Wallace Print Invests £250,000 in New Kit and Premises Revamp

Wallace Print Invests £250,000 in New Kit and Premises Revamp

Wallace Print has completed a significant investment programme combining production equipment upgrades with a refurbishment of its Rochester facility. The improvements follow the purchase of the 1,115sqm premises last year and form part of the business’s ongoing development of its production environment and operational capacity.

The Rochester-based printer acquired the building in October and has since carried out substantial internal improvements designed to support both workflow and team expansion. A new suite of glass offices overlooking the production floor was completed two months ago at a cost of approximately £175,000.

The project represents a major step in shaping the factory to meet the practical requirements of Wallace Print’s growing large-format printing operations and broader production services.

Factory Layout Designed Around Production Visibility

The refurbishment involved relocating the company’s offices onto one of the existing mezzanine levels, which required structural strengthening before construction could begin. The aim was to bring different departments closer together and improve visibility across the production floor.

Managing director Gary Wallace explained that the new layout has significantly changed how teams interact within the facility.

“We’ve put the offices on one of the mezzanines so we had to strengthen the mezzanine floors first,” Wallace said.

“My studio team was in a completely different man-made area but now it’s completely changed the outlook. We can look down and see everything that’s going on in production, and so can the guys in the studio.”

The open design allows design, studio and production teams to remain connected throughout the working day, which can be particularly valuable when handling complex jobs across display graphics and where coordination between departments is important.

Wallace described the finished space as having a showroom-style appearance.

“It mimics a BMW showroom with a big front and a big studio. It’s transformed the factory; it looks fantastic and so professional now. It’s been really nice to be able to do it.”

Building Capacity for Future Growth

With the refurbishment completed, Wallace Print now has additional flexibility to expand further within the building if required.

Planning consent has already been secured for additional office space should the business need it in the future. The site itself also allows for a significant increase in working space if further development becomes necessary.

Wallace said the purchase of the freehold has made it possible to take a longer-term view when planning operational improvements.

“It’s incredibly fulfilling to continue to achieve our growth ambitions so quickly after purchasing our freehold,” he said.

“Once you’ve bought your own building, you can turn it into what you want, and we’ve only just begun.”

Investment in Finishing Equipment

Alongside the building improvements, Wallace Print has also invested £75,000 in finishing equipment with the installation of a second-hand 2m-wide Wohlenberg MCS-2 guillotine earlier this month.

The machine replaces a smaller guillotine previously used in the factory and is already improving efficiency across cutting and finishing processes.

“It’s a brilliant bit of kit, which we needed because a lot of our work is large-format,” Wallace explained. “It’s had a major impact on our efficiency already; it saves about 35% on time, which is enormous.”

Finishing equipment often receives less attention than print hardware, but it remains a critical part of producing accurate rigid media work where clean trimming and consistency are essential.

“It’s quite a big purchase in terms of finishing kit because a guillotine is always the last thing that you think about,” Wallace added. “It has replaced an existing guillotine, which was a lot smaller and has been scrapped.”

Ongoing Investment in Production Technology

Looking ahead, Wallace Print is also considering further investment in its print production equipment.

The company is exploring the addition of a fourth flatbed printer to complement its existing machines, which include a Canon Océ Arizona 250 GT wide-format printer alongside two Fujifilm Acuity Advance systems.

Additional flatbed capacity would support increasing demand for rigid media applications used across retail environments, construction projects and branded display spaces where durable printed hoarding panels and signage graphics are commonly specified.

The business also plans to continue strengthening its online platforms as more customers research and order print services digitally.

Tribute to Founder Mervyn Wallace

During the past year, Wallace Print has also experienced the loss of its founder, Mervyn Wallace, who passed away earlier this year.

Gary Wallace paid tribute to his father and acknowledged the role he played in establishing the business.

“I had the greatest respect for my father as the founder of Wallace Print,” he said. “It takes a very determined and courageous person to start a business from scratch as he did in 1985, and even more so in the seriously cutthroat printing industry.”

Mervyn Wallace founded the business nearly four decades ago and remained closely connected to the company throughout its development.

“I joined him a year later and we have created the solid business it is today,” Wallace said. “He was an inspirational figure and remained a rock, especially in the recession periods which we traded through. In his later years he was incredibly proud of the success we have achieved.”

Continued Development in Rochester

Today, Wallace Print remains a family-run print business operating from its Rochester production facility and serving clients across multiple sectors.

The company employs 22 staff and anticipates a turnover of around £3 million this year as it continues to develop its capabilities across large-format printing services and related display graphics production.

The recent investments in premises, finishing equipment and production planning mark another step in Wallace Print’s long-term development, with the Rochester facility continuing to evolve alongside the business.