24-11-2004 - Printing.com - Launched in a Man-chester bedsit 12 years ago - MEN
PRINTING.COM - launched in a Man-chester bedsit 12 years ago - is on the verge of a major expansion, including a Midland boom.The firm, which today announced half-year pre-tax profits up by over 150 per cent, offers a broad product range including leaflets, booklets, postcards, promotional cards, invitations, letterheads and business cards to consumers and small and medium sized companies.
Chief executive Tony Rafferty, who launched the company producing nightclub flyers back in 1992, has seen it grow to 88 outlets, with another 12 currently under contract.
'That will take us to the magic 100 figure and our strategy is to have 175 by next September,' he said. 'We are currently talking to a number of potential bolt-on partners in Birmingham and we would expect additional deals to be completed in the next few months.'
Printing.com has run a company store at Smallbrook Queensway since August 2000 while the firm is also currently on the lookout for a new base in South Birmingham. The company today revealed pre-tax profits for the 28 weeks to October 10 up by 151 per cent to pounds 631,000, compared to the 2003 figure of pounds 251,000.
Meanwhile, turnover increased by 17 per cent to pounds 5,564,000 compared to pounds 4,769,000 for the corresponding period in 2003. The company's printing and ancillary equipment is based at the centralised production hub with the head office in Manchester.
Printing.com has three routes to market, fran-chise stores, bolt-on franchises and company owned stores.
The group recently bolstered its Midland presence, with the launch of a new company store in Wolverhampton last month.