The Rochester, Kent-based firm completed the deal to buy its 1,115sqm unit last October and finished building new glass offices, at a cost of around £175,000, two months ago.
Managing director Gary Wallace said the refurbishment has had a significant impact on the business.
“We’ve put the offices on one of the mezzanines so we had to strengthen the mezzanine floors first.
“My studio team was in a completely different man-made area but now it’s completely changed the outlook. We can look down and see everything that’s going on in production, and so can the guys in the studio.
He added: “It mimics a BMW showroom with a big front and a big studio. It’s transformed the factory; it looks fantastic and so professional now. It’s been really nice to be able to do it.”
Wallace added that the firm has been granted consent for more offices if and when required, and that the business has the scope to increase its workspace by another 80%.
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to continue to achieve our growth ambitions so quickly after purchasing our freehold,” said Wallace.
“Once you’ve bought your own building, you can turn it into what you want, and we’ve only just begun.”
The company has also invested £75,000 in a secondhand 2m-wide Wohlenberg MCS-2 guillotine, which was installed earlier this month.
“It’s a brilliant bit of kit, which we needed because a lot of our work is large-format. It’s had a major impact on our efficiency already; it saves about 35% on time, which is enormous,” said Wallace.
“It’s quite a big purchase in terms of finishing kit because a guillotine is always the last thing that you think about. It has replaced an existing guillotine, which was a lot smaller and has been scrapped.”
The firm’s next planned move is to invest in a fourth flatbed printer to add to its existing Canon Océ Arizona 250 GT wide-format printer and two Fuji Acuity Advance machines. The business will also continue to invest further in its online platforms.
Family-run Wallace Print offers screen, litho, digital, wide-format and finishing services. It currently has 22 staff and is anticipating a turnover of £3m this year.
The firm produces items including POS, banners, exhibition stands, signage and outdoor displays for a wide range of customers.
Wallace also paid tribute to his father Mervyn Wallace, founder of the business, who passed away earlier this year.
“I had the greatest respect for my father as the founder of Wallace Print. It takes a very determined and courageous person to start a business from scratch as he did in 1985, and even more so in the seriously cutthroat printing industry.
“I joined him a year later and we have created the solid business it is today. He was an inspirational figure and remained a rock, especially in the recession periods, which we traded through. In his later years he was incredibly proud of the success we have achieved.”
