Images_December_2019_Digital Edition

INDUSTRY NEWS www.images-magazine.com 08 images DECEMBER 2019 Follow our daily industry updates on Twitter @imagesmaguk PRINT SHOP POOCHES #49 Kiki Whether it’s pedigree pups or mangy mutts, decorators’ dogs are valued members of staff at embroidery and print shops from Barking to Furness. This month we have Kiki from Tidy Print in Brighton Full name: Kiki (’s delivery service) Breed: English Springer Spaniel. She’s possibly some kind of cross but, as she’s a rescue, we don’t know for sure Age: 7ish. Again, we don’t know for sure Time at company: Three years Job title: Master snoozer Job description: To sleep as much as possible; get lots of belly rubs; eat any snacks that might need eating, and look good while doing it Special skills: Sleeping; getting in the way in order to get lots of belly rubs; life-modelling if the humans want to draw her Favourite colour: Pantone 217 because she’s a lady of luxury and likes the finer things in life (when she’s not being mental and running about in mud) www.tidyprint.co.uk Kiki doesn’t let work get in the way of her nap schedule Independent Print Industries Association develops new membership category The Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) has announced that it’s developed a new ‘Lite’ membership category. The IPIA has decided to open up its membership and offer a key segment of the trade association’s benefits to a much wider spectrum of the commercial print industry, in particular those that don’t offer trade services. This means its new Lite membership will be available to garment decoration companies that sell directly to consumers, rather than B2B. Newly appointed general manager, Brendan Perring, said: “Allowing non-trade companies to join us opens a core of our benefits up to so many more businesses. It will also give businesses that have never been part of an association the ability to engage and understand the immense value being part of such a network can bring.” Businesses joining under the new ‘Lite’ membership category will pay £25 plus VAT per month, and will have access to a select range of services, such as a legal helpline and support, credit checking and debt recovery. They will also receive discounted rates on the IPIA’s training portfolio and events. www.ipia.org.uk Workwear Express opens first retail outlet and showroom Workwear Express has opened its first customer showroom and retail outlet at its headquarters in County Durham. The company spent £150,000 fitting the showroom and outlet store as part of a multi- million pound overhaul of its entire production site. This has included the recent addition of a 40,000sq ft factory, as well as new machinery, including two high volume garment printers with HD technology. Workwear Express has also recently celebrated its highest turnover to date with sales of £18 million in the past year – a 20% rise on the previous year. The company currently employs over 200 staff in the north-east of England, including 30 who joined this year, and plans to open stores in other major cities around the UK. Andrew Ward, managing director of Workwear Express, said: “We are proud of our north-east roots and we have exciting expansion plans for the future.” www.workwearexpress.com The new showroom will display the company’s bestselling items The IPIA has introduced a new ‘Lite’ membership category aimed at companies that sell directly to consumers rather than B2B