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Have you heard the one about the economics graduate accountant and the chemistry graduate in Wimbledon? No, it isn’t a terrible joke, but the story of professional services printer Purbrooks and its managing director Jan Prokop, the chemist, and chairman Martin Stern, the accountant.

Both men insist they came into print by accident and yet are using a reputation for quality and reliability to pick up business left, right and centre in London.

Purbrooks started up in 1896, but the current chapter of its life began almost 100 years later, when Stern bought the business in 1994. He was joined five years later by Prokop.

The company has grown considerably since Stern took over, using his accountancy skills to build it into a more profitable position. He then brought Prokop – who boasts more than 20 years in print – on board to look after the production side of things.

Purbrooks’ growth was underlined last November by a £1.5m investment in a new B1 five-colour Komori Lithrone S40, the company’s first foray into the B1 market.

Previously, the company had always been seen as a B2 house, despite investing in digital print a couple of years ago. The reason for that investment was client driven and the move into B1 is no different.

Prokop says: “Our customers were looking for longer runs and larger paginations. But they wanted the kind of reliability they had always got from us.

“We weren’t looking to get a B1 machine and just let it run. It isn’t about churning out hundreds of thousands of copies. We are doing small runs and makeready is as important as running the machine. What matters is how many consistent copies we have at the end of the run.”

Better business offering
According to Stern, the Komori S40 has allowed the company to produce work quicker, cheaper and in a more environmentally friendly way than before, as well as opening the door for work the company was not previously able to handle.

The machine was chosen over buying another B2 press, which would have cost them a lot less. But the ethos of spending now to save in the future is one that both Stern and Prokop have adhered to since they took over.

Stern says: “People don’t think far forward enough. We had customers asking for work we were unable to do. You can take a one-year hit on turnover by buying a machine and further down the line it will make you money.

“What is a problem is not advancing the company. Every Christmas you should be able to look back and say ‘we are in a much better position than we were 12 months ago’. If you are standing still, there is a problem.”

Stern adds: “If you want to do the job for as cheap as you can, go to the provinces. Inside the M25, our running costs are far too high.

“But we are very good value for money. We make sure that what goes to press is correct. It could be described as holding the hand of the client. We try to stop them from making mistakes further up the chain, before it even gets to us.”

Step-by-step service
In order to achieve this, Purbrooks likes to have involvement right through the process. It now boasts its own graphics arm to design products for clients, or simply tweak what has already been done in order to get the best results.

It also prides itself on not making promises it cannot keep and will turn down work if they do not think they can achieve what the customer wants in the time frame given.

Prokop says: “You may rush to deliver a job in 48 hours, but the client has to live with the compromised quality for the next six months while they use what you have printed. Nobody remembers the rushed job, they only remember the quality. We will say we need an extra 24 hours to get it right.”

If ever the two men do begin to lose their edge when it comes to moving the company forward, Stern says that history is always there to keep them on their toes.

He says: “This company has 112 years of history and we are only the third group to run it. We don’t want to be the ones that cock it up.”

If they continue to run the company as they do, it is unlikely that they will. Under Stern and Prokop’s steady guidance, Purbrooks is moving forward strongly and looks set to continue its tradition of success.