Green is the Colour of Success for GPS

Belfast print firm GPS Colour Graphics Ltd. has been named as the latest monthly winner in the new series of Spirit of Enterprise Awards. The judging panel were particularly impressed by the company’s combination of environmental innovation and commercial success, proving that both can go hand in hand.

The Spirit of Enterprise Awards series was established by Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in partnership with Northern Bank and Business Eye to reward indigenous companies that demonstrate real entrepreneurial spirit, as well as innovation and the creativity to succeed.

Brian Wilson, Business Manager, Northern Bank, Helen McClay, Chairman GPS Colour Graphics and Elaine McBride, Harbinson Mulholland Chartered Accountants, with the Spirt of Enterprise Award.

GPS Colour Graphics follows Seopa Ltd and PK Murphy Construction Ltd as the third monthly winner in this series and will go forward for consideration for the overall award when all ten monthly winners have been named.

The company was founded in 1973 by local entrepreneur Derek Bell and has grown to become one of Northern Ireland’s foremost commercial printing service providers, specialising in full-colour work such as magazines, brochures, prospectuses, leaflets and reports.

Today, the company retains the feel of a family business as Derek’s two daughters Helen McClay and Lorraine Bell have continued to oversee the success of the company along with Managing Director Ian McCurry.

Company Chairman Helen McClay says: “I’ve been in and out of the company from about the age of seven. I suppose today it could be looked upon as child labour, but we were just used to spending some of our summer holidays in and around the business and my sister and I are now the fourth generation of our family to work in the printing industry. Our dad is still in here working away most days and he’s invaluable as he understands every aspect of the business from the shop floor up.”

Now ten years into her ‘official’ stint with the company, Helen has been central in developing the company’s environmental credentials which have seen GPS Colour Graphics become Ireland’s first carbon neutral printing company.

Since February 2007 the company has produced over 300 CarbonNeutral® publications – more than anyone else in the world – and GPS has been named as the Irish Print Awards ‘Environmental Printer of the Year’ in four consecutive years since 2005.

The company has recently been accredited by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), ensuring the company meets the highest standards of environmental sustainability.

Helen says: “I’m not a tree-hugger or activist. It’s not a personal crusade but I do believe in being responsible, we find that our environmental credentials are something that our clients really value. It’s a great reason for people to use us and we don’t charge a premium for providing a service which meets high environmental standards.

“We find that more and more firms are aware of their own corporate responsibility and by using us they can be assured that they can meet their own environmental targets. That’s a very big deal today when consumers are very aware of the green agenda.

“A lot of our competitors scoffed at us when we started to build our environmental reputation. I think they felt that no one was particularly interested if print services were ‘green’ but that is changing now and the rest of the industry is beginning to finally follow our example.”

The company’s commitment to the environment has become a unique selling point for clients and has helped to develop a culture where the firm’s 50 staff feel that GPS is more than a place to work.

“I believe that our employees have a real sense of ownership with us and they have really bought in to our culture of responsibility, both to the environment and to our local community.

“We have a extensive in-house training programme which aims to bring people up to the standards we need and allows our staff to be multi-skilled which means that they are able to pull their sleeves up and work in different areas of the business as required. There is a real sense that we’re all in this together.”

Investment in technology has also helped GPS to remain at the forefront of the industry. Recent examples of this include the addition of a new ten colour press in 2008 which has improved productivity and efficiency; and in 2009 the development of a new management information system which provides better information to the client in terms of progress and scheduling.

There are, however, challenges for the whole print industry, particularly due to the recession where more clients are perhaps looking to new ways of communicating.

Helen says: “I think a lot of printers are finding it tough. Perhaps part of that is due to a reluctance to change. I believe that we need to embrace change and see new technology and trends as an opportunity to think about the future of our business and move in the right direction.

“The last year has been a difficult one for the industry but thankfully, and I suppose in large part due to our investment in technology we’ve been able to increase turnover in the last year. We’re currently looking to new products and markets which we believe will push our business on further.

“A large part of our success has been down to simple hard work, determination, passion and being willing to put the business first - you just can’t afford to switch off from it. Striving to do better is a full-time concern. You have to be strong enough to take the knock-backs that inevitably come along but thankfully with the support of our directors, our staff and our families we’ve been able to do that. We’ve learnt to never rest on our laurels and to look to new opportunities.”

Jane O’Rourke of Harbinson Mulholland Chartered Accountants, who nominated GPS Colour Graphics for the Award says: “As well as supporting a variety of forestry and energy efficiency projects, GPS has recognised that customers are also becoming more aware of their own carbon footprint and offers customers the opportunity to produce carbon neutral documents. They now produce more carbon neutral certified publications than any other company in the world.

“I believe that GPS are setting the precedent for other companies who are looking to reduce their overall environmental impact. Their innovative approach in using the environment as a differentiator has set them apart not only from other commercial printers in Northern Ireland but from the SME market as a whole.”

Brian Wilson, Business Manager with Northern Bank, sponsors of the Award, said: “GPS has developed a great method of adding value for their client base which allows them to stay ahead in a very competitive marketplace. The GPS story is a great example of how local companies can grasp the opportunity to differentiate themselves and aspire to be industry leaders.

“We believe that it is vital, especially in the current climate, to highlight and reward our best businesses and we feel that GPS Colour Graphics is a very worthy winner of the Spirit of Enterprise Award.”

Nominations for the Spirit of Enterprise Awards are encouraged. The criteria by which the winners of the Award are selected are not profit growth or investment raised, but rather ideas, ambition and determination.

For further details about the Awards, and for entry forms, contact Garry Webb at Chartered Accountants Ulster Society, on 02890 435840 or email garry.webb@charteredaccountants.ie.