IQ-Magazine-Issue-14

IQ business profile
taking over
IQ Magazine talks to business owners Paul
Howe and David Prior about taking over
established business, NewPrint…
When Paul Howe and David
Prior took over Newmarket-based
business-to-business print supplier,
NewPrint, in the middle of the
recession, little did they know that
two years later business would be
booming, resulting in numerous
equipment upgrades to keep up with
demand.
Owner David helped to set up the
original company, Newmarket
Press, and has been a core member
of the team ever since. Sold, and
renamedNewPrint, 11 years ago,
the business expanded to include
a salesman - Paul. Two years ago,
the time had come for the previous
owner to take a back seat and the
pair were offered the opportunity to
purchase the business.
“It was a big step,” confirmed
David. “You can never be 100%
sure of these things, but we looked
at the figures and thought that it
could work. It just so happened that
the company across the road, Digital
Print Services, also wanted to sell up
and by taking over both businesses,
we doubled the turnover overnight.”
Digital Print Services’ former
proprietor, Kirsty helped them
through the transition, imparting
her knowledge of her customer base
and market position.
With business on the up, the
directors chose to invest in lots
of new equipment including
finishing technology such as folding
machines, creasers and laminators,
to compliment the existing litho
capabilities already available. Paul
and David saw this as a way to
continue the work the company was
already doing - short colour runs
and spot colour work - but doing it
more effectively.
“With our digital presses, there had
been lots of break down time and we
were having engineers out virtually
every day, so it got to the point when
our maintenance contractors had
to keep putting parts into it, and so
they put a proposal together for a
new machine. We went and looked
at them and decided that rather than
have one, we’d have two,” explained
David. “It has doubled our capacity;
they are much faster machines.
Before if you had ten jobs and only
one machine that constantly breaks
down, then the job would take
two days, but now if we’ve got ten
jobs, then we can start one on one
machine, and then go to the other;
it’s certainly increased our capacity.”
With in-depth knowledge of both
their company and the industry,
NewPrint’s new owners understood
that they wanted to continue the
same high standard of product
and services the business had
always achieved. However, they
looked at what could help the
business run more efficiently, and
thus gain more custom through
boosted productivity, and that was
an investment in equipment and
technology.
More Information
For more information visit www.newprint.co.uk
issue 14 | page 41