30 Years of Serving the Treasure Coast
What started 30 years ago in Vero Beach as a mom and pop print shop has grown into a full-service printing, marketing and business development agency. Ironside Press, now the most comprehensive agency of its kind on the Treasure Coast, employs 17 professionals, operates five state-of-the-art presses, and serves more than 2,400 clients.
But Ironside is not one to rest on its laurels. The company continues to be a leader in innovation, recently adding a video department and customized marketing plans to its already successful lineup of print, mail, branding, design, and web services.
While Ironside has grown dramatically over the last 30 years, its commitment to exceptional service and quality has remained the same since its humble beginnings.
The 30-Year Ironside Legacy
In 1989, founder Dennis Forbes started Ironside Press inside the garage of his Vero Beach home. He was successfully managing the print shop at the Indian River County School District and wanted to try his hand at running a business. The venture would prove to be successful. Dennis soon was ready to expand operations and his wife, Olske, was ready to have their garage back. So, the Forbes family purchased the Press Journal building on 20th Avenue in historic downtown Vero Beach, which is where Ironside resides to this day.
A Crucial Turning Point
In 2003, Dennis passed away and Ironside Press was at a crossroads. Olske began working with her son, Bo, to determine the future of the company. Bo’s career in business development and analysis gave him the background needed to strategically grow Ironside Press. The company invested in its first four-color press in early 2003, and later that year, Bo came on full-time to help Olske with daily operations. By 2006, Ironside Press was ready to embrace the digital age and establish itself as an industry innovator. The Forbes family invested in a Rampage prepress workflow system and Fuji thermal computer-to-plate capabilities, increasing both the efficiency and quality of print jobs. One year, later Ironside Press purchased a 20” Ryobi 520 GX sheetfed press, which meant that for the very first time, the company could achieve high-volume, ultra-efficient, four-color printing.
Becoming Ironside
As Ironside Press continued to grow, clients were increasingly calling for design, mail and other services outside of print. Bo decided it was time for Ironside Press to become much more than a print shop. Under his leadership, “Ironside Press” made the transition to “Ironside,” providing clients a full range of printing, marketing and business development services. Still, Ironside remained a printing powerhouse. In 2000 the company purchased a state-of-the-art Xerox Digital 3100 press, allowing for Ironside’s digital printing quality to match the traditional superiority of commercial offset printing. This important asset helped Ironside maintain its reputation as the leading print manufacturer on the Treasure Coast. Dennis Forbes would be proud.
Three Decades of Innovation…and Counting!
Ironside’s most recent innovation arrived just this year. Clients’ marketing goals were limited by a lack of time, expertise and personnel. And so, in 2019, Ironside launched Blue Rocket Marketing Plans. These customized marketing plans allow for businesses to utilize Ironside’s robust team of marketing and design experts as their own personal marketing team to plan, design and execute all marketing activities. “As a company, we continue expanding to meet the constantly evolving needs of our clients,” Forbes said. “We have grown alongside the community of Vero Beach, and that has been a tremendously rewarding experience. As we reflect back on the last 30 years and all the events that led up to this point, we couldn’t be more excited about the future of Ironside.” Established in 1989 as a family print shop, Ironside has grown into the most comprehensive marketing agency and print production studio on the Treasure Coast. With a fleet of state-of-the-art printing presses and an award-winning design and production team, Ironside has built its reputation in quality, reliability, honesty and integrity, and continues to uphold these values as the foundation of this family business.
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