The site, printersclearance.co.uk, will go live on 12 July and is the invention of Calco Paper, which has taken on three former Paperlinx employees to assist with the venture.
The site enables printers and paper merchants to list and sell paper and print-related items that they no longer need, from a packet of paper to small machines.
Calco will take care of the web listings and arrange the collection and delivery of items and payments. It is offering national coverage but with an initial focus on businesses local to Calco's two bases in Yorkshire and its office in Newquay, Cornwall.
Calco managing director Stephen Callaghan said his aim was to put cashflow back into both printing companies and paper merchants. Listings will be free although Calco will take a structured percentage of commission from each sale, depending on the value of the order.
Former Paperlinx employees Paul Marcus, Paul Schofield and Angela Fletcher, along with Callaghan’s daughter, Charlotte, will oversee the day-to-day running of the venture, including answering enquiries and identifying leads, marketing, customer service and managing the website.
“Every company I’ve approached is all over it and thinks it’s a brilliant idea. Immediately we’re turning something into cashflow. We expect to launch with 500 listings, increasing that very quickly,” said Callaghan.
“I actually bought the domain name three years ago but for some reason I held back. The one thing I do know is this team will give their all to get it off the ground, let’s hope the three-year delay pays off and the industry can have some positive vibes again.”
The business has taken on a new leased warehouse facility in Gildersome, Leeds, where the four new staff will be based, and invested around £50,000 so far.
Items that will be listed on the launch day will include Risograph machines, folding devices, a two-colour SRA3 press and a Roland DG VersaUV LEF-20 flatbed printer.
Businesses that have already agreed to list items on the site include Elliott Baxter, Penistone Paper & Board, Paper 4 Print Manchester and Liverpool, John Ord Printers, Leeds Graphic Press and Dalesgate Press.
Elliott Baxter account manager Steve Hardwick said: “It’s a great way for both paper companies and printers alike to have a single site like this that works in both their interests.”
Users will be able to search for items through various filters, such as by paper grammage or size.
“It’s a lot more structured than something like Ebay where everything is all over the place. The website has been built in-house and been created with the knowledge of what we think people will want to search for,” said Callaghan.
Calco is promoting the website launch with the mascot 'Clearance the hedgehog', a disused book that has been folded to look like a hedgehog, which can also act as a business card holder.
Callaghan came up with the marketing idea after he purchased two of the ‘hedgehogs’ at a market. He is now hoping to contact the stallholders, who were selling them to raise money for charity, to put in an order of 500 to give out to small businesses.
Calco Paper has nine staff and is aiming for a turnover of around £750,000 for the current financial year.
