Later this month at the PrintWeek Awards, large-format specialist The Delta Group's table could be erupting in wild celebration, as the company has been shortlisted for Company of the Year. If it were successful, it would be hard to argue that Delta Group, which was established in the early 1990s, is undeserving of the accolade.

Delta's business strategy is to work on as many different aspects of a job for its clients as possible. The company is well set up to do so through its production facility Delta Display, design agency Lick Creative and distribution company MPD Fulfilment, which are all located within walking distance of each other in London.

Group operations director Richard Harris says that by working with clients through the whole production process, the group can better understand its customers. "Lick Creative and MPD Fulfilment are big assets and massively extend our range of offers. We need to offer different things; it means we're more than just a printer to our clients," he says.

Today, The Delta Group and its constituent companies are still going strong. Harris says Lick Creative has experienced steady growth, Delta Display has grown gently, while there has been a dramatic upturn at MPD: the company has experienced a number of good contract wins, and it is targeting further expansion into Europe. There is, says Harris, room for some cautious optimism.

Some 400 staff now work for the company in London, and there are regional distribution centres throughout the UK and branches in Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt and Los Angeles. Harris says the company is looking at other opportunities in the US and it is breaking into markets there that none of its competitors have been able to. "It is quite exciting to have that connection, and we are going from strength to strength," he says.

Choice markets
The company supplies printed promotional campaigns to the retail, brand and entertainment markets, which Harris says are "very strong sectors".

"We do expect growth in the entertainment sector, for example, especially in recessionary times," he says. "We have taken more market share, and our future growth will also be in retail and brands. The two areas are ultimately linked."

Delta's clients include global brands, European retailers and international entertainment companies, such as Tesco, BHS, B&Q and the BBC. The Delta Group is also looking at acquiring into other markets and expanding the ones it is currently involved in. "At the moment we are actively bringing in new business. We have two young owners and we are looking for opportunities to grow or consolidate, despite the tough times we all face," Harris says.

Growth though investment in systems and software is also a key strategy. In the past 18 months, £500,000 has been invested in software, a move which Harris says brings an added dose of transparency for customers. It also made a major investment in 2004 when it purchased the UK's first Roland 900 XXL press, and two years later it installed a Roland 905. Harris says the purchases are "a great platform for the future and for growth in the future".

Any investment is going to increase capacity, and Harris says the presses meant the company could be more cost effective as it could put more work through. 

The Delta Group is also looking at purchasing its next digital flatbed. "It has benefited us as it has enabled us to be flexible and it's very client-driven. We are very much focused on cost savings." However, no new presses are in the pipeline, as the company says it is comfortable with its scale of output. "The presses are running at around 80% capacity. We have the flexibility, we never feel too stretched. And it is great to think that we can still grow," says Harris.

The events of the past 12 months have enabled the company to be more efficient, according to Harris. "In recessionary times, we have done well," he says.

Harris admits the company is still very cautious, and there is still uncertainty over the impact of the recession on the company. However, he says the group's current turnover, which is £43m, will grow this year. "Service and pricing is helping us look after our clients. We have to be optimistic, and we have had to focus on our customers to achieve cost reduction. Then we can see the fruits of our efforts."

If the fruits of its efforts are not given the nod on 19 October, the company can still proudly claim that it is one of print's winners.

The Delta Group factfile  
Established 1991
Group operations director Richard Harris
Group turnover £43m
Staff 400+
Operating companies Delta Display, design agency Lick Creative, distribution business MPD Fulfilment