The new Nettl of the Palm Beaches franchise has been taken up by The Back Office, a business services specialist that, as the name implies, offers a fixed price range of back office functions including accounting, book keeping, human resources and payroll services.
President David Winters said the Nettl franchise “completed the menu” for the firm’s clients. “We’ve added services that directly impact the front end of their business with marketing, advertising, website and application development, printing, large format products, displays, exhibits, advertising specialty items and more,” he said.
Grafenia chief executive Peter Gunning praised the team effort involved in launching Nettl onto the US market. He said he was delighted to have The Back Office on board and that the new Nettl of America operation, which is based in Cleveland, Ohio, had secured its first partner.
“We saw 50 people overall on our Florida trip and we want to scale Nettl to a significant number. We expect more franchisees to sign agreements soon and encourage anyone who is looking to diversify their print business to get in touch.”
Franchisees can keep their existing identity and co-brand it with Nettl. PrintWeek understands a second franchisee has already signed up.
“We train them how to sell and deliver web projects, with clever software and their existing team’s skillset,” Gunning added.
Grafenia now has more than 200 Nettl locations around the world. As well as the UK and continental Europe, there are Nettls in Australia and New Zealand.
In the UK, the PLC’s upgrade of its printing hub in Manchester is almost complete. Gunning said the new Komori Lithrone GL840P H-UV press has been up and running for several weeks, while the last of the firm’s three old presses – an eight-colour SP40 double-decker perfector – will be taken out on Monday (15 April).
Gunning said the company had also given notice on the Image Group premises and would begin constructing a mezzanine level next week as it pressed ahead with plans integrate the business into the Manchester site.
Grafenia has just completed its 2018/19 financial year. In 2017/18 the business had sales of £14.63m.
The Nettl of America team will also be promoting the bolt-on franchise with a stand and Nettl Expoganza at How Design Live in Chicago from 7-10 May.
