Starting in his role on 18 November, Lidbury joined Wallace Print from Octink, a Paragon-owned company, bringing with him 41 years’ experience from roles across the print industry including production, operations and sales.

“You can imagine the variety of people he knows, and his influence,” Gary Wallace, Wallace Print managing director, told Printweek, adding he was delighted to have the “well-respected and established” Lidbury on board.

“We were looking for an appointment to provide experience and advice for improved efficiencies to substantiate our exponential growth, and John will be supporting us on savings on our bottom line adding to overall increased profitability.”

Lidbury added that the potential partnership came about through a visit to an old colleague who worked at Wallace Print.

“I saw first-hand the scale of the company, and after meeting a couple of the existing team, I could see great potential,” he told Printweek.

“I knew some of the history of the company and had even used them years ago for screen printing. It’s a family-oriented company that has traded for over 35 years, with big plans, so I was impressed with everything Wallace was offering.

“Having spent only a few days here in the office, already I feel part of the team. I have been made more than welcome and I am really looking forward to growing with the company. We have some exciting plans, and I can’t wait to help implement these.”