HELPING OUT: Ed Boyd in the H&A shop. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS
Ed Boyd insists this story is not about him - it's about H&A Print and their place in the Whanganui community.
Ed's coming up to 50 years working in the printing trade, having completed an apprenticeship in bookbinding at Meteor Print.
In 1975, Ed, guillotinist and book binder, along with workmate
Kelvin Adam, bought into the old firm of Hanton and Andersen, going into partnership with Syd Hanton.
"We finished at Meteor on the last day of June, 1975, and started at Hanton and Andersen on July 1," says Ed. John Shingleton later became the third partner.
The firm began as Hanton and Andersen in 1923, with partners William Hanton and Thomas Andersen. The men were foremen printers at Wanganui Chronicle and HI Jones Printers. They leased the rooms above the UFS Dispensary building in Guyton St, strengthening the floor to take the heavy printing machinery.
From there the firm bought an old house in Indus St and built new premises. H&A then moved into Wilson St where they stayed for many years.
Now H&A Print, with custom-designed premises in Purnell St, the business has been owned by husband and wife team, Ed Boyd and Hinemoa Ransom-Boyd, for the past 12 and a half years, employing 18 staff. The two former partners are retired but still putting in some hours. This year, the year he turns 65, Ed has been 42 years with H&A.
"I started here at 22. How many 22-year-olds have gone into business?"
Two years ago H&A took over Meteor's printing function, effectively becoming Whanganui's largest print facility.
"In 1975 there were 14 different print houses in Whanganui," says Ed. "Today there is Perry Print and ourselves. Perry Print is a one-man band and they help us out a lot."
Ed says that he is seeing a lot of younger people coming into the business. For example, he used to take care of estimates. "We've got a young lady, Raegan Butters, doing that now and she's doing a wonderful job of it. She's only 25. Her mother has been here for 33 years."
While Ed feels like one of the "oldies" in the business, he's happy with the amount of good the firm has done for the community since he has been involved.
"To make it work with the community, the community has to work with us," he says. Ed is a big advocate of "buy local" and says they try to work that everywhere they can. That even extends to his classic car collection. If he can buy locally, he will.
H&A also has a reputation for printing books by local authors.
"We will print any local books we possibly can," says Ed. Kelvin is working on Laraine Sole's latest book at the moment and many local authors owe the existence of their books to Ed and the team at H&A.
"The more things people get from us, it goes back into the community in different ways."
H&A will often buy advertising to help promote local organisations, they will sponsor certain projects, and Ed's involvement, past and present, with the Waimarie and the tram, was reflected in assistance by himself and his business. Ed also helps out by volunteering through Volunteer Whanganui.
"We still support the riverboat, Boys' and Girls' Gym Club, Jigsaw ... anyone that's getting anything done we will support, a project, book or anything. UCOL is a good example. When they started as a technical department at Boys College before they became the Community Polytechnic, we were the first sponsor. So we've been doing this for nearly 38 years." H&A gave $1000 a year back then. These days the sponsorship continues at $2000 annually.
"That goes to individual students and they've all been wonderful. We've followed and watched a lot of them and they always keep in touch with us in some way.
"We do it because we want to."
The business is also involved in sports sponsorship and community assistance in many other ways.
It was a combination of Ed, Hinemoa and H&A that installed the water fountain down by the tram tracks on the riverbank. He says it's gratifying to see so many people and pets using it.
Ed's parents, to whom the water fountain is dedicated, always told him to do things for others whenever he can.
"Mind you, I'm amazed at how many things other people have done for me over the years."
Ed is now at the stage where he and Hinemoa are looking at having more time for themselves. Who knows? It could happen.