St Austell Firm Shortlisted for National Award
Nationwide Print in St Austell has been included in a prestigious shortlist which recognises the top print companies in the UK.
The firm, which was founded in 1959, is one of just five now fighting it out to be crowned Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) of the Year 2016, at the PrintWeek Awards – the most important set of accolades in UK printing.
Managing Director Julian Hocking is proud of the achievement, explaining: “The PrintWeek Awards are the pinnacle for our industry. They are extremely competitive and the high standard of entries demands that a lot of effort is put into the application process.”
The judges take into account hard figures on profit and loss, as well as investment in technology and people, and other achievements – such as winning new contracts.
Julian knows what it’s like to scoop the top spot, after Nationwide Print won the same award in 2014.
He commented: “Winning SME of the Year at the PrintWeek Awards in 2014 was one of my proudest moments in business and a fantastic achievement for our team. It gave us renewed confidence to invest in new equipment and staff – investments which have paid off as the firm continues to go from strength to strength.”
Innovation and sustainability are at the heart of Nationwide’s bid for this year’s trophy.
Under Julian’s leadership, the firm has invested in new Ricoh digital and Heidelberg litho machines, recruited additional skilled team members, and is currently trialling Marcom Central asset management software to help clients manage their brand across multiple sites.
Meanwhile, new solar panels, office lighting and energy efficiency savings have made Nationwide Print an industry leader in environmental policy; remarkably the firm now produces more energy annually than it uses.
Julian explained: “We have a very clear vision, which involves staying at the cutting edge of print technology – especially when it comes to digital capability – whilst making bold investments in sustainability. This duel strategy is effectively future-proofing the business, in what is a rapidly evolving industry.”
Julian and his team will find out if the PrintWeek judges are impressed by this strategy at an awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 17th October.
To find out more about Nationwide Print, visit www.nationwideprint.co.uk.