What if your printer, mail house, sign shop, and label partner were all the same team—and local? In this Southaven Business Beat, host Aaron Cozort sits down with Kush Shah of Direct FX (22+ years strong) to unpack how a two‑man mail startup grew into a multi-division print, mail, signage, and flexible label company serving the Mid‑South—and why their methodical growth, client education, and single‑touchpoint model win in 2025.
What you’ll learn
•How Direct Effects evolved from direct mail (2003) → digital print → offset → signage → flexible labels
•Why variable data + targeted lists beat “spray and pray” mailers
•The one point of contact advantage (print, mail, signs, promo, labels)
•New tech: larger digital press sheets (23″×29″) = short‑run posters & unique formats
•Hiring in print today: pairing veterans with rising talent; cross‑training smart
•Local first: the power of keeping dollars circulating in DeSoto County
Key quotes & takeaways
“We’re a relationship business. We fix problems first—and figure out the how later.”
“Mail less, target smarter. 10K to the right audience beats 100K to everyone.”
“Digital printing isn’t ‘inferior’ anymore—quality and speed now rival offset.”
About Direct Effects
Headquartered in Southaven, MS with operations in Memphis, TN and Jonesboro, AR. Capabilities: commercial print (digital + offset), direct mail, signage, flexible, industrial, ag labels, and promotional products. Typical sweet spot: 100–200,000 pieces; new large‑format digital unlocks short‑run posters and specialty sizes.
Engage with us
Have you combined direct mail + retargeting lately? What results did you see?
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Chapters
00:00 Intro: Why print still matters locally
01:12 Direct Effects origin story (2003)
02:03 From mail to print (learning CMYK the hard way)
02:22 Adding signage through client demand
02:43 Enter flexible labels (ag & industrial)
03:10 Multi-location footprint
04:15 From Pitney Bowes to startup—$50K bet
06:08 Cracking Tunica casinos with variable data
06:57 Digital vs. offset: the tech journey
08:30 Today’s digital = offset quality
08:52 New press: 23×29″ sheet game‑changer
10:40 What clients don’t know (and need to)
12:06 One vendor, one invoice: the single touchpoint
13:31 Leadership & methodical growth (no finger‑pointing)
15:21 Co‑founders: sales vs. ops—finding lanes
17:04 Future: diversify & the label opportunity
18:28 Flexible labels use‑cases (watermelon, freeze‑pack, industrial)
19:39 Hiring realities & cross‑training
21:53 Protecting with tech as offset talent shrinks
22:31 Data‑driven mail + QR + retargeting
24:49 Refocusing on DeSoto County relationships
26:39 Chamber tours: “Didn’t know you could do all this here!”
28:02 Why relationships are greater than one‑off jobs
29:22 Pricing unlocked by digital color
30:54 Keep dollars local → build momentum
32:13 Wrap
• Connect with Direct Effects: directfxsolutions.com | 901-344-8169
📝 Resources mentioned: variable data printing, targeted mailing lists, QR landing pages, retargeting, and geo‑targeting.
Sponsors
• Wisdom Integrators — www.wisdomintegrators.com
• Pure Focus Media — purefocus.media
