Lakes Marketing and Print

What Lakes Marketing and Print does

Lakes Marketing and Print is a privately held, founder-operated print and marketing services provider headquartered in Spirit Lake, Iowa, in continuous operation since 1950. The firm operates with 1-10 employees and serves primarily small and medium-sized local and regional businesses, with secondary exposure to enterprise accounts through its translation services division. Its core offering is a horizontal catalog of more than 20 print products — business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, banners, posters, catalogs, envelopes, letterhead, business forms, manuals, newsletters, programs, tickets, trade show displays, wedding printing, yard signs, and annual reports — produced on digital presses supporting formats up to 13x19 inches and large-format printers capable of 60-inch-wide output. Most digital print products carry no minimum order and are delivered within a 72-hour standard SLA.

The business model combines transactional print (pay-as-you-go, quote-based pricing that is not publicly disclosed) with professional services in three areas: graphic design, direct mail and variable data printing (VDP) for personalized mass-customization campaigns with claimed 2-15x response-rate improvement versus standard mail, and a full-service translation division staffed by five full-time project coordinators managing 140+ translators, editors, and typesetters. Translation work is certified to ASTM F 2575-06 and insured by Lloyd's of London; the division has produced over 7 million translated words in the past year and counts enterprise clients including Walt Disney, BP, Kaiser Permanente, Symetra Financial, Foremost Insurance, Aon Hewitt, Mercer, American Cancer Society, and the California State Compensation Insurance Fund.

Go-to-market is a hybrid of inside sales (phone/email), self-serve ordering through a Customer Portal and Marketing Dashboard powered by PrinterPresence, walk-in service at the Spirit Lake headquarters, and event-driven marketing for trade show and political/real estate signage. Distribution is overwhelmingly domestic US, with the translation division extending reach nationally. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and there is no evidence of external investors, M&A, or product expansion beyond the established print, marketing, and translation stack.

Name

Lakes Marketing and Print

Legal name

Lakes Marketing and Print

Website

https://lakesprint.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lakes Marketing and Print is a privately held, bootstrapped print and marketing services provider in Spirit Lake, Iowa, serving SMB and enterprise clients with digital printing, variable data direct mail, marketing solutions, and a Lloyd's-insured translation division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Printing (Short-Run, Variable Data) (MPAJALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Printing & Copy Services Retail (CRALABAD), Printing & Business Forms (continuous forms, checks, tickets) (IMAMAHAH)

Keywords

• Commercial printing services
• Direct mail marketing
• Variable data printing
• Marketing design services
• Professional translation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Spirit Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Services: One-time transactional print services including business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, banners, posters, catalogs, envelopes, letterhead, business forms, manuals, newsletters, programs, tickets, trade show displays, wedding printing, yard signs, and annual reports. No minimum order for many digital print products.
2. Marketing Solutions Services: Design services, direct mail marketing, cross-media/omnichannel solutions, and strategic marketing consulting.
3. Variable Data Marketing: Personalized marketing campaigns using database-driven variable printing to customize text, graphics, and images for each recipient, enabling targeted direct mail with dramatically increased response rates.
4. Translation Services: Full-service translation including five project coordinators managing 140+ translators, editors, and typesetters. Translated over seven million words in the past year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lakes Marketing and Print is a full-service print and marketing solutions provider offering a portfolio of commercial print products (business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, banners, posters, catalogs, envelopes, letterhead, business forms, manuals, newsletters, programs, tickets, trade show displays, wedding printing, yard signs, and annual reports) alongside marketing services (graphic design, direct mail with variable data printing, cross-media/omnichannel campaigns) and full-service translation. The company operates digital and large-format presses for print jobs with no minimum order requirements and most deliveries within 72 hours, complemented by a customer portal for self-serve ordering and a marketing dashboard for campaign tracking.

Product overview

Lakes Marketing and Print is a full-service print and marketing solutions provider established in 1950, offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 25 distinct print products and services. The core offerings include traditional print products such as business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, flyers, catalogs, banners, postcards, posters, invitations, programs, tickets, wedding printing, yard signs, promotional products, newsletters, manuals, annual reports, business forms, and trade show displays. These are complemented by service offerings including Design Services for graphic design assistance, Digital Print capabilities using modern digital presses handling formats up to 13x19 inches and large format printing up to 60 inches wide, Translation Services managed by a team of coordinators and translators, Direct Mail and Variable Data Marketing for personalized mass customization campaigns, a Document Library for storing and reordering frequent items, and a Customer Portal providing 24/7 online access. The company operates a Customer Service Center offering online tools for estimates, ordering, and file transfers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Reports Professional annual report design and printing services with quality assurance processes to ensure timely and on-budget delivery for businesses and organizations.
• Banners Custom banner printing including vinyl, adhesive, fabric, mesh, outdoor, pull-up, and trade show banners for various occasions and event signage needs.
• Brochures Professional brochure printing and design with various folding options including bifold, trifold, quad-fold, gatefold, and accordion formats for marketing campaigns.
• Business Cards Custom business card printing ranging from basic black-and-white to full-color designs including embossed, glossy, and metallic finishes for individual professionals and businesses.
• Business Forms Business form printing including purchase orders, invoices, and carbonless forms for various business operational needs.
• Catalogs Catalog printing services for B2B, B2C, retail, and supply catalogs, as well as digital catalog options.
• Envelopes Custom envelope printing in various sizes and formats including announcement, business, card, clasp, invitation, jumbo, self-seal, and window envelopes.
• Flyers Full-color or black-and-white flyer printing in various shapes and sizes for advertising, events, weddings, and promotions.
• Invitations Invitation printing for various personal occasions including baby showers, birthdays, bridal showers, and graduations.
• Letterhead Custom and executive letterhead printing designed to represent business professionalism for corporate correspondence.
• Manuals Manual printing, collation, and binding services for print manuals and handbooks used by businesses and organizations.
• Newsletters Newsletter design and printing services for business, church, corporate, and school newsletters with full-color imagery.
• Postcards Custom marketing postcard printing in all shapes and sizes for business, promotional, and invitation purposes.
• Posters Custom poster printing including advertising, educational, event, motivational, and specialty posters in full-color.
• Programs Event program printing for weddings, anniversaries, banquets, ceremonies, and sporting events.
• Promotional Products Custom promotional items and advertising specialties including apparel, bags, calendars, drinkware, office supplies, and trade show giveaways.
• Stationery Personalized business and corporate stationery printing for professional brand representation.
• Tickets Custom ticket printing for events, concerts, raffles, and roll tickets in various formats.
• Trade Show Displays Custom trade show display graphics and materials including banner stands, hanging signs, pop-up displays, and table top displays for event exhibitors.
• Wedding Printing Wedding printing services including envelopes, invitations, napkins, programs, reception cards, and shower invitations as a coordinated suite for couples.
• Yard Signs Custom yard sign printing for birthdays, campaigns, directional purposes, garage sales, political, real estate, and other signage needs.
• Design Services Graphic design services to assist customers with print and marketing projects of any size, with translation services available in multiple languages.
• Digital Print Digital printing services using the latest digital presses and print-finishing equipment for formats up to 13x19 inches and large format printing up to 60 inches wide, with no minimum order requirements and most jobs delivered within 72 hours.
• Translation Services Professional translation services with five full-time project coordinators managing over 140 translators, editors, and typesetters, having translated over seven million words in the past year into almost every major language, following ASTM Standard Guide for Quality Assurance in Translation (F 2575-06).
• Direct Mail and Variable Data Marketing Direct mail marketing combined with variable data printing that enables mass customization of documents, personalized communications, and targeted marketing campaigns that can achieve 2-15 times the return of standard mail.
• Customer Portal Online customer portal providing 24-hour access to services including requesting estimates, placing orders, and transferring files, with document library access for reordering past projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Variable printing returns vary from double to 10-15 times normal return for fully variable jobs compared to standard marketing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PrinterPresencecoreTechnology or IntegrationPrinterPresence is the platform powering Lakes Marketing and Print's digital infrastructure. The company's website and customer portal systems are powered by PrinterPresence technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Minuteman Press: Minuteman Press is a franchised commercial printing network providing business cards, brochures, direct mail, signage, and marketing services. Direct franchise-system peer to Lakes' locally owned print-and-marketing model.
• MOO: MOO is an online commercial printer specializing in business cards, postcards, brochures, and marketing materials for SMBs and creatives with premium finishes. Comparable digital print + design + SMB customer model.
• 4over: 4over is a trade/commercial printer offering business cards, brochures, postcards, banners, variable data printing, and online ordering with no-minimum options. Closest functional peer to Lakes' SMB print + VDP + portal model.
• SpeedPro Imaging: SpeedPro Imaging is a large-format and wide-format printing franchise specializing in banners, signage, vehicle wraps, and event displays. Directly comparable large-format capability and SMB/event customer base to Lakes.
• PsPrint: PsPrint is an online commercial printing company offering brochures, flyers, postcards, business cards, and direct mail with same-day and next-day turnaround. Directly comparable online SMB print catalog and no-minimum workflow.
• AlphaGraphics: AlphaGraphics is a franchised commercial print and marketing-solutions network offering business printing, direct mail, and variable data marketing. Same product set and SMB-mid-market customer focus as Lakes.

Broad incumbents

• Vistaprint (Cimpress): Vistaprint (Cimpress) is the largest online SMB commercial printing platform, offering business cards, brochures, postcards, banners, and direct mail with VDP. Directly comparable product set to Lakes but at national/international scale and proprietary technology stack.
• FedEx Office: FedEx Office is a national retail print chain offering business printing, copying, binding, signage, and direct mail services across thousands of locations. Comparable product breadth and SMB customer overlap with Lakes' walk-in + online motion.

Emerging players

• Smartpress: Smartpress is an online commercial printer offering premium digital printing, large format, and variable data with a self-service portal. Directly comparable SMB-friendly digital print + VDP + portal capabilities.
• Click2Mail: Click2Mail is an online self-service direct mail platform enabling variable data printing, Every Door Direct Mail, and targeted campaigns. Comparable VDP-driven direct mail and self-serve portal model serving SMBs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakesPRINT
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Lakes-Print/157024187671155?ref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/rickayres
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakesprint

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Lakes Marketing and Print