BUSINESS / NEWS 10 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk March / April 2025 - Issue 353 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Print company catapults to £50m turnover Catapult Print, a UK familyowned printing and packaging company headquartered in Orlando, Florida, has announced that it achieved a $60m (£50m) turnover milestone in 2024. The company’s $60m turnover follows two consecutive months of record sales in Q4 of 2024. In October 2024, Catapult achieved a reported 25% increase on revenue compared to October 2023, 5.8% more than the company’s previous best ever month. This revenue was then increased further in November. Catapult has reportedly onboarded more than 80 new customers in 2024, while maintaining a customer retention rate of 98%. Catapult was established six years ago by British packaging professional Mark Cook, alongside his sons Lewis and Ashley Cook. With over 30 years of experience in the print and packaging industries, Mark previously worked for Paragon Print and Packaging, including as a company shareholder. Mark moved to the US in 2013, first working as group sales director for global packaging agency Equator Design before launching Catapult in 2018. [L to R]: Brett Simpson (head of commercial operations), Lewis Cook (co-founder and CEO), Mark Cook (founder and chairman), Ashley Cook (managing partner), Carl Brock (technical director), and Ed Holden (sales director) By Jonathan Pert Scalderhurst becomes sole UK distributor April, a global paper and board manufacturer, has announced the appointment of Scalderhurst as its sole appointed distributor for the UK and Ireland. The new strategic partnership between April and Kent-based paper merchants, Scalderhurst, will focus on the distribution of April’s premium GC1 & GC2 Folding Box Boards, Art Boards, and Cup Stock Boards. April have designed the printable packaging products as cost effective solutions, aiming to achieve high quality at a competitive price. Scaldehurst will offer comprehensive UK Stocks of April products, available to meet immediate and large-scale demands. In-house conversion facilities will be provided at Scalderhurst facilities, providing tailored solutions for bespoke size sheets and reels fulfilled in the UK. Kenrick Chew, April’s regional sales head of Paperboard Europe (West & East), comments: “We are thrilled to partner with Scalderhurst, a company that shares our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. This collaboration will enhance our service capabilities, grow our market share, and ensure that our customers in the UK and Ireland receive the best products and support.” April has committed to a robust programme of corporate social responsibility By Jonathan Pert Print.Group acquires Simian in major European deal Print.Group, the holding company behind European print platform Print.com, has acquired online printer Simian, bolstering its brand portfolio. Founded in 2007, Simian achieved a reported revenue of approximately €28m (£23m) in 2024. The acquisition includes brands in Simian’s portfolio including Reclameland, Flyerzone, and Drukland, as well as Simian’s 23,000m² production facility near Groningen in the Netherlands. As a result of the acquisition, Print.com’s existing facility in the city of Oss will be closed, with operations moving to the new Groningen facility. The new production facility will serve as a central production and fulfilment hub for the brands within the Print. Group holding. According to the group, merging order volumes is a key priority, with the aim of enabling Print.Group to implement cost optimisations to benefit its customers. Since its founding in 2019, Print.Group has reportedly generated more than €60m (£50m) in revenue across nine European countries. Print.Group aims to create a clear price and product differentiation between the various brands, both in physical products and in tools and services. The Print.com platform will remain tailored to creative professionals such as print resellers, brands, creatives, and agencies, while the newly acquired Reclameland, Flyerzone, and Drukland labels will continue to focus on SMEs. Established in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Austria, Print. com has since subsequently expanded into the UK, Denmark, Spain, and Italy in 2024. Print.com announced its expansion into the UK in June of 2024, establishing a local UK service team that includes country captain, Fiona Robinson. As part of the UK launch, Print.com invited visitors to “come aboard” on its stand at The Print Show 2024. Print.com UK recently joined print and paper advocacy group, Two Sides. In a statement about joining the advocacy group, Robinson says: “Print.com is committed to a socially responsible and sustainable future of ‘more print, less footprint’. “Our sustainability values align with the Two Sides campaign, and we are delighted to have become a member.” Speaking of Print.com’s sustainable credentials, Robinson continues: “We produce locally, with efficient technology – this is how we reduce CO2 emissions, waste, and our energy consumption. “We are constantly adding sustainable products and services to our ordering environment with recyclability as our starting point. We also implement eco-friendly and ethical solutions throughout the supply chain and inspire partners to do the same.” [L to R] CEO and founder of Print. Group, Marco Aarnink, with Simian CEO and founder, Wouter Haan By Jonathan Pert
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