Pureprint targets growth with BT&D sales hires

16 June 2014

Publishing

Pureprint is targeting growth in its colour book and corporate publishing print operation after setting up a new sales office in Frome, Somerset, manned by a senior team from collapsed book printer Butler Tanner and Dennis (BT&D).

James Gascoigne and Charlie Fenby, formerly BT&D sales director and business development director respectively, will lead the new office and have been joined by the BT&D's former colour manager Justin Seviour and estimator Ross Cornish.

The four joined the company earlier this month following BT&D being placed in administration in May, and Pureprint is in the process of securing suitable office space for them in the Frome area.

Colour books, in terms of corporate and self publishing and fine art, and event catalogues currently represents around 5%-10% of Pureprint’s £31m sales.

“The guys have exceptional knowledge of high-quality print and I’m sure as BT&D they would have suffered from overseas competition. But there’s still a lot of work in the UK that requires UK manufacturing where the client wants the geographical closeness and the interaction and support that a UK supplier can offer,” said Pureprint director Richard Owers.

Gascoigne added: “It was incredibly sad to see BT&D close, but given the situation there was only one British printer Charlie and I felt could deliver the high-quality product and service that our customers require.”

He cited Pureprint’s battery of litho and digital presses, which includes five B1 Speedmaster XLs and four HP Indigos, including a B2 10000, as factors in deciding to join the group.

According to Pureprint chief executive Mark Handford, to support the sales push, the firm is “looking seriously at further investment in specialist finishing equipment” to complement its print offering.

Owers added that specifically the company was looking at possibly adding short to medium run case-binding and sewing kit to its in-house post-press offering of perfect binding, stitching and lamination.

He highlighted that the company had been building its profile in the publishing sector for a number of years, partly down to a strong showing in the PrintWeek Awards.

“We’ve featured strongly in the book and fine art categories for a number of years and have a good profile as a result,” said Owers.

“In fact, we had an enquiry for a big corporate book production job earlier this year and they found us directly through the PrintWeek Awards. We ended up winning the job.”