20 years
supporting businesses in the region
Reading printer Lamport Gilbert may have a Thames Valley heritage of more than 100 years, of which it is justifiably proud, but it is very definitely a company that has its thoughts attuned to its current customers and its eyes focused on the future
Andrew Robbins: Printing for 21st century clients
Lamport Gilbert began life a good goal-kick away from Reading FC’s home ground at Elm Park. Surprisingly, today Lamport Gilbert lives barely a goal-kick or two from ‘The Royals’ Madejski Stadium opposite Green Park.
This physical move, which took place in 2000, is somewhat indicative. The thing is: Lamport Gilbert as a business has always ‘moved with the times’.
MD Andrew Robbins says Lamport Gilbert’s core values combine dedication to quality and environmental responsibility with a commitment to building excellent relationships with its customers and business partners.
For example, Lamport Gilbert know us well. They have been printing The Business Magazine for eight years.
Operationally, those core values mean Lamport Gilbert is prepared to react to change within its industry and meet the requirements of its customers.
“A lot of organisations see changes as threats, but we see them as opportunities enabling us to move into different areas and offer different services,” explains Robbins.
Accordingly, Lamport Gilbert now uses the latest technologies in sheet-fed litho printing to produce a wide range of full-colour publicity materials, while also providing extensive e-communication and marketing support.
“We have specialist skills as lithographic printers, but for many clients we’ve now become a communication solutions provider – from design to logistics, print to the latest electronic mediums.”
When desktop publishing (DTP) was the 1980’s breaking wave and many
companies took their print-design inhouse, Lamport Gilbert met the challenge. It adopted DTP too and proved to customers that it was more cost-effective to use Lamport Gilbert’s skillful and print-aware professionals.
Lamport Gilbert saw business come back to it as Adobe and QuarkXPress software, Apple Macintosh design equipment and top quality laser printing became industry standards.
When direct-to-plate printing and improved computer-controlled standards of printing evolved, Lamport Gilbert adopted it.
“In my eyes, technology moved printing from a craft-based artform produced by skilled individuals into an expertly controlled science. Certainly, it improved our efficiency as an industry,” said Robbins.
Over the years Lamport Gilbert’s core work has moved from almost 100% print to 80:20% print and related services including e-communication, moving to 70:30 by around 2015, Robbins predicts.
“Those who aren’t changing, expanding and evolving into other areas will probably struggle to stay in business.”
The Internet has been the great game-changer; creating better informed price-aware customers while radically altering the way businesses now communicate.
“Organisations have become more targeted with their marketing and promotions, using both print and the new forms of e-communication.”
In 1997, during such change, Lamport Gilbert secured its future stability by merging with like-minded Blackmore, the Shaftesbury-based expert in short run newspaper and periodical printing.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2013
Short-run printing is a now a growth area, as companies spend more on aesthetically pleasing printed materials to complement cheaper e-communication channels.
Today, using the latest software to produce high-quality print on uncoated materials, Lamport Gilbert literally provides customers with ‘a touch of quality’.
“Organisations find it difficult to convey ‘quality’ over forms of e-communication. Print can do that through its tactile attributes of touch and tangibility.
“I strongly believe that print has got a key part to play in the future marketing and news awareness mix.”
Lamport Gilbert has also astutely partnered with Thames Valley companies in order to provide a full range of client services. “That’s where The Business Magazine and its networking events have helped, keeping us abreast of what other businesses need or can offer.”
Lamport Gilbert’s 2000 relocation in Reading, with easy access to M4 J11, was specific to its Thames Valley and southeast customerbase.
Having adapted to the merging 24/7 work-life of global businesses, Robbins feels that Lamport Gilbert now works in partnership with its main clients, rather than for them.
Growing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has also been a customer feature since 1993, says Robbins, with many today requiring a visibly ‘green’ service. “Like quality, being ‘green’ is now the new norm.”
Lamport Gilbert didn’t need to be persuaded to go ‘green’. “We recognized early on that we had our own corporate obligation to develop ongoing processes aimed at minimizing our impact on the environment.”
Today Lamport Gilbert is a leading ‘green’ advocate. It uses vegetable- based inks, sustainably produced paper, aqueous coatings, LPG vans and “recycling has become part of our DNA.”
Working towards a carbon-neutral print operation, the company is one of the few in the printworld to have ISO 14001 environmental accreditation.
Future challenges? Well, the Thames Valley still has infrastructure transportation difficulties to overcome, says Robbins, and some buying power has shifted to head offices outside the Thames Valley. “There’s also far more competition from further afield.”
But, Lamport Gilbert’s challenging years are behind it. “We are now on a profitable growth pattern, with many clients also looking to grow.
“One of our biggest challenges is in sales recruitment, and we’re actively looking for graduate level people to bring through into sales and marketing.”
www.businessmag.co.uk
20-year insights
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