From the startup phase of a sole proprietorship to businesses as experienced and as sizable as UPMC, Philip Greene, the owner of Expanding Minds Creatives, says his business provides custom quality printing and superior design services for all businesses.
Located at 3633 California Ave., in the Bellevue section of the North Side, Expanding Minds Creatives, according to Greene, offers more than one thinks or imagines. Initially known as a premier digital one-stop printing company, Greene is rebranding the business to be known equally for its printing and design capabilities. “We are redoing our Expanding Minds brand. In 2014 we will be combined to exist as a full service design studio with printing capabilities.”
With the motto, “We print it your way,” Expanding Minds Creatives currently offers a full scope of products that are customized to fit the customers’ needs. Items such as banners, brochures, business cards, envelopes, flyers, greeting cards, handbills, invitations, letterhead, newsletters, postcards, posters, sell sheets and yard signs. Other services include direct marketing, mailing and shipping and promotional products like inkpads, t-shirts and point of purchase items. “Our services full fill the needs for entrepreneurs and professionals to a personal stand point, but we also specialize in promotional marketing and campaign advertising,” he said pointing out that he is the exclusive printer for a leading political advertising and campaign strategy company.
A creative and artistic person by birth and trade, Greene is transitioning Expanding Minds Creatives to be identified for its creative design capabilities. Starting out as a visual marketing company with clients consisting of arts groups like the African Grove Performance Group and the Pittsburgh Dance Ensemble his goal is to transform Expanding Minds to be identified as a full service graphic design studio providing creative solutions through its multi-disciplined design capabilities and marketing expertise. With printing and design products being much the same Greene explained that the design component of the business include corporate identity programs, graphic design, promotional and marketing strategies, web design and digital photography. “Our competencies are intended to drive the process and to build and sustain confidence in our customers.” A short list of their capabilities includes logo development, brand strategy business cards, letterhead, envelopes, labels, notepads, brochures, program booklets, presentations, PPT Presentations, invitations, annual reports, event promotions, point of purchase design/merchandising strategy, illustrations and website design and development.
A Penn Hills High School graduate, Greene was always a very visual person. Since a child, he says, he always knew he wanted to draw. He studied electronics and became a Missile Repair Technician in the United States Army. During his nine-year military career he received many awards including his selection as the 101st Airborne Division’s Soldier of the Month and Distinguished Honor Graduate of Non Commissioned Officers Academy. He served as an instructor at Redstone Arsenal Missile and Munitions Center and School in Huntsville, Ala., attended school there as well and excelled receiving the Instructor of the Quarter Award.
With a desire to pursue his passion for the arts, he attended and majored in Visual Communications at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Upon graduation he established his self as an African-American heritage oil paintings artist launching a successful line of greeting cards named “Shades of Black.” He likened the images to the Norman Rockwell collection.
Before stepping out on his own on a full time basis Greene worked nine years at Monroeville based IDL Merchandising Point of Purchase Design and Manufacturing. He honed his skills at creating presentations and designing merchandising and point of purchase displays for the retail industry. Utilizing his three dimensional design engineering and project management expertise he had the opportunity to work with major clients like BP Oil, Pep Boys, Microsoft, American Eagle, Belwith Hardware, Kitchen Aid, Mannington Flooring and Verizon.
Before establishing Expanding Minds Printing in 2007, Greene enhanced his illustration, graphic design and brand development skills while working at Ten United, a local ad agency as a studio manager and creative director within the package design division.
Pleased with his career and the steps that have led him to where he is today, Greene now has a desire to design and sell his own products. In his “Shades of Black” line he has a series of holiday cards entitled Jesus is the Reason, Kwanzaa, Principles of Season, 12 Days of Christmas, Fruits of the Spirit and the Heritage Collection.
A Minority Certified Organization with the Western Pennsylvania Minority Supplier Development Council and a member of the Western Pennsylvania African American Chamber of Commerce, Greene also has hopes to increase his clientele. Serving as the UPMC Center for Inclusion where he is Creative Director for the Dignity and Respect Campaign his corporate clients also include PPG, the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, G.W. Peoples National Rail Company, E Holdings, LLC, IDL Worldwide and Hasbro.
