"For any organisation to move forward there has to be a clear structure and Richard can now take the business in the direction he wants under sole ownership. I think that’s important for the whole organisation and that’s why I’ve decided to do something different," said Spence.
Spence said his new venture will initially be an "advisory and training service" targeted at printers, buyers and print managers looking to embrace the dynamic changes going on in print, as the sector rises to meet the opportunities of a multi-discipline, cross media landscape.
He officially left the business on Monday (8 April), but the two managing directors had been talking about the parting for almost a year and Spence will continue to work with BCQ on a consultancy bases as required.
"As an industry we don’t market ourselves very well; sales and marketing is definitely a weak area. I think I’m quite well positioned to go into a company, whether it’s a supplier, a customer or print manager and if they need some help in the way they market themselves, train their staff or the way they present themselves or the way they sell, then because I’ve got a broad background then I think I can offer something," said Spence.
"The industry is dominated by big players, whether it’s in the supply side or print management, but I think increasingly small is becoming beautiful again and what I want to bring back is that personal touch."
Spence joined BCQ in 2006, when he merged the company he founded, Colour Quest, with Buckingham Colour after the former’s premises were seriously damaged in the Buncefield oil refinery explosion.
However, speaking in 2006 Spence and Knowles said they had been talking about merging the businesses for around 18 months prior to Buncefield, citing a desire to create a business with a critical mass that would add security for their staff and enable them to compete with the larger players in print.
"The business case for the merger came from the differences between the operations in terms of our equipment, customer base and even management styles," said Knowles.
"[But] we got to the stage where we needed clear leadership and I think Tyrone got to the stage where he wanted to take it a little steady, so I think from his point of view a change of direction made sense."
Knowles added that the current senior management team will remain in place at BCQ, the only change being that there will be one managing director, rather than two.
"We have a very strong board. We’re growing at about eight or nine percent a year and we’re expecting similar growth this year, but times remain tough and it’s all about delivering the numbers now and I guess every business is the same in that respect," said Knowles.
Last year the company invested £2m in two Heidelberg XL 75 presses and Knowles added that its Jolly Big wide-format division represented a strong growth opportunity. He also hinted the company was considering an investment in its fleet of HP Indigos.
"We’ve got some good contracts coming on board, but we’ll wait until the ink's dry on those before we decide on which areas to invest in," he said.
