Rafferty: 'Worth going after'

Printing.com to boost its US and French activities

By Simon Nias Friday, 17 April 2009

Printing.com has unveiled Raintree Graphics as its US master licence holder and said it will grow its presence in France and the US as it attempts to replicate the success of its first master licence, which was granted to New Zealand-based Astra Group in June 2006.

Chief executive Tony Rafferty said the company would focus on growing its overseas business in France, ahead of a future sale, and helping its latest master licence holder expand its franchise business in America, rather than chasing other master licence opportunities.

He said: "There are still the odd talks in a lot of countries around the world, but at the moment, our focus is on France, where we've invested our money, and in the US, which is a very big opportunity and where our partners have invested heavily.

"We want to get those working in the way New Zealand is working, rather than going off and looking at other opportunities, because if you look at the [combined] population of France and Amercia, it's 360m and that's worth going after."

Rafferty added that the planned sell-off of its French business to either an MBO or a master licence partner, would be unlikely in the near future.

"Now we've decided to invest our money, we don't want to sell it off until it's significantly more developed and that will be in probably two or three years time," he said.

The AIM-listed print franchise company currently produces work for the French market from its Manchester hub, although Rafferty revealed that Printing.com would ultimately invest in a production facility in France.