit Huntington Beach), aerospace/government (NASA), and e-commerce/logistics (Amazon) — with a corporate-printing acquisition motion that uses a free spend audit to win consolidated ongoing work from Southern California firms. The company is led by Founder and CEO Garett Gruber and operates with a small core team covering creative direction, PR/marketing, writing/editing, production management/art, and lead development.

Name

DLS Group

Legal name

DLS Group

Website

https://dlsgroup.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DLS Group is a privately held, family-run full-service design, print, and interactive marketing company in Costa Mesa, California, serving Southern California clients across higher education, healthcare, automotive, hospitality, tourism, and enterprise with integrated strategy, design, digital/offset printing, large-format signage, and web development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project-based design, print, and marketing services: Custom, turn-key programs delivered project by project, spanning strategy, brand consulting, research, concept/design, print, and final delivery. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and engagements are quoted per scope.
2. Corporate print cost-saving engagements: DLS performs free audits of client material spend and identifies cost efficiencies, generating ongoing design and print work for Southern California firms.
3. Pro bono non-profit work (selective): DLS Group periodically accepts pro bono non-profit clients; this functions as a goodwill/community investment rather than a paid revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Core offering

DLS Group is a full-service marketing entity that delivers brand strategy, graphic design, offset and digital printing, large-format signage, vehicle wraps, POP/packaging, and custom web development from a single Southern California facility in Costa Mesa, CA. It runs custom turn-key programs from initial research and concept through design, print production, and final delivery, serving as a one-stop marketing operation for colleges, automotive brands, healthcare systems, and corporate clients.

Product overview

DLS Group is a single, unified full-service marketing and print production entity rather than a multi-product software platform. Its offering is organized into four named service pillars — DLS Strategy, DLS Design, DLS Ink, and DLS Interactive — that are delivered together from one Southern California facility, plus several specialized practice areas including Digital Projects, Corporate Printing, Higher Education Printing, POP & Packaging, Large Format Signage, and pro bono Non-profit services. Together these modules allow DLS Group to take a job from strategic brand consulting and concept through design, print production (digital and offset), large-format signage, vehicle wraps, and web/app development under one roof.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DLS Strategy Strategic brand consulting and audience research service that plans and executes campaigns and launches end-to-end, helping clients understand their audience, refine messaging, and build identifiable brands. Offered for over a decade as a core service pillar.
• DLS Design Graphic design and creative service that produces collateral, ads, letters, publications, catalogs, e-blasts, banner ads, and mailers, ensuring every piece conveys the right message and supports the overall strategy.
• DLS Ink Print production service producing award-winning digital and offset printing collateral, including brochures, publications, and catalogs, leveraging more than 50 years of family lithography heritage in Southern California.
• DLS Interactive Digital interactive service that builds custom websites and web applications acting as a 24/7 online presence that takes orders, tells the brand story, and supports sales for the client.
• Digital Projects Website design and web application development service that crafts digital sites and web apps to represent brands, staffed by seasoned Rails and WordPress developers.
• Corporate Printing Corporate print management service that performs a free audit of client design and print spending, helping Southern California firms reduce costs through smarter materials selection and consolidated production.
• Higher Education Printing Specialty printing service for colleges and universities offering design, printing, editorial, photography, and writing services, with experience serving Occidental, USC, UCI, Pomona, Chapman, Scripps, CMC, Harvey Mudd, and Southwestern Law.
• POP & Packaging Point-of-purchase and packaging design and print service that produces displays and in-store signage, capable of printing on a wide range of materials and installing at retail locations.
• Large Format Signage Large format signage service that quickly produces and installs banners, tension wall banners, floor graphics, posters, vehicle wraps, window clings, and other event and campus signage.
• Non-profit Pro Bono Services Pro bono design and print service for non-profit organizations, with DLS Group accepting calls for its next pro bono client engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 50+ items (banners, floor graphics, posters, brochures, stickers) for Amazon in 3 days when no one else could
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• AmazonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing repeat engagement. Amazon required 50+ tension wall banners, floor graphics, posters, brochures, stickers, and roughly 100 other items designed, printed, and installed within a three-day window. DLS delivered when no one else could and has been an ongoing partner since.
• Visit Huntington Beach (VHB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree consecutive years of contracting for Summer shuttle wraps and collateral production, all within a two-week window — a flagship repeat tourism client.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cimpress (Vistaprint): Mass-customization printing platform (parent of Vistaprint) focused on SMB and consumer marketing materials, signage, and promotional products. Competes for the same SMB and lower-end mid-market print spend as DLS via online self-serve channels.
• FedEx Office: National retail print chain providing digital printing, copying, signs, banners, and direct mail. Broad incumbent in commercial print that overlaps with DLS's SMB and quick-turn print offerings.
• Staples Print & Marketing Services: National office retailer offering in-store and online commercial printing, signs, banners, and marketing services. Operates broadly in the same commercial-print category as DLS but at much larger scale and lower price point.

Direct peers

• FASTSIGNS: Franchise signage and visual graphics company specializing in large-format signs, banners, vehicle wraps, and visual communications. Comparable to DLS's Large Format Signage and POP & Packaging practice areas.
• Sir Speedy: Franchise commercial printing and marketing services network offering offset/digital printing, signs, and marketing collateral to SMB and mid-market clients. Closely comparable to DLS's full-service print + design + signage model across multiple geographies.
• PsPrint: Online commercial printing company offering offset and digital printing, signs, banners, and marketing materials. Comparable to DLS in offset/digital print capabilities and mid-market targeting.
• 4over: National commercial print superstore (California-based) offering offset, digital, and large-format printing to resellers, agencies, and end clients. Comparable to DLS in commercial print capabilities and quick-turn mid-market service.
• Minuteman Press: Franchise printing and marketing services network providing offset/digital printing, signs, banners, and design to local businesses. Closely comparable to DLS's project-based commercial print and design model.
• AlphaGraphics: Franchise commercial printing and marketing services company with offset, digital, large-format, and design capabilities. Directly comparable to DLS in serving mid-market and enterprise customers with full-service print, design, and signage under one roof.
• Mpix: Professional online photo and print lab offering digital printing, photo books, cards, and marketing collateral. Comparable to DLS's digital printing and short-run high-quality color work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DLS Group