Family firm of printers celebrates 60 years in business
The Cupit name has been synonymous with printing in Horncastle and across the county since 1955 and now the third generation of the family fly the flag for outstanding quality, design and customer service.
Managing director, Andrew Newton, is the grandson of the original founder of Cupit Print and he has an extensive archive of clippings and photographs which chronicle the growth and changes the company has been through.
“One of the earliest,” explained Andrew, “is from the Lincolnshire Echo dated June 18th 1955 announcing that one of their former compositors, Mr F W Cupit, is commencing his own printing company in Horncastle. The business began in premises on Wharf Road, where Bill Cupit made the decision shortly afterwards to go into partnership with Clem Hindley. Although Mr Hindley retired in the early 1960s, the company name of Cupit and Hindley lasted until 1972.”
The family business was next run by Bill’s daughter. Janet Newton, mother of Andrew and his late brother Stephen, was managing director for many years and both her sons joined the business and subsequently took over the reins as directors. The family has always been progressive, moving with the times and technology and allowing for the space to grow. Two further moves followed, from Wharf Road to North Street and then in 1992 to the modern, purpose-built premises the business occupies today in The Ropewalk, off Louth Road.
The family have always been very involved with the local community. Mr Cupit was a Town Councillor and served on two occasions as Mayor of Horncastle. He also represented Horncastle on Lincolnshire County Council and was a founder member of the Rotary Club of Horncastle. Stephen followed his grandfather’s love of community involvement, becoming one of the youngest Scouting District Commissioners in the county in the late 1980s and serving on both the Town and District Councils for many years – even serving as Mayor for a short time, which he reluctantly had to give up because of his failing health. A road on a new housing estate in Horncastle is called Stephen Newton Avenue, in his memory and as a mark of the love and respect he earned from the people of the town.
Andrew said: “To keep up with the advances in technology, which have been rapid even during my time with the company, we have always invested in new presses and processing equipment to provide the best quality and service possible. My late brother Stephen took great pride in our new kit and his wife, Melissa, our financial director has kept a tight control on the balance sheet. I have always focused on making sure we meet our deadlines and have the right skills in our workforce to deliver the services our customers demand.”
Cupit Print’s portfolio of services includes not only brochure, magazine and leaflet printing but also book printing and binding, business cards, stationery and posters. With state-of-the-art pre-press equipment, Cupit Print can offer a choice of litho, digital and letterpress printing depending on the specification and run.
“We have two Ryobi colour presses handling a B3 four colour and B2 five colour sheet,” said Andrew, “while a third Ryobi runs B3 in two colour. We run a Heidelberg Letterpress which can offer such a rich and distinctive quality for smaller run invitations and printed cards. Finally, our two digital printers give a choice of exceptional speed and versatility, from a Konica Minolta Bizhub or high performance Xerox Ducucolor print suitable for high quality, low run jobs.”
Cupit Print finds that many customers rely on them for a very tailored service including concept, design and layout of their work before print.
“Some customers find that their first contact with our company is through our sales manager, Neil Armstrong, whose role is business development,” said Andrew. “Other customers may come direct to our customer service manager and estimator, Sandra Wilkinson. They are able to advise on specification, format and pricing. If customers can create and upload their own artwork, this can be done online. For full service customers, their next contact is with our graphic designer, Rebecca Turner, who will begin her work to produce initial designs and layouts. Rebecca works on Apple Macs using Adobe Creative Suite and once artwork and layout is agreed, we are able to supply high quality proofs for customer approval.”
Clients can visit the Horncastle offices and even sit beside the member of staff working on their project. This hands-on approach and the very friendly service from all of Cupit’s thirteen staff has made Cupit Print’s services distinctive and earns great loyalty and appreciation from their customers.
“Cupit Print have always had our roots firmly planted in the local community but our portfolio of work comes from all over the UK,” added Andrew. “Ideally we allow five working days to turn print work around but those which require design will take longer. We all have those emergency calls, when clients have a very urgent need for a fast turnaround for their work. We try to accommodate them and can deliver in as tight as three days – but more notice will always be appreciated.”
Stephen passed away last year, but Andrew, Melissa and their dedicated staff are driving the family company forward with the same commitment to quality and service which has served the company so well for the past six decades.
“We would like to thank all our staff, clients and suppliers for their loyal support and we know we are in a strong position to take on the challenge in the forthcoming decades. One thing that is for sure, Cupit Print will always be committed to going that extra mile in terms of quality, choice and a friendly service.”
Cupit Print
The Ropewalk, Horncastle LN9 5ED
Tel: 01507 522339
www.cupitprint.co.uk
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