OS, which outsourced its printing operation in 2010, said its main concern was to ensure the secure supply of OS paper maps.
The agreement, signed on Thursday and revealed yesterday, will also allow both organisations to develop new strategies and explore future innovations and technological advances.
Dennis Maps, formerly the map wing of book printer Butler Tanner & Dennis, won the first four-year £10m tender for the work, which was extended for a further year. It won a second five-year tender in July, when negotiations on the current deal began.
The maps business was a separate legal entity to the BT&D book printing business, which went into administration in May 2014. The renamed Dennis Maps was established the same month and relocated to new premises in August 2014. OS will also have a seat on the Dennis Maps board and neither side will need to go through the tender process again.
Managing director of Dennis Maps Steve Burry said: “It’s fantastic news for everyone here at Dennis Maps. It takes us to another level and strengthens our relationship with OS, which has always been very strong anyway. It moves us positively forward into the future.”
He added that OS had been impressed with Dennis Maps’ “highly skilled staff and modern facilities” in Frome, Somerset, a 3066sqm site with 20 full-time staff.
It prints nearly two million maps a year for Ordnance Survey, which has itself gone through recent changes, becoming a government-owned limited company, from 1 April this year.
OS head of media Rob Andrews said: “We’re always looking at ways of growing OS. We’ve moved into a new business model as a government-owned limited company, which gives us more flexibility to look at commercial opportunities and protect the business model of OS.
“This is a great example of us investing in what we believe in. It’s a very healthy sector and they [paper maps] are a very important part of our brand.
“To have a share of a printer who helps get this product to the market is very good for both parties.”
In February 1100-staff OS reported that sales of paper maps had risen for the first time in a decade. It saw a 7% rise for the financial year 2014-15.
Sales of OS Custom Made maps, printed at Dennis Maps, have also grown, by 10% over the past three years, OS said. These allow customers to create customised products featuring their own titles, centre location and cover image.
Earlier this year OS also revamped its entire range of paper maps with a modern new look and integrated a code, which customers can use to download the full map they have bought to mobile devices using the OS app.
Both companies said they are looking forward to working on future developments.
Burry said: “I think it will be very positive for us. We’ve always had a close working relationship with OS in terms of looking at innovation around existing products and developing new technology and I see that continuing. It’s a positive move forward into 2016 and beyond."
Managing director of OS Leisure Nick Giles said the agreement and investment by OS highlighted its commitment to paper maps.
“The future for paper maps looks very healthy and we are confident that the new partnership can build on this,” he added.
The majority of Dennis Maps is owned by the Estate of Felix Dennis and operates for the benefit of The Heart of England Forest Charity, which received the bulk of the publisher’s fortune. As per his request, the charity is growing an indigenous forest in Warwickshire and has planted more than one million trees so far.
