bcreative Print and Graphics

BCREATIVE Print and Graphics has been operating in Stratford since mid 2007 and has grown from strength to strength.
Today, directors Andrea Burrows and Tony Howatson welcome locals to come and view the new purpose-built premises, ready to design and print for public and business' marketing needs.
Tony and Andrea are extremely proud of their accomplishments and are confident their new space and digital technology for both design and print will provide locals and businesses alike resources to promote themselves.
However, it was only a few years back that bcreative was only a dream. The design and printing company began to evolve in November 2006, originally named Andrea Burrows Creative in Andrea's spare room, which she normally used to store renovation materials.
"With a coat of paint, some styly wallpaper and a bit of a vacuum the dream of being self-employed was turning into a reality - it was an extremely exciting process at the time, but also incredibly daunting."
Andrea, originally from New Plymouth, plied her trade as a 'Mac Operator' in Auckland after completing a one-year course in art and design at Taranaki Polytechnic in 1991. After completion she held numerous jobs in Auckland and Taranaki with graphics and pre-press companies, including the Taranaki Daily News before coming to the Stratford Press in 2003.
"I knew I would start my own business at some stage, but the timing had to be right.
And of course a few years down the track an opportunity presented itself and everything just fell into place. Building a business from scratch has been a mammoth undertaking and we appreciate the continued support from our loyal clients and the community."
In 2007 Tony joined the business and bought with him his knowledgeable printing experience – this led to the business's current name bcreative print and graphics, and official 'in-business' declaration in June 2007.
Tony has numerous years of experience in the newspaper printing industry, including working for Wilson and Horton, APN Print and the Stratford Press. Together the couple have over 30 years experience in the graphic design and printing professions.
The couple are proudly associated with Fuji Xerox who have supplied bcreative print and graphics with digital print machinery from its conception. In mid-March 2009, the business reached a milestone with the first light-production digital press to be installed at their premises in Stratford.
"The American-built Fuji Xerox Docucolor 252 is a major leap forward for us with its complex file handling software including being able to fully personalise images with a persons name. Colour handling is vastly improved as well as paper handling and the variety of stocks that can be used."
Output speed is also a big bonus, in fact the entire machine brings bcreative print and graphics inline and competitive with other leading print suppliers.
The couple enjoy living and working for Stratford and enjoy supporting locals and events where possible. In the past these have included the Taranaki Shears, Whanga Republic Day, Mangeahu Sheep Dog Trials, Jazz on the Lake and soon to be the Stratford Romeos.
The construction process of their new premises has been a giant undertaking.
"Many people would have noticed the large shed progressing at 33 Cordelia Street and now completed there is more room to operate printing and graphics machinery.
The building houses several pieces of machinery purchased from the late Ron Woods, a paper store, the graphics department on the mezzanine floor and distribution and press room on the ground floor.
The structure of the building has an engineers designed foundation complete with 16 six-metre piles driven into the ground, topped with a high-tech polystyrene and concrete slab floor.
Tony and Andrea plan to develop the area in front to be easy access to the business for able-bodied and mobility assisted clients.
The finished project will have great street appeal with a large sweeping deck and enclosed reception area. Hopefully we can create a relaxed space which encourages creative juices to flow."
The past 12 months have been a busy time for Andrea and Tony developing a database of products/services and building a trust and presence in the community.
"The hardest thing to hear from customers is that they didn't know we were here. We understand how hard it is to build a business from scratch with limited resources – we have had to rely on signage and word-of-mouth from satisfied clients. Once again we thank our supporters and those who have referred us on as a reputable and competitive local business."
Bcreative Print and Graphics is a progressive enterprise encompassing design and graphic consultancy and printing of multimedia formats. They currently can produce:
Stationery, including letterheads, compliments slips, desk pads, address labels, NCR invoice books, and e-stationery including email signatures and digital letterheads.
Marketing and promotional; rack cards, brochures, tickets, postcards, flyers, posters, calendars, adverts, vouchers and more.
Points of contacts; business cards, appointment cards, loyalty cards, calendar cards etc…
Personalised and individualised; postcards, birthday invitations, Christmas cards, name/address cards, wedding invitations and more…
Publishing of newsletters, booklets, glossy magazines, catalogues, basic website creation and more…
Andrea and Tony offer a proficient, friendly, down to earth, 'top notch' design and digital printing service for new and existing small to medium businesses, from any region, and that all important, competitive price!