Companies join forces to create printing powerhouse

“It was a natural reaction to market forces,” explained sales director Mick Hinchcliffe, who has been with the core company for almost 16 years.

“We recognised that more and more customers wanted just one point of contact – it was increasingly important to them to access all the print services they needed in one place instead of dealing with multiple suppliers.”

The result is a print powerhouse in the heart of Batley, West Yorkshire, made up of AB Co, Wellan Studios and RW Reprographics, with a turnover in excess of £3m.

The expansion began around five years ago, when Wellan Studios was taken under the AB Co Group umbrella. The parent company, whose roots stretch back to 1970, introduced a new management team in the mid-90s and moved from its base in Morley to Pudsey, before coming to its present premises.

“We wanted to stretch the brand,” said Mr Hinchcliffe. “Wellan Studios was known as a leader in the point-of-sale arena and enhanced what we could offer. We maintained this theme with the acquisition of RWR, which gave us access to the rapidly developing digital sector.”

He added: “Essentially, what we’ve done is combine well-established expertise with an awareness of what can be delivered by the very best of new technology. Things have changed in the print world and short-run work is more popular than ever before – whereas in the past customers would order three or four thousand copies of a brochure, now it might be just 500 at a time. Businesses like ours have to adapt.”

Recent investment in top-notch equipment has helped cement the company’s reputation for high quality, fast turnaround and competitive pricing.

“We know we’re in an ultra-competitive market and we believe positioning ourselves as a one-stop shop for printing needs gives us an edge,” said Mr Hinchcliffe.

“We’re all under the same roof – we’re not associates, we’re not contracting out. We’ve got a workforce of around 50 people who deal with everything from small, local businesses to multi-nationals – and every one of them strives to deliver the best service to them all.”

It’s not just the service currently attracting interest to the AB Print Group’s site on Grange Valley Road, however. Already committed to being as environmentally-friendly as possible, the business now boasts its own wind turbine on site.

“We believe strongly that every company needs to take its environmental responsibilities seriously,” explained Mr Hinchcliffe. “This was a step in that direction and it’s fair to say it’s brought us some attention – we get a lot of people pulling up in their cars just to look at it!”

The turbine, which stands at around 30ft high, is expected to supply around ten per cent of the company’s electricity needs.