Mr Edmundowicz will lead Gelato’s sales, commercial partnerships, customer success, and acquisition teams, while aiming to grow the company’s US network and partner ecosystem. The new CRO joins Gelato with prior experience as a revenue leader of software companies such as Xactly, Conga, Cloud Elements, UpKeep, and think-cell.

Henrik Müller-Hansen, founder and CEO of Gelato, said, ‘By offering global e-commerce players local production of art, apparel, books, and drinkware, across 32 countries, Gelato supports the rapidly expanding creator economy. Bobby’s unique experience within sales operations and growing SaaS companies, will help us accelerate our growth.’

Over the past year, Gelato has more than doubled its US customer base and sales, acquired 12 new US production partners, and named Atlanta, Georgia, its US headquarters. In 2024, Gelato will aim to continue adding to its US team, planning to triple the headcount by the end of the year.

Despite being refined over the last 15 years, the company’s production software is an area of focus. Mr Edmundowicz’s software development and B2B knowledge will be ‘invaluable’ in its further growth and evolution.

Mr Edmundowicz commented on the reason behind joining the company stating, ‘The organisations where you make the biggest difference are the ones where you believe in the mission. As soon as I learned about Gelato and met the team, I was all in. I look forward to working with our customers to identify opportunities to grow their businesses.’

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Titchfield Group supplies a wide range of products from digital LED screens to consultancy for landlords accessing the out of home (OOH) advertising market.

The presses acquired were roll-fed and hybrid printers ranging between 1.6–5m in width from HP, Durst and EFI.  

The new Titchfield Media now operates from a 67,000sqft facility with 30 staff members led by managing director Adrian Hallett, described to have the capacity and capability to be a major player in the OOH and premium retail print and event sectors.

As a print supplier, Titchfield Group with Titchfield Media, is now positioned to benefit from the growth forecast for the global and UK OOH market plus other sectors. 

Titchfield founder Nigel Brunt said, ‘The former team from Gardners are now perfectly positioned to deploy their accumulated experience of over 650 years of industry knowledge and their unrivalled technical resources. 

‘This is an exciting development, not just for Titchfield Group and the print and OOH industries but the wider economy of this part of Wales.’

Mr Hallett commented, ‘Top quality print is now more important than ever for a number of industries and here in Cardiff we have the people skills and kit to provide this at competitive prices.

‘Now with the backing and support of Nigel and his team at Titchfield Group we have the financial stability to make a real and lasting impact in the marketplace.’

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InkTec Europe says it has grown over the last year as a manufacturer and supplier of large format printers, media and inks and that Ms Thirlby’s promotion reflects InkTec’s expanding operations in the UK, Europe and at its headquarters in South Korea.

Joey Kim, managing director of InkTec Europe, commented, ‘As InkTec continues to grow with new product developments being launched and more in the pipeline, it’s an ideal time for Michelle to assume the role of operations director. Her leadership will be key in further building our business and maintaining high-quality, uninterrupted customer support.’

Ms Thirlby said, ‘I’ve faced a variety of challenges during my time so far at InkTec so far, and this promotion allows me to continue building and developing the operations side of the business to push the company forwards. My core focus will be to ensure continuous operational development and support for our customers, while also working closely with the team.’

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Founded by managing director Alex McGrath in 2008, Prosigns was initially established to serve the signage needs of leading UK home construction companies. Since then, Prosigns has continued to grow in the housebuilder market.

The companys’ ongoing growth and future expansion plans prompted the search for a new piece of equipment that could suit its evolving needs. As explained by the company, its previous wide-format setup worked well, but was restricted in terms of media size. Eventually it led to a recommendation from a user of a Liyu Platinum Q3 Hybrid.

Chris Cairns, operations manager at Prosigns stated they were ‘absolutely blown away’ by the speed – up to 360sqm/hr – and quality of the machine, which confirmed the decision to install the Platinum Q3 after visiting two signage businesses running the model. Speaking on the experience of installing the machine he added, ‘There were no issues at all, we just placed the order with Eddie [Tucker, Managing Director of Liyu UK] and the team took care of all the delivery details. To this day, we know we can call, and speak to Eddie any time.’

The Platinum Q3 allows Prosigns to scale up media size, which has had an impact, bringing trade work back in-house and, as a result reducing client turnaround times. Mr Cairns added, ‘What we would normally put through our previous machines in a day, the Liyu machine is basically doing the same work in two or three hours.’

Mr McGrath continued, ‘Recently, we were a week and a half ahead of schedule because it had all been produced, which was just incredible.

‘We’ve got quicker turnaround, better-quality products, and the entire remit of signage can be manufactured here – nothing needs to be outsourced.’

The flexibility to adapt as requirements evolve is explained to be another advantage of the Platinum Q3. ‘As the business grows, we can add on print heads for extra speed if required,’ explained Mr Cairns. ‘We can also add speciality heads, primers, and varnishes if required. We are running a CMYK, plus a double white, so that serves the purpose at the moment, but we’re happy to have the option to expand.’

With the increased production speed, the machine has created more opportunities for the company. Mr McGrath concluded, ‘Thanks to the ability of the Liyu Platinum machine and because of the rapid turnaround, customers will be able to order whatever they want from our online portal, and it can be easily and quickly printed and dispatched.’

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Attracting well over 100 delegates to the event at Coventry’s Manufacturing Technology Centre, the conference programme was supported by a mini expo of print suppliers and sponsors, covering everything from finance to finishing, MIS to digital presses, and trade printers to carbon footprinters.

Opening the morning were presentations from Lance Hill of Eight Days A Week Print Solutions and Anthony Rowell of Tradeprint. Mr Hill provided detailed numerical insights into sales, net profits, margin and headcount, with all bar margins showing steady growth since 2016. He also revealed the rapid growth of sister business Eight Plus, launched in March 2022 and reaching nearly £6 million turnover in 10 months, perhaps epitomising his advice to ‘never take your foot off the gas’.

Mr Rowell explained Tradeprint’s history from an online order form and eBay store to the business bought in 2015 by Cimpress. In response to the challenges across the industry, the company expanded marketing, filled gaps in its range but also sought to improve its offer to its historic print reseller base through the introduction of Tradeprint Pro and to simplify purchasing for less experienced buyers. This also aimed to address issues in prepress that growing volumes were creating, while the importance of sustainability – both morally and financially – was also emphasised.

Delegates then heard from Elizabeth Bowerman of specialist academic and educational security printer Stephen Austin. Recapping the role of significant women in print from 1477 onward, and her own roles in the industry since 1991, Ms Bowerman then turned to the more contemporary topic of AI as part of her theme of embracing innovation and adapting to change. She pointed out that AI or other software-driven processes are already in use within print in a number of contexts, but said that it doesn’t help on its own but has a cumulative effect when applied across workflow, production processes, customer service, delivery and accounts. She also noted that it cannot replace ‘people you can trust’.

Be prepared

A panel discussion aimed to answer the question ‘is there a formula for business growth that can be identified, or is it just down to being in the right place at the right time?’. Graeme Smith, current IPIA chair, Lucy Swanston of Nutshell Creative Services, Sarah Kilcoyne-Guilliam of Kingsbury Press (now part of Bluetree Group), Adam Short of The Imaging Centre and Jamie Nelson of Compass Business Finance, gave their views and fielded questions from the audience on timing, financing, people and company culture. Whilst all acknowledged that luck does play a part, knowledge of both the printers’ in-house capabilities and customer needs are necessary preparation to seize opportunities; collaboration was also suggested as part of mutual support.

Rob Finnie of Nettl outlined the company’s progress in reacting to internet and print trends through the early 2000s and showed how the business had adapted from printing.com days, noting how previously separate roles within the franchise’s customer businesses had converged and now overlap and suggesting that supporting web, SEO and other online activity had actually led to more print being sold than when it was the only product.

Mike Hughes of direct mail house Latcham provided a candid history, starting from the days of Mail Marketing Bristol, a business run by his grandmother in the middle of the previous century, and logging the high and lows of various launches, mergers and demergers since. The influence of regulation and decisions by major players such as Royal Mail on the businesses was very apparent. As well as a rolling quarterly review and 18–24 months planning, his top tip was ‘who is more important than how’, advocating a ‘consciously incompetent’ approach in which leadership recognises that it doesn’t have all the answers, as well as the time, effort and spend that is required to break into a new market.

Rounding off the day was Simon Cooper of Solopress who complemented his arguments for a ‘trust and empowerment’ management style with a set of detailed charts and data points that not only showed increased employee satisfaction but also improved metrics on productivity – by a number of measures – plus fewer complaints and reprints.

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Mutoh says this strategic decision is driven by its ‘strong commitment’ to accelerating its growth in the EMEA (Europe, middle east and Africa) business area. Mr Ogawa will combine this new role with his existing role as managing director in charge of overseas sales at Mutoh Industries.

While Mitsuo Takatsu as Mutoh Europe’s managing director will continue to oversee Mutoh Europe’s daily operations and the execution of the company strategy, Mr Ogawa will be determining in direct liaison with the board of directors of Mutoh Industries the long term business objectives of Mutoh in the EMEA business area and the overall strategy and direction of the company towards achieving sustainable growth and expanding its footprint.

Currently aged 64 and holding a Master Degree in Economics obtained in 1982 at Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan, Mr Ogawa joined Mutoh Industries in February 2019.  Before this, he achieved a track record of success and experience in overseas sales at Panasonic,  with periods of totalling over 16 years in the USA and nearly three years in China.

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Dominion claims to be one of a ‘select’ number of printers with the ability to provide super-large options and applications. The latest investment follows a recent £1 million investment in a Durst Rho 2500 flatbed printer, along with an additional in-line welding and eyeleting machine and further in-line, fully automatic sewing machines.

Verity Fox, director at Dominion Print, said, ‘Back in 1997 my father, Dominic Clark, invested in the Vutek UltraVu 5300 which, at the time, was state-of-the-art wide-format digital technology. Twenty-six years later, we’ve come full circle. Dad taught me from being knee high that in print you need to invest to stay ahead of the competition. We shared many double espressos discussing the various machine options and viewing samples prior to deciding on the Vutek Q5r and signing on the dotted line! With the extraordinary speed and quality, it seemed the right fit to be going back to Vutek after all this time. The installation and commissioning of the machine was bittersweet, as Dad passed away earlier this year and never got to see the machine in situ. Nevertheless, I’m excited to be adding the Vutek Q5r to our plant list and I intend to carry on his legacy of success through investment.

‘The Vutek Q5r takes Dominion’s strength in large and super-large formats to the next level, raising the bar even further for our ability to provide high-end printing at lightning speeds. The machine provides UltraDrop Technology for high-definition image quality, outstanding smoothness in shadows, gradients, and transitions, as well as superb text quality and more clarity in all print modes.’

Ms Fox continued, ‘Just prior to the Vutek’s arrival we also invested in a second Zünd G3 XL to ensure that our cutting and finishing capabilities were in step with our increased printing capacity. With its modular tool concept, no other cutting or routing machine is as flexible or adaptable. The machine will operate alongside our original Zünd G3 XL and our other finishing equipment which includes a precision cutter for aluminium profiles and a Blackman & White blade and laser CAD system which gives us the largest single bed cutting facility in Europe.’

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Working in partnership with the Busan Port Authority (BPA) which also works with fellow South Korean company Samsung, a dedicated fulfilment operation has been built. Described as ‘a sustainable logistics warehouse’, this occupies 30,000sqm on the Maasvlakte West Distribution Park in the port of Rotterdam. The objective of the operation is to strengthen the competitiveness of South Korea-based companies in securing and expanding their logistics networks in Europe.

Intended to provide access across the European continent, the hub operates with secure inventory management and efficient warehouse management. The facility qualifies as a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) sustainable warehouse. This means it has been evaluated to ensure that the building has been constructed as sustainably as possible and with minimal impact on the environment. Under the accreditation, it will be continuously evaluated on its energy, transportation, waste, water resources, land use and ecological pollution.

As a result of the relationship with the BPA, InkTec can now rapidly bulk distribute its solvent, aqueous and sublimation inks across Europe with fast delivery options and no duties or taxes within the European distribution zones. Inktec says its inks are compatible with many large format printer brands.

Joey Kim, managing director of InkTec. commented, ‘Our need to actively expand our European operation and have a base located on the mainland was increasingly imperative. We were keen to work with the BPA to create a seamless operation for our customers, while also giving them a more cost-effective access to our extensive inks and media ranges.’

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While not as good as in the third quarter of 2021, the Q4 improvement came despite the introduction of ‘PlanB’ measures in response to the arrival of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, with 63% of printers surveyed increasing output level in that quarter, while 19% held steady and the remaining 18% saw a decline. This led to a net balance (positives minus negatives) of +45, above the Q3 2021 forecast of +38, but lower than the Q3 balance of +51. The Plan B restrictions, although arriving late in the quarter, did affect printers serving the events and hospitality sectors, however.

Activity levels are expected to remain positive, but less so, in Q1 2022, with just over half (51%) expecting output growth to continue and just under a third (32%) expecting to hold steady, while 17% expect to see a decline. This yields a net positive balance of +34, which high for this time of year in historical terms, but reflects the continuing recovery from severe disruption.

Top of the factors exerting a drag on further recovery and growth is substrates costs, which is now the top business concern for the third successive quarter, ranked first by 78%, with rising energy costs now in second place at 58%. Competitors pricing below cost is still in the mix at 43%, followed closely by access to skilled labour at 41%. The economic impact of Covid-19 was cited by 29%.

The survey also measured industry capacity utilisation which gives a picture of the impact of the pandemic and other economic factors on the industry. While the two-year picture is encouraging, with only 3% operating at under half capacity in January 2022 compared to 8% a year earlier and more than half in that situation in May 2020, looking at the 70% capacity benchmark, 74% are now at that level or better, compared to 81% in October 2021.

Constraints on capacity were examined too, with the most significant being supply chain issues, with just over half (51%) of the responding companies saying this was limiting output, typically by between 10 and 15%. Other constraints were shortage of both skilled and unskilled labour and machine downtime.

BPIF economist Kyle Jardine commented, ‘The continued recovery of the printing industry is certainly something to be positive about – orders, output and capacity levels are building. Unfortunately, so too are the headwinds that are acting to constrain a faster and fuller recovery – and we are still in recovery.

‘However, the Government survival schemes must get some credit – the financing and credit condition status is currently healthier than might have been feared. Importantly, investment intentions are more positive than for the last two years.’

Charles Jarrold, BPIF chief executive, added, ‘It’s encouraging to have seen the increases in output in quarter four, and a sense of optimism about that continuing into Q1 this year. However, there are some significant challenges, particularly in the availability and cost of supplies, adding to pressure from higher energy prices and increases to National Insurance and the National Minimum Wage. We are combining efforts with our European counterparts to highlight how vital supply chains to food, beverages and pharmaceuticals are being restricted by supply shortages and the risk to these from prolonged strikes at mills overseas, and continue to highlight to UK government the really intense cost pressure on the sector, particularly those arising from policy decisions.’

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The wide-format specialists, which emerged from the pandemic in profit, say that the investment in their team was made in order to capitalise on the momentum they have built up in Q2 of 2021, which comprised some of the most successful months in the companies’ history.

Specific new additions to the team include an entirely new sales specialist department, an expansion of the marketing team and the launch of a brand new graduate influx programme. As well as this, the company has continued to add staff to its specialist finishing department with the arrival of new seamsters alongside investment in new machinery, including a more eco-friendly eyeletting machine and a high-speed hot air welder.  

Iain Clasper-Cotte, managing director of both Northern Flags and FaberExposize UK, commented, ‘I’m delighted to welcome our new team members to the Northern Flags and FaberExposize family and excited about how they’re going to contribute to further success for our company. Against all expectations, 2021 is turning out to be a stellar year for us, both in terms of financial results and industry recognition and I’m confident our growing staff family will only help to compound that success.

‘We identified quite a while ago that investing in staff development was a signpost towards achieving our five-year plan and launching our Momentum programme, in-house management training for promising junior employees, was one of our first step towards this. With our new graduate influx programme, we’re delighted to help talented recent university graduates take the first steps on their career path, in what is currently an unsettled economic climate.’

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