Why It’s been a busy year for Brightsource founder and managing director Frings.
A new division, Instinctiv, is the first agency in the UK to apply behavioural science to direct marketing. The firm also picked up a five-year print management contract for Oxfam. A supplier says: “He has developed the business fantastically well from a print manager into a full marketing solutions provider.” The firm has enjoyed 12 years of consecutive double-digit profit growth since its formation in 2002 and now has sales of £45m.
Why It’s been a year of investment for Portsmouth-based Bishops Printers, with the firm spending almost £2m on a Speedmaster XL 75 with Inpress Control and Stitchmaster ST 450 saddle-stitcher. The aim is to grow turnover to £22m, a goal staff feel more than confident managing director Gareth Roberts can deliver with his hands-on approach. “Roberts is not afraid of, and in fact positively thrives on, getting involved in all areas of the business be it shop floor or boardroom,” says one colleague, adding: “He has very high ethics both personally and professionally and instills them in those around him.”
Why Building a business from scratch to £15m turnover in five years is no mean feat. Yet this is exactly what UK Mail’s hybrid mail offshoot business has achieved with its SME print-on-demand service. Anyone who’s met commercial director Barber will be in no doubt that this success is down in no small part to his boundless energy. That and his ability, as someone from a non-print background, to “spot the opportunities that people might say don’t exist”. Barber, who is also chairman of Konica Minolta’s Prokom user group, is also highly energetic in his spare time, loving nothing more than hitting the gym.
Why Securing the title of SME of the year at last year’s PrintWeek Awards goes a long way to explaining managing director Tolleys’ 23-place leap up the rankings this year. But Prime hasn’t rested on its laurels and only last month it installed an HP Indigo 10000 – one of the biggest single investments in the firm’s history and one that effectively doubled the digital capacity at the business he runs with brother Adrian. “Jon is exactly what this industry needs. Forward-looking, innovation-driven and always open to ideas,” says one rather gushing employee.
Why Despite being established way back in 1831, Bell & Bain nonetheless has its sights set firmly on the future. This year has seen the company grow its turnover by 20%, purchase a second factory, and invest in additional digital printing and post-press kit, installing the UK’s first Konica Minolta C1085 and first Muller Martini Diamant MC case binding line. “Docherty is good at identifying problems like bottlenecks in the factory,” says one colleague, adding: “His enthusiasm for books and printing is incredible and it gets the whole team moving. It is like working in a whirlwind as it’s always 100 miles an hour.”
Why First 4 managing director Nestor’s dedicated fold-stitch-trim finishing house has continued its transition into direct mail successfully during 2014. DM now generates £1m of its £4m turnover. The firm has supported the division’s growth by investing in two CMC high-speed mailing lines and moving the operation into a dedicated second facility. Still only 32 years old, the major Formula 1 and Lewis Hamilton fan “has driven the company forward by making brave decisions,” says one colleague. Nestor is looking to add yet more services to the company in the near future as it strives to continue its diversification.
Why While Gray was only elevated to the role of chief financial officer of the group in August he’s no newbie, having been at St Ives for 26 years. He knows the business inside out, having honed his numerical nous under a former board of bean counters. Gray has proved a key player in the group’s recent acquisitions spree, and has developed a successful blueprint for M&A plays. “Brad is really, really good at the technical stuff and has a fantastic eye for detail,” says one associate. When not applying his propelling pencil to a balance sheet this keen skier might well be found propelling himself down the slopes.
Why Highfield was appointed chief executive of multi-channel publishing giant Johnston Press in 2011 and the past 12 months were arguably his busiest. In March the company announced its first increase in “underlying” profit for seven years. Three months later it successfully completed its £360m capital refinancing plan and at the same time it entered into a regional partnership with Sky, agreeing to a £5m investment. Away from the office, Highfield spends as much time with his daughter as possible, with a trip to the cinema being a favourite outing for both.
Why It’s been a good 12 months for the chief executive of PrintWeek’s reigning Company of the Year, not just in terms of securing awards, but also in winning new contracts. It’s difficult to find anyone with a bad word to say about Warner, but he’s not without potential flaws. “I wouldn’t say he’s got full-blown OCD, but it’s fair to say that his attention to detail and desire for perfection is second to none,” says one colleague. Although rumours persist that one of his weekly emails to staff was titled “check, check, check and then check again and then check once more for good luck”.
Why With printed communications regularly delivered to around 4.2m members, National Trust print & production manager Prichard oversees a significant amount of print. The organisation’s print spend was just short of £10m in total over the past year, which includes its flagship triannual magazine, the most circulated periodical in the UK according to last December’s ABC figures, and its annual Members’ Handbook. Prichard prides himself on his knowledge of the industry. “He has a lot of self-belief in what he does and he makes that work well for the Trust,” says one associate.
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