£2.4m printing firm expansion to create 41 new jobs
13/03/07
A £2.4million expansion by South Wales printing company Gardners
will lead to 41 new jobs and new opportunities for the firm which
counts numerous blue chip companies amongst its clients.
The investment, supported by a £300,000 loan from Finance Wales – a
wholly owned subsidiary company of the Welsh Assembly Government
created to provide commercial funding to Welsh SMEs - and a
Regional Selective Assistance Grant from the Assembly Government as
part of a larger funding package including Bank of Scotland, will
allow the company to move from its current premises in Hadfield
Road, Cardiff, to a larger 60,000sq ft facility at Pentwyn,
Cardiff.
The company has already invested heavily in the latest digital
printing technology over the last 6 years, and plans to utilise the
expansion to bring in additional new printing technologies that
will enhance its product range further.
Gardners, which was established in 1979 and currently employs 98
people, provides a range of digital printing solutions to
customers. The company’s competitive edge is based on its ability
to offer a just in time industrial scale digital printing
capability using a wide range of environmentally friendly and
recyclable materials.
This allows Gardners to react quickly to increasing customer demand
for speed of turnaround and “green” solutions when compared to
traditional printing methods.
It has seen its turnover nearly double to £8.6m over the past three
years and anticipates further growth. The company received a loan
from Finance Wales during its previous investment round in 2005 as
it embarked on this period of strong growth.
With clients including Scottish & Newscastle, JC Decaux and
Tesco, the firm provides a range of services, including outdoor
media and banners, point of sale advertising, and bespoke services,
which require an innovative approach.
“We have a large and diverse range of niche products and services
thanks to the latest digital printing presses we’ve invested in.
This means we can turn-around jobs very fast but with the utmost
quality which is what our clients require. This approach, combined
with our focus on being innovative, is why we’ve won new work from
some of the UK’s top retailers, among others,” said company founder
and Managing Director, Richard Gardner.
He added: “This is our second round of investment in recent years
and highlights our commitment to providing the best possible
service to new and existing clients.
“The move to new premises will help to consolidate our current
three sites and allow us to bring in additional digital printing
equipment that will allow us to grow further.”
Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks,
said: “Gardners is a good example of a company investing in new
technology in order to grow. It had the foresight to realise that
digital technology would be the way of the future within the
competitive UK printing sector and has reaped the rewards of this
investment.”
He added: “With the latest expansion supported by Finance Wales and
the Welsh Assembly Government the company will be able to grow
further and investment in additional new technology to create new
employment opportunities.”
Simon Williams, Senior Investment Executive at Finance Wales, said:
“Gardners’ success in attracting new clients in recent years has
meant that it has outgrown its Hadfield Road site. The move to new
premises, combined with the purchase of new digital printing
equipment will allow the company to build on its current customer
base and maximise new sales opportunities. All of this has been
achieved through an on-going commitment to innovation and customer
service.
“We’re pleased to be supporting Gardners with this latest
investment, which builds on our existing relationship, and
highlights Finance Wales’ strength in providing SMEs with growth
funding solutions.”
The loan provided by Finance Wales utilises European Objective 2
funds.