The Cheadle Hume, Cheshire-based wide-format printer has beaten successful online, financial services and manufacturing businesses in the region to the accolade, which compares the annual profit growth of companies across the North West.

Cestrian has shown year-on-year progress equating to 427% growth over a five-year period. The firm, which has 87 staff and a turnover of £11.6m, predominantly serves retail customers in the food and fashion sectors.

Managing director Phill Reynolds said: “We knew that as a business we have continued to buck the trend over the past five years but we were unaware that we were leading the region in terms of business success.

“It’s obviously great news for Cestrian and our staff who work so hard to keep the business at the top of our game, but we also see it as a boost for the entire print industry, which has been under intense pressure since the recession.

“There’s little doubt that the industry has changed – with the exponential growth in digital and mobile marketing it was always going to be tough for printers to keep up – and we’ve found that innovation is the only way to differentiate and stay ahead. It’s a culture that spreads throughout the business; as much of our time now is spent on research and development as it is on production.

“Luckily, our customers are happy to come along with us and test new ideas. Far from shifting everything towards digital marketing, we’re finding that the most forward-thinking retailers and exhibitors are using the newest, highest impact print techniques to complement and enhance their online and digital offerings.”

Over the past four years, Cestrian has invested in new technologies to create efficiencies across the business. It has recently launched online print management portal ‘itsapproved’.

“There’s naturally a period of adjustment and financial pain when implementing new systems, but the steps we’ve taken have paid dividends in terms of improving productivity and communications with our clients,” said Reynolds.

“We never stand still. Much of our profit is ploughed back into product development and we will continue to do so over the next five years and more.”