"Each company is bringing what the other party needs to the table," said Harrison. "For F1, this partnership will allow us to enhance our service to existing clients."
Following the conclusion of the deal, St8us Group's managing director Peter Gatward, as well as a designer and a developer, have moved into F1 Colour's Southwark headquarters.
According to Harrison, the need for a fresh approach to the pre-press and print management market became apparent last year when F1 recorded its highest turnover but saw margins decline.
"Everything's become price driven now," said Harrison. "The only way we can win new clients is by being the cheapest and there's no future in that. We're doing more work than ever but everything is being done too cheaply – service and quality are no longer a value add, they're a given, so the decision is always on price.
"Our traditional sectors, in terms of photography, pre-press and print management, are all very reactive and we knew we needed to become more creative and more proactive in order to get away from the commodity market."
Harrison added that he had high hopes for the future of the partnership deal, as it had already allowed F1 to come up with enhanced services and innovative sales strategies with which to target its client base.
"We're seeing a client this week that wants a brochure designed and printed," he said. "The F1 Colour of 2010 would have said here's your design cost and here's your print cost, but we're now in a position where we can say, that's option one, but how about a micro-site and email campaign to go with the brochure or, let's look at ways we can reduce the cost of your marketing literature by attracting sponsorship for your campaign."
