60 seconds with: Ashley House Printing Company

Ashley House Printing Company was formed in 2005 as a result of a management buyout by Robert Otton, who by happy coincidence had been looking to start his own business at the same time it came up for sale. “By introducing a good production system and fine-tuning the presses, I managed to impress the bank enough for them to give me some backing. The rest is history!” he says.

Where are you based?

In Exeter, just off the M5

How many staff do you have?

I have 24 wonderful staff 

What does your firm do?

We’re a commercial printer but we love doing different things. We’re just testing the waters of large format  

What’s your typical customer?

Someone who is quality conscious and relies on a top-quality product and excellent customer service

What geographic area do you serve?

Mainly local, a bit national and a tiny bit international

Who are your clients?

Design agencies, manufacturing, educational, retail, publishers, breweries… a real mixed bag

What’s your USP?

The production and estimating department is run by an amazing team. Tenacious, reliable, communicative… They don’t forget anything, and they all respect the client

What’s your company’s motto?

More of a battle cry… ‘We love it!’

What equipment do you run?

Litho and digital print kit, and complete studio and finishing facilities

What’s been your proudest achievement in the past few years?

The fact that we have traded through the recession and are still standing

Where do you see your business in five years’ time?

A new premises with space to expand the digital side further, a large-format department and maybe our own gym!

What’s your team’s favourite biscuit? 

Unfortunately, the team doesn’t get much of a look in if there are biscuits about! Got to be a Custard Cream...