The Mission Press

What The Mission Press does

The Mission Press is a Chicago-based non-profit social enterprise founded in 1916 by Father C.J. Quille as a small print shop at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. Operating from 1146 West Jackson Blvd adjacent to Mercy Home's West Loop campus, the organization has evolved into a full-service printing and direct mail operation serving non-profit agencies and corporate clients across the Chicago metropolitan area. The company offers nine interconnected service lines: traditional and digital printing, direct mail campaign processing, data processing and management, fulfillment and distribution, large format printing for signs and banners, USPS Every Door Direct Mail service, turn-key marketing solutions, graphic design and creative services, and copywriting. Technical capabilities span offset and digital printing equipment, large-format output devices, and direct mail processing systems supported by staff with expertise in postal rules and regulations, with annual direct mail volume approaching 10 million pieces.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based pricing on print jobs and direct mail pieces, supplemented by professional services fees for graphic design and copywriting. Pricing is quote-based and varies by project scope, quantity, materials, and complexity, with no public pricing disclosed. The go-to-market model is sales-led B2B, relying on dedicated sales representatives and managers who acquire and manage accounts through direct outreach and relationship-based selling. The customer base is concentrated in religious organizations, charities, educational institutions, and social service agencies requiring fundraising communications, newsletters, annual reports, appeal letters, and event collateral — many of which sit within the broader Catholic and non-profit ecosystem in Chicago.

The legal entity is Mission of Our Lady of Mercy, Inc., an Illinois-incorporated non-profit wholly aligned with its parent Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. All profits from operations are directed to support Mercy Home's mission of providing care for abused and neglected children. The company's competitive positioning rests on century-old brand recognition, social mission differentiation, scale in direct mail processing, and domain specialization in postal compliance — though it operates within a mature, commoditized printing industry with limited proprietary technology differentiation and no AI/ML capability surface.

Name

The Mission Press

Legal name

Mission of Our Lady of Mercy, Inc.

Website

https://themissionpress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Mission Press is a Chicago-based non-profit social enterprise founded in 1916, providing full-service printing, direct mail, graphic design, and fulfillment services to non-profit agencies and corporate clients, with all profits supporting Mercy Home for Boys & Girls.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Direct Mail Advertising (54186)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

Print-on-Demand Production (Book POD, Short-Run Fulfillment) (MPAJALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mailing, Inserting & Distribution Services (Addressing, Direct Mail, Kitting) (MPAJALAH)

Keywords

• Commercial printing services
• Direct mail marketing
• Graphic design services
• Mailing list processing
• Nonprofit fundraising materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Printing Services: Traditional and digital printing services for brochures, booklets, newsletters, flyers, stationery, forms, and custom projects. One-time transaction-based pricing for print jobs.
2. Direct Mail Services: End-to-end direct mail campaign services including data processing, list management, printing, and distribution. Transaction-based pricing per piece mailed.
3. Graphic Design and Creative Services: Professional graphic design solutions for campaigns and print pieces, either standalone or bundled with printing services.
4. Large Format Printing: Signs, banners, decals, window clings, foam core informational signs, and menu signs.
5. Social Enterprise Profit Contribution: All profits from The Mission Press support the mission of Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, providing A Solution for Kids in Crisis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Mission Press is a full-service commercial printing and direct mail operation providing traditional and digital printing, large format printing, comprehensive direct mail campaign processing, mailing list data management, fulfillment and distribution, graphic design, and copywriting services. The company delivers turn-key marketing solutions from conception through mailing, primarily serving non-profit agencies and corporate clients in the Chicago metropolitan area. All profits support Mercy Home for Boys & Girls.

Product overview

The Mission Press is a full-service printing and direct mail operation offering a unified suite of integrated services for non-profit agencies and corporate clients. The core offering comprises nine interconnected services: Direct Mail processing and campaign management; Data Processing & Management for mailing lists; Fulfillment & Distribution for order fulfillment; Traditional & Digital Printing; Every Door Direct Mail; Large Format Printing for Signs, Banners, and Decals; Marketing Solutions for turn-key campaign execution; Graphic Design & Creative Services; and Copywriting. The company also produces portfolio items including brochures, booklets, newsletters, flyers, event collateral, stationery, forms, custom projects, and appeal work. All services are designed to support Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, with profits benefiting the organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Mail
• Data Processing & Management
• Fulfillment & Distribution
• Traditional & Digital Printing
• Every Door Direct
• Large Format Printing: Signs, Banners, Decals
• Marketing Solutions
• Graphic Design & Creative Service
• Copywriting

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual direct mail volume approaching 10 million pieces

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mercy Home for Boys & GirlscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mission Press is a social enterprise owned by and operated in support of Mercy Home for Boys & Girls. Founded in 1916 as a small print shop at the Home, all profits from The Mission Press support the mission of Mercy Home - providing A Solution for Kids in Crisis. The organization was established to help Mercy Home's Development Department maximize fundraising results.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Direct peers

• Modern Litho: Modern Litho is a commercial printing and direct mail provider offering web offset printing, digital printing, and mailing services. Highly comparable to The Mission Press's traditional printing and direct mail offering, with overlapping customer segments in the U.S. Midwest.
• Allegra Network: Allegra Network is a franchise network of independent printing and marketing services providers across the U.S., offering printing, direct mail, signage, and graphic design. Directly comparable to The Mission Press's full-service print and direct mail offering, with similar mid-market positioning and nonprofit customer exposure.
• IWCO Direct: IWCO Direct is one of the largest U.S. direct mail marketing services providers, offering end-to-end campaign execution from data processing through printing and distribution. Highly comparable to The Mission Press's direct mail, data processing, and fulfillment capabilities, though at significantly greater scale and national footprint.
• The Hoke Group: The Hoke Group is a mid-sized U.S. direct mail and marketing services company providing printing, mailing, data processing, and fulfillment. Comparable to The Mission Press in service mix, customer profile (nonprofit and association clients), and mid-market scale, making it a direct competitive peer.

Broad incumbents

• RR Donnelley: RR Donnelley is a major global commercial printing and direct mail provider offering a wide portfolio of print, marketing, and communications services. It overlaps with The Mission Press's offset printing, direct mail, and fulfillment offerings, but serves a much broader enterprise and agency client base across multiple geographies.
• Valassis: Valassis is a major player in direct mail advertising, shared mail, and marketing services with strong penetration in retail and nonprofit fundraising. Highly comparable to The Mission Press's direct mail advertising and campaign execution services, but at national scale and with broader digital and data capabilities.
• LSC Communications: LSC Communications (previously a spin-out from RR Donnelley) is a U.S. commercial printing and marketing services provider specializing in print production, distribution, and direct mail. Directly comparable in service mix to The Mission Press, though with national capacity and a different customer mix.
• Quad/Graphics: Quad/Graphics is a large-scale commercial printing and integrated marketing services company offering printing, mailing, and data-driven marketing solutions. Comparable to The Mission Press's core printing and direct mail services, but at national scale and with a broader corporate client mix.

Emerging players

• Pieces Technologies: Pieces Technologies focuses on direct mail automation and data-driven marketing for nonprofits, using software to optimize mail campaigns. Comparable to The Mission Press's data processing and direct mail execution services, though delivered via a software-first model rather than physical print operations.
• PrintingForLess: PrintingForLess is an online commercial printing provider offering offset and digital printing for marketing materials, including direct mail pieces. Comparable to The Mission Press's commercial printing capability, though delivered through a self-service e-commerce platform rather than a sales-led B2B model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMissionPress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Mission Press