At a Stationers' Hall meeting last Thursday (2 December), CFP chair Karianne Gaede called for printers and publishing companies to support a Cluster Action Group (CAG) for the print and publishing sectors on the fringes of the City of London.

She said that while the publishing sector was buoyant in the city, print companies in city fringe areas Camden, Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlets are disappearing and "should be the primary target for support and intervention".

She added that the private-sector-led CAG "will develop a sector investment plan that identifies interventions to address the issues already mentioned... and will act as a steering group to oversee their implementation".

Possible action could include commissioning specialist business agencies to assess print firms, running workshops and seminars focusing on e-commerce, local procurement and the introduction of new technology, and improving training opportunities for staff.

John Pulford, chief executive of Hoxton-based printer HenDi Group, pledged his support for the CAG along with the BPIF, Spitalfields Design and Print network and the London College of Communication.
Gaede added that the Corporation of London introduced a local procurement scheme for print in June in order to better support the local print industry.

The meeting discussed a report compiled by the Burns Owen Partnership, including a presentation by Paul Owen, on the issues facing printers in the City Fringe area (PrintWeek, 7 October).

BPIF Eastern regional director Marcus Clifford also spoke at the event, which was hosted by Stationers' Hall liveryman Clive Martin.
The CFP is supported by the five local authorities in the City fringe and the London Development Agency.

Story by Josh Brooks