The survey asked employees which company they would like to work for other than their own. The research featured 10 main categories and pooled together the top five rated companies in each group.

These spanned direct mail printers, print management firms, point-of-sale, web and paper companies across the UK.

Other categories included general print in the North, in Scotland, the Midlands and the South as well as the West Country and Wales.

George Thompson, joint managing director of print recruitment business Harrison Scott, said learning how people make choices about employers is always helpful.

He said: "There are certain common denominators that can influence people's choices such as how they invest in their staff or if they've received any awards in the past."

Other reasons cited behind nominating companies include having a high public profile.

From a sample group of 150 in the direct mail group, Howitt emerged as the top-rated company potential employees would like to work for while Dsicmm, Mailcom and MBA also featured in the top five.

On a regional basis the sample group was 200 and Buxton Press emerged as the favoured choice for general print in the North followed closely by The West Yorkshire Printing Company.

J Thomson Colour Printers topped people's choice for Scotland while Linneys and Taylor Bloxham scored highly for the Midlands region. For voters in the South, Park Communications ranked highest while Beacon Press, part of the Pureprint Group came in at second.

In the West Country and Wales, Stephens & George topped the bill while Pensord Press and Frome-based Butler Tanner & Dennis also featured.

In the national web sector, Polestar emerged as the favoured choice while Bezier topped people's votes in the point-of-sale category, which also included Augustus Martin and Simpson Group.

The national paper category polled 200 and saw most votes given to Elliot Baxter in a group in which Robert Horne and PaperCo also featured.

The top five rated companies in each category can be found below:


DM Printers – Nationally

1.Howitt

2.Dsicmm

3.TLG

4.MBA

5.Mailcom/New Logic

 

 
Print Management – Nationally

1.Charterhouse

2.Adare

3.Williams Lea

4.Paragon

5.Communisis

 


General Print North

1.Buxton Press

2.The West Yorkshire Printing Company

3.Philip Myers

4.Evolution

5.Gask & Hawley

 

General Print Scotland

1.J. Thomson Colour Printers

2.Stewarts of Edinburgh

3.M & M Press

4.Thomson Litho

5.Hill & Hay

 


General Print Midlands

1.Linneys

2.Taylor Bloxham

3.Streamline Press

4.Raithby Lawrence

5.Greenshires

 

General Print South

1.Park Communications

2.Pureprint – Beacon Press

3.Fulmar

4.The Colourhouse

5.Westerham Press

 

West Country & Wales

1.Stephens & George

2.Pensord Press

3.Butler Tanner& Dennis

4.NW Press

5.Cambrian

 

Web – Nationally

1.Polestar

2.Gibbon

3.St Ives

4.Garnet Dickenson

5.Eclipse

 


POS – Nationally

1.Bezier

2.Augustus Martin

3.Simpson Print

4.McKenzie Clark

5.Delta

 

Paper – Nationally

1.Elliot Baxter

2.Robert Horne

3.PaperCo

4.Antalis / James McNaughton

5.Premier Beswick