My Print Partners has been established by Richard Tims and Richard Green, who are both directors of the new firm. Tims was the co-founder and managing director of Production Company for over 13 years, leaving shortly after it moved to its current site and rebranded as ProCo, while Green was its production director for 19 years.
Tims left ProCo, and the print industry altogether, in 2006 while Green left in 2011 but remained active in the industry.
“I'm also chairman of the world's oldest football club, Sheffield FC, and I have been marketing that brand around the world. I haven't had anything to do with print for eight years but I wanted to get back into it,” said Tims.
Green added: “It's all moved really quickly in the past few months. It was a pipe dream in February but we found premises and picked a press at the beginning of May.”
The firm opened on 1 June following pre-production and kit installation in May. Its services include direct mail, packing, personalisation, POS, digital print and other commercial print work.
The company, which is operating from 465sqm premises on a Sheffield industrial estate, invested in a range of kit ready for opening.
It has bought a secondhand Heidelberg five-colour SM 74 press, a new Xerox J75 digital colour press, processless CTP, a die-cutting machine, a guillotine, two folders and a range of digital finishing kit.
The firm, which was funded with bank financing, self-funding and a Regional Growth Fund grant, has nine staff comprising seven full-time employees and two apprentices.
“We have pulled together people that we've had relationships with and worked with before. We're very lean so we needed skilled staff and within their specific fields they're all very good at what they do,” said Tims.
Green added: “We believe in bringing people up and that's why we've taken on two apprentices who we hope will grow within the company. We'll also be looking to take another two apprentices on in the next 12 months.”
The pair plan to promote the company in the coming months to attract new business but said the firm's workflow is already ahead of schedule due to jobs coming in from existing contacts.
“We'll work on a brand strategy to attract new clients. I believe in building relationships by talking to people face to face,” said Tims.
