What others are saying
“It has been my pleasure to work with Rob Davenport for more than 14 years. As C.E.O. of Red Wing Publishing/Big Fish Works and Rob’s hiring manager, I can attest to his high level of competence as a leader and strategic thinker.”
“Rob’s success in our company was an outcome of his intellectual curiosity. He took on every one of the challenges he faced, methodically analyzing all options, and tackling them with an entrepreneurial approach. A lack of abundant resources is the challenge in every small company, but it was never a barrier for Rob as he was always able to scale a solution within the limits of the organization.” Link to full letter
Mark Poss - CEO Big Fish Works
I have been a colleague of Rob Davenport's for the past 12 years. As senior managers, we have worked with other members of a corporate leadership team to meet the challenges of the rapidly-changing media industry.
Rob has always been known for being the "thinker" in our group, one who quietly considers obstacles and opinions, summarizes options, and then comes up with one or more solid recommendations. He is by far the most entrepreneurial member of our team, always looking for ways to meet client needs or launch a new revenue-producing product.
I have worked with few individuals over the years who have the technical skills and track record of successfully implementing change, as Rob has. Everyone within our organization benefits from his collaborative style and willingness to help others. His forward-thinking style and ability to pivot would be an asset to any organization.
Laurie Hartmann - General Manager Southwest News Media - Media News Group
Email from satisfied e-commerce customer
Hi Rob,
My envelopes just arrived! Just wanted to write you an email to express how happy I am with my order. I don’t usually contact companies like this, so the energy feels a little weird but here goes!
Things I really liked:
1. No plastic inside the box. Nothin but paper - the way it should be. Not sure if your packing tape is also bio-degradable, but I was very happy with the way the box was shipped.
2. The small packet of Goldfish chips (which I hope was intentional) - just a much more personable and memorable experience of opening the box & having a small surprise when opening what is expected to a mundane stationary delivery. I guess now I’m gonna talk to my friends about the fact an envelope company sent me chips in a moment of perfect marketing.
3. Product quality was better than expected! My image came out looking great! I had thought it might come a little grainy (and was prepared to accept that) & it truly came looking beautiful!
Idk if you guys are a major player or part of “big envelope” or whatever, but I was very satisfied with my purchase & will definitely be shopping with you again next time I need large custom envelopes.
Best, Hugh Hobbs
A waterproof newspaper for SCUBA divers. Placemats with an educational theme for kids. Safety posters for employers and employees at companies across the country.
Who does that? Only someone with an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit who sees opportunities when others might pass them up.
Not every opportunity has brought Rob Davenport unqualified success during his years of leading the printing and newspaper operations at Big Fish Print Solutions and International Falls Journal. But with each one, he has used his unmatched analytical skills to find the best course to success. And if it doesn’t work out, he’s effectively pivoted away to other opportunities.
I count myself lucky to have worked with Rob, to have seen him in action, the way he balanced entrepreneurial efforts and bottom-line financials, always with an eye to ensuring our company’s financial security needs were met while pursuing new ventures.
When we needed new printing revenue streams to support our legacy newspaper operations, Rob and his team left no stone unturned in finding opportunities. He created a drop-shipping printing business that made and sold (on Amazon) the aforementioned placemats. They found a client who needed printing for his upstart safety poster business and developed a partnership that drove profits to both enterprises.
And, yes, they even printed that waterproof newspaper. It was short-lived, but only because the client could not drive the revenue they needed to continue.
People like Rob are rare, at least in my experience. Though he’s spent the past 15 years of his career in the printing and newspaper business, I believe he can be — will be — a success in whatever adventure he chooses to move to next.
Brent Schacherer- General Manager and Publisher Hutchinson Leader and Litchfield Independent
I had the pleasure of working with Rob for over five years on the corporate leadership team of Red Wing Publishing Company. Rob always drove me to be a better leader with all of his energy, determination and problem solving skills. There was no project too big or too small and he treated them all with great respect and motivation. Rob is the guy you want on your team. You know he will always follow through and that he will have your back. He made me a better leader. Plus, Rob is a numbers guy and as a CPA, I always really appreciated his analytical mind and ability to manage the budget and understand the company’s finances. Any organization would be fortunate to attract a talented leader such as Rob Davenport.
Angela Melson - Controller Big Fish Works, Ryan Mechanical