Harlow Printing - supporting education, the environment and manufacturing
John Short, Marketing Director of Harlow Printing Limited explains how the company is supporting education, the environment, manufacturing and the council.
Harlow Printing Limited has provided employment within the borough since 1947 and has continued to grow in spite of the economic difficulties of recent years.
In 2008 Harlow Printing designed and built a new 35,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution centre to cater for growing demand of their print management service. South Tyneside Council partnered with the company to assist them in identifying a suitable location for the site as well as working alongside them to obtain the necessary planning permissions, ensuring the factory was built to budget and within specified timescales; a perfect example of the private sector working in partnership with the public sector. Harlow Printing now manages in excess of £4m per annum from their new distribution centre.
In the last 12 months they have gone on to develop a new studio and employ additional graphic designers, allowing them to further develop their existing full colour booklet and promotional material services. They have also invested in a top of the range four colour printing press worth £350,000. With only 16 of these presses in the UK, customers can be sure of a competitive and environmentally-friendly approach to the printing process.
Harlow Printing Limited strongly believes it is essential to support education, the environment, manufacturing and the local council if opportunities are to be created for employment and wealth creation. Marketing Director, John Short said; "We need to create an environment that attracts new employers and supports established businesses. To achieve this we need to invest in education and forge partnerships that encourage growth and investment."
With that in mind, we asked what Harlow Printing is doing to support these goals and how other individuals and businesses can contribute.
'Buy One Get One Free'
Harlow is involved in South Tyneside Council's 'Buy One Get One Free' initiative where employers receive two staff members for the price of one. John Short explained further; "I think perhaps the terminology could have been better but the BOGOF objective is excellent and deserves employer support. We have created two administration apprenticeships and are looking for two craft apprentices to join us in the New Year."
Education
"In terms of education we are a steering group member of MIST (Made in South Tyneside) which provides direct links between businesses and education. We offer school placements and support for educational qualifications such as the Diploma. In fact, we were awarded Employer of the Year last year for delivering the diploma, a national qualification of which we are very proud. We were also runner up in the National PRINTIT awards for work we have achieved in partnership with Mortimer Comprehensive School" said John Short.
South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum
Harlow Printing is also heavily involved in South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum. The forum is a membership organisation with a strong emphasis on collaborative working, providing a single voice on behalf of the manufacturing community. It brings together the views of its members and engages with the wider business community to advance technology, exchange ideas, advocate best practices, educate, network, and influence standards.
Environment
Finally of course we must all consider the environment and Harlow Printing is no exception, going above and beyond to demonstrate their commitment to environmental issues, as John Short explained; "At our new Simonside factory we have created an area of biodiversity, a wildlife garden that creates an opportunity for schools to visit and engage in pond dipping, bug hunting and other activities. It was with the help of local schools that we planted hundreds of hedgerow bushes and trees, filled the area with flowers that support bees and butterflies and made boxes providing nesting opportunities for birds."
Harlow Printing is justifiably proud of its continued growth and investment in South Shields, which has seen them go on to win a string of awards not just for their business practices but for their commitments and achievements in environmental, health and education issues.
If you want to contribute to the success of your business and the borough then please join Harlow Printing and get involved with local council initiatives, South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum, The Business Forum and MIST. Working together we can be successful and show others how to grow in a difficult trading environment
For further information visit
South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum
MIST - Moira Shaftoe on Tel: (0191) 427 2326 e:mail MIST@st-mf.co.uk
