For a company that was set up a just under two years ago, Redwood already has an impressive set of customers on its client list, including the NHS, Santander, The Green Party and Adidas. Another win is Liverpool FC, says Redwood managing director Jon Aindow, holding up a large colour picture of the players celebrating a recent victory. It's a good job he's a supporter of the team. "If I hadn't been, I wouldn't have printed it," he jokes.

The Aintree-based business was set up as an environmentally friendly printer on 1 January 2008, as one of the few FSC- and PEFC-certified printers in the area - a claim that it says still rings true. Surprisingly, considering that funding isn't always easily accessible for the print sector, especially for a start-up project, Redwood secured £700,000 backing to launch the company. This included a £100,000 loan from Alliance Fund Managers through the Small Firms Fund, part of the Merseyside Special Investment Fund. "We are backable because of our view of the business - the fact that we market ourselves as an environmentally friendly printer and we have a fresh view of the print industry," Aindow says. "We have been built with long-term aims and the backers saw a real need for that sort of company."

Aindow believes that going green has differentiated the business and made it more competitive when going for tenders. "Because of our green credentials, we have been talking to major players that we wouldn't have been in contact with without our environmental stance." Looking at the client list, this certainly seems to be the case. "We're a young business, so to be in these sorts of talks is great," he adds.

Punching above its weight
Redwood has found itself tendering against much larger local players, such as Warrington-based Philip Myers Press and Stockport-based Qualitech. The fact both fell into administration this year is a stark reminder of how tough conditions are (although both companies were subsequently bought out). "When we formed at the start of 2008, it was a golden age," Aindow says. "And then it all crashed and it has been extremely tough on everyone to fill the gap." The company has experienced a lot of competition, much of it from online, and from printers in nearby Manchester. "A lot of printers are difficult to compete against because of capacity," he says. "Many printers constantly offer very low prices, and this is having a massive impact on the industry. People are just buying on price and it's not sustainable - especially in these tough times."

Despite these challenges, in January the company reported a strong first year of trading with a turnover of £700,000. It hopes to boost that to £4m within four years. "Work has picked up in the last month or so," says Aindow. "It hasn't been a graveyard. We have seen a steady increase in sales this year with an obvious uplift from August onwards."

In order to achieve this goal, one of Redwood's strategies is to keep as much of the work as possible in-house. The company has invested £450,000 at the plant, which includes a Heidelberg SM72, a Heidelberg MOZ-PS, a Muller Martini stitching line and an MBO Folder. Digital kit includes a Xerox 700, an HP Indigo, a Duplo collator and a Morgana Autocreaser. While large-format equipment consists of a Mimaki JV33, Canon IPF9000s and a Mimaki JF1631 flatbed. The company has also refurbished its site as part of an additional £100,000 investment. Redwood says he is looking at investing in another Xerox 700 shortly. "It's all about service levels," Aindow adds. "We stock manage all the print."

Aindow has been in the print industry for 18 years, however the majority of the 15-staff company are new to the sector. He says this has its benefits as it enables the company to have a fresh approach on how to work with customers and drive the business forward. "This is one of the ways the company is different and we help promote our customers," he says. On the production side, the company does have experienced staff, which it claims enables it to push boundaries. "We always go from a customer point of view, we can't look at it as just ink on paper. We talk about return on investment and we don't sell people what they don't need."

The green shoots experienced by the company over the past six weeks are promising, Aindow claims. And with the company's eye set on the long term, Redwood seems well-positioned to develop its environmentally friendly offering to a range of local and national clients and to continue celebrating its success.

Redwood factfile
Managing director Jon Aindow
Based Aintree, Liverpool
Sectors litho, digital, B2, direct to substrate, personalisation, exhibition and graphics
Products flyers, postcards, brochures, folders, stationery, large-format
Markets leisure, local authorities, education, charities, financial services, design agencies
Annual turnover £700,000