The franchise group has operations in the UK, US, Brazil, China, Mexico, Russia and Saudi Arabia and the award is based on operational efficiency, sales, marketing and profitability.
AlphaGraphics North East also ranked in the top three franchises worldwide for overall sales.
AlphaGraphics managing director Andrew Dalton said: “It feels fantastic to have won; after 28 years in the network, it’s something we have always aspired to and only once before has it been awarded outside the US – to Brazil.”
Fellow AlphaGraphics director Sean Costigan, meanwhile, has celebrated 25 years with the business this year.
“I started my career in print at the age of 16 and have worked in the industry since then. In one of my earlier roles, I was selling to AlphaGraphics, which is how I met Andrew,” he explained.
The pair credited its workforce for its success and thanked customers and suppliers for their support.
AlphaGraphics operates three HP Indigo presses, including B2 and B3 models, two Heidelberg Speedmasters, a five-colour Anicolor and a B2 two-colour 74, an EFI Vutek H2000 Pro large-format hybrid printer, and two Mimaki roll-to-roll machines.
It had a turnover of just under £8m in its last financial year and operates from a leased 3,530sqm site.
Earlier this year the business acquired Redcar-based stationery and merchandise print firm Class Fundraising, taking on its 11 employees and bringing the total number of staff at AlphaGraphics to 80.
Further additions to its team have continued as the business readied itself for a busy winter with the addition of four permanent roles – two office-based and two in production, as well as 20 temporary positions across the business since October, including image editors and scanner and production operators.
Founded in 1993 to offer printing, display and mailing services, AlphaGraphics diversified over the course of the pandemic, launching an e-commerce platform selling tailored social distancing signs to commercial and corporate clients.
Dalton said: “September, October and November are our busiest months of the year, so we needed temporary staff to hit production volumes and timescales.
“What’s more, these four new permanent hires mean that we will be able to provide a better service to our clients by being more efficient and, in terms of ISO, compliant with standards.
“Technology is now at the core of our business. Last year we established our new eCommerce division – with revenues in excess of £1.5m in less than 12 months.”
“All this forms part of AlphaGraphics’ vision for the future, allowing us to fully grasp opportunities, and supporting our wider vision to deliver the very best customer experience in our industry,” he added.
