Company news New look, same values

The printer has continued its profitable growth, but by its own standards of communication with publishers, Pensord has been relatively quiet in recent times. Behind the scenes, though, the company has been busy refreshing its brand, and has now launched the new look based on its enduring values.

Chief executive Tony Jones said: “We are fortunate to be printers serving a dynamic and fast moving publishing industry, a design conscious business that is all too aware of the latest looks and developments. We wanted to reflect this sense of style and pace by gently updating our own look to one that will carry us confidently into the future. But in doing so, it is important to recognise that the values by which we operate remain the same.”

Pensord has a strong reputation in the industry for its marketing-led customer focus, and so it comes as no surprise to see a refreshing of the Pensord ‘brand’, establishing a new style guide for the whole stock of company marketing materials from letterhead to website. The new company logo uses a more contemporary, understated font, and a predominant new grey colour has been introduced to complement the familiar corporate orange. Images of ‘Pensord people’ will also feature more strongly throughout the collateral material.

In true democratic fashion, Pensord canvassed the opinion of customers, staff and other stakeholders, and decided that it was time to ‘refresh’, not radically change the brand. The work has been undertaken by a leading Welsh design agency.

As for the values, it is worth looking at the way the company has evolved since Tony Jones led an MBO at Pensord four years ago. At the time he pledged to:

• Invest heavily in new equipment
• Invest in workplace learning for the company staff
• Set up a Charter that would cement the company’s values to all company stakeholders
• Give something back to the staff
• Give something back to the community

And in the past four years Pensord has achieved:

• Profitable sales growth of 57%
• Substantial investment in new kit, including four new presses - all of it the very latest of its kind
• The pioneering installation of cutting edge front-end technology such as AGFA :Delano
• Staff development programmes throughout the business and commitment to the establishment of IIP. The latest manifestation of this is the Pensord People Development Academy, set up to identify and nurture talented individuals and potential leaders from all areas of the business
• The Pensord Charter which sets out the corporate stall for customers, staff and suppliers
• A staff Stakeholder scheme which gives part ownership of the company back to its ‘Pensord people’
• The setting up of a Charitable Trust which to date has raised £22,000 for Pensord’s nominated charity, the Hospice of the Valleys, and which is now offering customers a donation for their own chosen good cause to mark the launch of the new look
• National peer group recognition with the Turnaround Award at The BPIF Excellence Awards 2006 – “the only awards that tell your customers, suppliers, employees and investors that you run an excellent business.”

Pensord’s values of honesty and integrity remain at the forefront of everything it does, and continue to be driven by the best interests of publisher customers and the future of the publishing industry. This is demonstrated by Pensord’s close association over many years with PPA and more recently with the independent publisher sector, as inaugural IPAC (Independent Publisher’s Advisory Council) Strategic Sponsor.

And to celebrate the new look, Pensord is upping its regular £1 per quote fundraising efforts for its Charitable Trust to £5 for the period to 31st July, and is also offering an online competition where visitors can win absolutely nothing …for themselves - but £500 for their chosen charity.

RSS news feed