Your Business: Adapting to change helps printers soar

Fred Soar and Jenny Carter have long-serving staff and an apprenticeship scheme. Photo / Dean Purcell

The digital age has been hard on the traditional printing industry.

But since 1992, family company Soar Printing has bought eight printing businesses - taking on big transtasman players like Geon and Blue Star.

With the impact of online communication, the firm has had to think laterally to survive, for example investing in a press from Germany which allows it to do the smaller print runs their customers want.

Long-term clients include ASB, The Warehouse, Nestle, Estee Lauder, Sovereign and NZ Couriers.

Soar Printing has been going for 90 years, set up in 1920 by Fred Soar on his return from World War I. He started from the basement of the Onehunga Orphan's Hall in Church St, Onehunga.

Soar's son Harry took over the business in the 1960s and had his own ambitions. When he finished work, he would have dinner with the family and then go into the Herald to work the night shift setting the headlines for the paper until just after midnight. He was saving to buy new offset printing technology from Germany.

Harry's son, Fred, with his sisters Jenny and Vicky, took over the running of the business in 1990, though Harry stayed on a further 12 years.

Fred became managing director and Jenny, finance director - both were accountants. Vicky manages a client list among other duties.

"It's not something that we thought we would end up doing, but it came about when Harry reached a certain age," said Fred.

The firm is now based in New North Rd, Auckland.

"Harry saw printing go from hot metal to offset - we've seen it go from offset to digital," he said.

The managing director has invested to stay competitive, travelling overseas to source plant.

Investments have included computer-to-plate (which eliminates the need for film), digital printing and an Anicolour press which gives offset quality on smaller run sizes.

The firm now has 70 staff and a $20 million turnover.

Soar has a lot of long-serving staff, thanks in part to a well-established apprenticeship programme.

The last few years have been challenging but the company has managed.

"It's a matter of making sure you are putting your efforts into the right market segments and adapting," said Jenny.

"The print market and medium is changing rapidly due to internet and social media," she said.

Business forms are a thing of the past.

"But with packaging and direct mail, we are still experiencing good growth," said Fred.

Fidelity Life and the Cancer Society are new customers.

"We've been match-fit to do short runs and create less waste. We are able to react swiftly to changes in the market and not just sit there," said Jenny.

When they need to make a decision they have a board meeting. The three siblings and their mother, Tui, are the board.

The brother and sister attribute Soar's competitiveness to their sustainable work practices which have reduced operating costs by 40 per cent.

Soar recycles 99 per cent of the company's waste paper. It has achieved Enviro-Mark Diamond status as well as CarboNZero rating.

"It's just good business sense, we save money, and are hopefully lifting the perception of the printing industry," said Jenny.