EXPANDING INTO NEW MARKETS - WIDE FORMAT TO INTERIOR DECOR WITH MANCHESTER PRINT SERVICES

“By the end of the year, we'll probably be in a better position that we were before the actual pandemic hit - because we've picked new customers thanks to our new HP technology and our expanded business model. We look forward to exploring further opportunities in the decor and hospitality industry and the supply of customized printed fabrics. We are excited to be getting back to business despite the disruption and look forward to the year ahead – it’s going to be great!” Lee Egan - MPS

As the digital textile printing market evolves, emerging technologies continue to offer new applications and production efficiencies.

With these technical advancements we now witness the ongoing disruption of traditional textile markets, driving new business models and profitable expansion for print businesses originally specializing in wide format printing for events, exhibitions and retail display.

Manchester Print Services was founded in 2010, by Lee Egan and Andy Lambert. Both of whom were experienced production managers working in the wide format printing industry and their combined skills offered the perfect partnership. Identifying a niche for specialized print services - together they founded MPS.

Over the last ten years the business has evolved organically, re-equipping where necessary to fulfil growing demand.

They have also invested in new technologies as they have emerged, all of which has ensured that they remain competitive and that they can service their clients demand for speed of supply and production agility. The business was built on UV printing technology supplying textile graphics, backlit panels, glass, di-bond and wall graphics for events, exhibitions and retail interiors.

This remains the core of their business having also added dye sublimation technologies to their workflow - they supply many large retailers and event companies here in the UK. An important factor in their growth is that they adapt their workflow for maximum efficiency – leading to the purchase of the HP Stitch S1000 in 2020, just as the pandemic hit.

MPS had identified Interior Décor as a new opportunity for growth – and they determined that to succeed they needed the agility of dye sublimation and the ease of use of HP technology.

The purchased paved the way for expansion and alongside the acquisition of Charlton fabrics and the Mallion and Knowles design archive they ensured that their textile greige stocks were in-house, that clients could utilize their design archive for bespoke commissions and that the production technology was nimble and consistent, enabling them to service the Interior décor market with high quality printed textiles, printed on demand across a specialized collection of contract materials.

MPS also recognized that print width is an important factor in the hospitality industry. Whilst for many interior textile applications 1600mm is the standard textile width, for contract interiors the ability to print out to 3200mm would give them a commercial advantage. They have now secure new business printing designs for hospitality textile brands servicing the contract sector directly.

In order to secure this business, MPS had to demonstrate excellent colour management.

Patterns are printed to order - with no stock - held by the purchaser. Therefore, colour continuity between batches is paramount, here the HP Stitch S1000 with its on-board RIP and intelligent software suite was yet another determining factor for commercial success in speeding up the production process and further reducing time and sampling costs.

In harness with all of their in-house technologies – UV, HP Latex, HP Dye Sublimation and laser cutting – MPS now have an incredibly flexible digital production suite that can adapt to meet the requirements of the Interior Design sector, the independent designer and the Hospitality marketplace.

Going further MPS also offer professional design services. Patterns are separated, iterations and colourways can be created with ease. Architects, designers and specifiers can select patterns from the Mullion and Knowles archive, adapt artwork to meet their criteria and produce bespoke printed textiles to match their schemes. Equally, the independent designer can commission print with confidence knowing that future orders will match their original strike-off samples using the HP Stitch S1000 print technology.

Another benefit of the digital archive is that nothing is ever discontinued – Designers can specify with absolute assurance, knowing that printed stock availability is never an issue, and that exclusivity is delivered by design. 

As the pandemic rolls out MPS have also secured new business from UK designers, large groups and wholesalers who would have previously printed abroad.

Reshoring production close to the end user is no longer a trend – it is the future - and the economic and environmental benefits speak for themselves.

Lee Egan, Director at Manchester Print Services commented:

“By the end of the year, we'll probably be in a better position that we were before the actual pandemic hit - because we've picked new customers thanks to our new HP technology and our expanded business model. We look forward to exploring further opportunities in the decor and hospitality industry and the supply of customized printed fabrics. We are excited to be getting back to business despite the disruption and look forward to the year ahead – it’s going to be great!”

It was a pleasure to interview Lee Egan and to learn how MPS have successfully navigated the journey from Wide Format to Interior Décor using digital technologies. We look forward to following their continued success and future expansion.