Officially stepping down on 1 September, Teverson made the move in order to fulfil a lifelong ambition to study a fine arts degree at Falmouth University, where she is now attending classes. She will remain as chair of KCS.
Deadman joined her mother at the Launceston-based print firm in 2013 following an international career in TV journalism.
“There comes a point where you think you could go on forever, and end up seeing the business go backwards,” said Teverson. “I feel I have left on a high and Zoe is what KCS needs now – we have quite a young team who will come up with innovative new ideas and Zoe has got the ability to lead and an entrepreneurial personality similar to mine.
“I said all my working life that I wanted to do a fine arts degree. Falmouth University is a well-renowned school where I can go on a journey of ideas and uncover new thought processes and creative methods, and possibly even feed them back into the business.
“To my colleagues in the print industry, I would like to say that I feel we are a close-knit group as a sector. I have got a lot of ongoing friendships with natural competitors and never found anything unpleasant. We should not see each other as enemies or be nasty – the future is in collaboration and innovation.”
Teverson bought the business 28 years ago from its previous owner, five years after being appointed managing director.
Teverson also sat as south west representative of the BPIF's government and industry committee, as well as being a representative on its SW regional board. She has also stepped away from these positions.
As Teverson moves on to explore creative opportunities related to her degree, Deadman will be joined in her promotion by studio manager Nigel Schofield, who has been promoted to operations director.
Deadman plans to explore new avenues of business and revenue for £3.2m turnover KCS, in keeping with her mother’s ethos of innovation and expansion.
“Mum has created a massive legacy here – KCS is her life’s work,” she said. “Being one of three daughters to someone who was among the first female bosses in print, we all grew up feeling like we could do anything and were surrounded by the print industry.
“I think the industry is better now and women are more represented, so I am excited to follow on from my mum. This is a brilliant opportunity and I will not be standing still – if you stand still for two or three years, that is two or three years too long.
“What we will do next is find our next niche and look at how to diversify our offering, but I want to reinforce to customers that we are still a company that is reliable and transparent – they can always come to us and use us as a resource.”
KCS Print currently employs 29 members of staff.
