Print firms merge: Wanganui profits

160415PBprint A WANGANUI SUCCESS: H&A Print owners Hinemoa Ransom-Boyd and Ed Boyd. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

Last month, Wanganui's two biggest printing outfits, Meteor Print and H&A Print, amalgamated. Now combined under the H&A roof, principals Ed Boyd and Hinemoa Ransom-Boyd are convinced this was the best move for both print firms and for Wanganui.
Ed says Warren Ruscoe of Meteor was great to deal with.
"We've always felt we were of equal quality ... and we aim to continue that and keep up the good service all round." He also assures their customers that prices will not rise.
"Warren and I have chatted for probably 10 years about the future ... I phoned Warren in October last year and had a talk about it. They decided to wait a bit and "see what happens", then Warren rang Ed about a month later to call a meeting, at which he asked if Ed would consider buying the print and digital side of Meteor.
"In the end we amalgamated and put the design side in as well," says Ed. "We took over on the last day of last month so people didn't think it was an April Fools joke.
Warren Ruscoe retains the OPD (Office Products Depot) side of Meteor. "What we're doing is for Wanganui; we've got 20 staff, so that's 20 people we're keeping here," says Ed.
Both Ed and Warren worked their apprenticeships at Meteor.
"I started there in 1969 and left Meteor on the last day of June 40 years ago," says Ed, "I started with Hanton and Anderson on the first day of July, 1975. I've been running the place since day one."
In those days there were 14 businesses offering printing services in Wanganui.
Ed and Hinemoa are equal partners in H&A. "She's our IT," says Ed, "And she knows everything technical. If we get stuck she finds it, sorts it, sources it, works with our staff over it ... " He says without Hinemoa this could have been a very different Midweek story.
The H&A philosophy has always been to keep as much business in Wanganui as possible, and that's not about to change. Ed says they're one of the biggest clients of Perry Print in Churton St and they'll continue to give them their business. "They do all the perfect binding for us," he says, adding that he'd rather work alongside than in opposition to a valuable Wanganui business.
The merger also guarantees that all Wanganui's printing work is done right here, says Hinemoa.
"Wherever we possibly can we deal locally; we get our servicing all done in town, our first Smart Car was arranged by a local car dealer, our van was purchased in town, the things we buy for ourselves we get where we can in town ... I'd like to see people shop locally." In saying that, he's aware that people shop around out of town and even out of the country for printing. He asks that if there's a small discrepancy in price ... "Talk to us, we'll look at it, even if it means cutting our margin."
Ed and Hinemoa have a reputation for "giving back" to the community that supports them. "I love this town to bits, and if we can make this work for Wanganui then that's what it's all about," says Ed.