Eckersley Print Group’s golden milestone

Published 7:00am 4 October 2021

Eckersley Print Group is celebrating 50 years in business, having grown from a small family firm to one of Queensland’s leading print operations.

Sales and marketing director Lea Eckersley says much has changed since her father, James, started the business in 1971.

James named the business Jannock Press - an English word meaning "fair and straight forward" – an ethos that has been the hallmark of the company’s evolution.

“This initial, defining framework has formed the guiding value for the family company's identity ever since,” Lea says.

"Dad patented the mounting of nylo plates onto steel blocks and was an early pioneer in the re-use of these nylo plates for repeat work.

Early innovators

“This innovative and different way of thinking has become a hallmark for the business, before ‘innovation’ became the buzzword it is today."

Lea says Eckersley Print Group has carved out an enviable reputation as a quality operation, adding several acquisitions to the business over the past decade to enhance the niche specialties the company offers.

The ISO14001 Enviro-accredited and FSC certified business produces commercial print, signage and display, office print management, promotional products, warehousing, logistics and bespoke design and publishing services.

The company has won a swag of state and national print industry awards for excellence in print and was recognised at the recent Printing Industry Creative Awards, where they took home the Queensland gold for print excellence in the Leaflets, Flyers and Brochures, Offset category.

The Narangba business has evolved since 1983 when managing director Tom Eckersley started his print apprenticeship with the company.

He became managing director eight years later at 25, when he acquired the business with brothers Jim and Luke, renaming it Print Approach in 1991.

Under a strategic path of growth via acquisition, other companies joined the fold including Imprint, ABC Print, Nicholson Printing, Easi-File, The Printing Office and Fine Print.

The company rebranded as Eckersley Print Group in 2017, and in 2018 added Cross & Hamilton Printers to the fold, with DPMA joining the business this year.

Tom says the alignment with DPMA in working ethos and a shared focus on “absolute commitment to the customer” creates strong synergies.

“The unique service deliverables DPMA can provide, particularly in the field of promotional products, signage and apparel, will significantly enhance EPG’s client offering,” he says.

Lea says that one of the main reasons for Eckersley's success is its team and core family values.

“There is an amazing spirit and tenacity within our team which defines our success and more recently, the way we are managing and dealing with the Covid factor," she says.

As part of the birthday celebrations, the company hosted a party with the theme “Back to where it all began – 1971!”.