Branden Bodendorfer was just 15 years old when he realized his passion in life. Today, nine years later, he and his three business partners are running a successful printing company in Marshfield that is projecting $650,000 in annual revenues this year.

“I originally planned to go to college, but never did. I developed a passion for the printing industry,” says Branden, president of Premier Printing & Media in Marshfield, a company that provides print, design, vinyl graphics, video, and a variety of other digital media services.

Branden was working in the copy center of a local office supply store during high school when he helped a customer who was looking for a high quality desk chair. He was shocked that the woman would spend $600 for a chair. But she explained her work to him – printing catalogs – so he would understand why she needed to be comfortable at her desk. Branden became intrigued by the idea of printing catalogs and other products. He continued to work at the office supply store until he was 20, but then he and a couple of friends decided to do some printing-related work out of Branden’s house.

“We started doing some designing and started doing video services. We filmed events and put them on DVDs. We did this for about a year. Then we realized that if we wanted to make it a full-time job instead of a hobby, we really had to go at it,” he says.

So in 2005, the young men purchased an existing print shop in Marshfield, added a lot of equipment, and took on a fourth partner. Branden and his three business partners, Ben Bauer, Tim Rasmussen and Benjamin Wojcik, now have two full-time employees, two part-time employees, and customers throughout the United States.

“The first year we worked out of my house we did $84,000 in business,” Branden says. “Since we started the company, we’ve had over 30% percent growth each year.”

Premier Printing & Media’s business and individual customers include such diverse entities as a Florida advertising agency representing a sports team to Marshfield Clinic scientists who like the creative touch Premier Printing gives their research presentations.

Branden cites the following as reasons for his company’s success.

• Diversification of product. Premier prints products ranging from business cards and brochures to magnetic signs. It also does Web design, graphic design, and produces CDs and DVDs. Recently, the company purchased screen-printing equipment for t-shirts and other promotional company apparel.

• Investment in new equipment. Premier Printing has invested more than $200,000 in digital equipment. “Long term, I think we’ll see more printers going digital versus offset,” he believes.

• Assistance to companies in branding. “A lot of new or small to medium-sized existing businesses will come in wanting a logo, a business card. We’ll re-tool it so their logo matches what they are doing. We’ll carry the theme to other areas, giving them a uniform color and look,” Branden says.

• Finding and maintaining the right connections. Premier encourages its staff to volunteer in the community. When Branden and his partners started the company, “we kind of felt out of place being new, young guys – it was tough doing social networking,” he says. “We needed people to know who we are, so we started getting involved in Rotary and local Chamber (of Commerce) events. It gave us good connections.” Branden is still heavily involved in such events as Marshfield’s Rotary Winter Wonderland and serves as president of the Marshfield Young Professionals group.

• In the future, Branden and his partners plan to further develop their company’s e-commerce site. They also plan to maintain a strong presence in Marshfield, but hope to open satellite stores in the northern and western parts of the state that can take on short-run digital jobs on demand.

By Barbara Mulhern