Equally, it can be useful way of expanding a successful UK business model or product and, to this end, Pindar announced this week that it had moved into a new territory, New Zealand.

Of course, overseas expansion is nothing new to Pindar, which employs 800 staff across its three Pindar Set operations in India alone and has a presence in a host of countries via its AlphaGraphics franchise.

However, interestingly, Pindar doesn’t seem interested in actual overseas ‘print production assets’ in the traditional sense, other than through its AlphaGraphics chain.

This approach seems to be common as few print firms are keen to set up shop outside Europe if it involves ‘heavy metal’ operations. If memory serves, both Polestar and St Ives have had their fingers burnt, or at least singed to varying degrees, with overseas print operations. And judging by the fact that aside from Quebecor and RR Donnelley, there are no other truly global print players, overseas production expansion appears to be fraught with danger.

But it seems to hold no fears for UK print franchise groups, which see overseas growth as key to their continued success.

Perhaps these chains believe that if they can trade successfully in a B2B print environment as overcrowded and competitive as the UK’s, by comparison overseas expansion should be a relative walk in the park.

And it’s not just the chains that see opportunities overseas. Many UK kit manufacturers have strong export sales and are continually looking to expand their global sales presences.

So it seems best of British really does translate into any language.

Darryl Danielli is editor of PrintWeek.