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Way back in 2023, I briefly tried to get a new Milwaukee Record series off the ground in which local business owners used our site as a platform to praise another local business they appreciate. “Business To Business” had a total of 15 installments posted between late January and the middle of July that year.
While I was hoping it would be a recurring and long-running source of localized love that might also serve to help area establishments get some positive attention (and yeah, also be easy articles for me to put together!), I found getting owners to send them in was akin to pulling teeth. In retrospect, not every entrepreneur feels comfortable writing and most of the people I approached were probably too busy to add an extra task to their weekly schedule. So I get it. It was nice while it lasted.
Since the series came and went so quickly, I wasn’t able to write my own Business To Business installment. Honestly, I never really thought about it at the time since my job allows me the opportunity to shine a light on lots of Milwaukee-area things I value. However, there are some local establishments that don’t fall into our typical realms of coverage that could really use a little love as well. So three years after putting the series to bed, here’s my Business To Business.
Out in nearby Cudahy on the corner of Packard and Squire avenues sits Tiprint Inc. It’s been there (4730 S. Packard Ave., to be exact) for more than 35 years and, by the looks of it, it hasn’t really changed much during that span. Much like the classic exterior, the inside gives a glimpse into a different generation. There’s wood paneling aplenty, decidedly out of style carpeting, laminated sheets detailing their services, and antique printing materials from yesteryear that are now used for decor.
You’ll also see candy bars and mints for sale to benefit Knights Of Columbus and the Cudahy Lion’s Club, respectively. And there’s a bulletin board tacked liberally with business cards and posters for local happenings, and old soda machine, reams of paper sitting out in the open, and artificial plants. It’s a specific vibe.
I can’t recall exactly when I first went to Tiprint (though it’s easily been at least seven years at this point), but I know who and what brought me there. I was waiting for a client to get me posters for one of our events. Days turned into weeks without any much-needed promotional materials. I voiced my impatience to our then-ad person Josh Hoppert, who was living in Cudahy at the time. That’s when he told me about Tiprint and its quick turnaround on some of his past projects. He gave me their email ([email protected]) and the rest is history.
Josh wasn’t telling any tales out of school. Every time I email them about a project (assuming it’s during business hours), I hear back within the hour, always telling me it will be ready to pick up that same day. In fact, sometimes they’ll email back within 10 minutes of my initial message to tell me my order is ready and I can swing by any time. To be clear, I’ve never expected they print things that quickly…so don’t go to them saying “a Milwaukee Record guy told me you’d do my printing within the day!” but they always have to this point.
They’re far less expensive that other local printers I’ve dealt with and no job is too small for them. Typically, I get 10-25 posters for things we don’t have sponsors for or to get us started with neighborhood-specific promotion as I wait for posters promised to us by sponsors. On occasion, I’ll get a stack of handbills. I’ve asked them for thick paper stock and, more often, the thinnest they have. A few times, I’ve had a single print made for home or office display and they were happy to oblige the request. It’s pretty much standard quality, but for our purposes, it more than gets the job done.
Also, you might notice I say “they” and “them.” That’s because I don’t know who they are. It’s always the same guys in their mid-to-late ’60s and they’ve never introduced themselves. They’ve also never asked my name. They just know me by the project I’m picking up. Despite being on a no-name basis, I’ve come to enjoy our micro conversations through the years as our familiarity has grown.
Oftentimes the poster is the launching point of an interaction. Our Halftime series prompts discussion about the Packers. Last year’s Casserole Call poster pickup came with an anecdote about one of the guys being a dreadful cook. The print job for February’s Koozie Swap brought a zinger from one along the lines of “I don’t need koozies. I drink too fast to let a beer get warm in my hand!” They aren’t quite sure what to think of the Meatless Raffle, but that’s okay.
Honestly, I like keeping it short and friendly because I have no idea how these men feel about important world issues and I’d prefer to keep it that way. As it stands now, they’re good enough guys in my book. So if you ever need something printed fast and you don’t mind the drive to Cudahy, give Tiprint Inc. a little business. And tell them Tyler sent you. Actually, don’t worry about it. They’ll probably have no idea who you’re talking about.
