Innotech’s premises in Coalville, Leicestershire
The three words Innotech uses to define itself are fast, friendly and flexible. Sign Update editor,
Melanie Attlesey, discovers what this means in reality.
As I sit down with Kieran Dallow, who heads up the marketing team at Innotech, one of the first things he says to me is: “Fast, friendly, flexible. Those are three words you will hear me say a lot.”
But what exactly do those words mean in reality for the Leicester-based supplier of wide and grand format print media and display hardware?
Fast
Fast is certainly one word you could use to describe Innotech. Since the company’s inception in 2008 the business has grown rapidly to one that turned over £24m for the year ended December 2022. In fact, Innotech achieved 80% organic growth from 2018 to 2021.
A welcoming reception desk greets visitors upon arrival
Innotech was founded by Wigston Paper at a time when the wide format market was emerging and growing in size. The business was sold to Vink UK last year in a move designed to provide Innotech with a platform to achieve its long-term ambitious growth plans and global expansion.
“We are a very fast-growing company compared to a lot of other companies in this industry. We have no interest in standing still, we are always exploring ways to grow the business,” explains Kieran.
Speed is also top priority when it comes to delivery. If an order is placed by 4.30pm, the customer can expect to receive their order the following day. And with over 8,000 pallet spaces, 200,000 roller banners, and six million square metres of materials in stock, this is easily achievable.
A spring rejig of the racking in the warehouse has not only allowed further room for Innotech to increase its stock holding – an extra 1,000 rolls of grand format media can now be stored with space to grow – but also means the management of stock rotation has been improved.
“We can now put the newest stock at the top and the older stock further down, explains Kieran. “The reconfiguration has definitely proved beneficial.”
This means that customer orders can be processed even quicker.
Friendly
The friendly Innotech team
Stating that you are friendly is quite a bold claim and one that could be hard to back up in practice. However, after just a quick walk around Innotech’s warehouse and offices I can confirm that this is the case.
Everyone was full of smiles and cheery hellos. And if customers are treated with the same upbeat attitude, then I can see why Innotech adds the word ‘friendly’ to its company ethos.
“We are led by the customer and if the customer wants something we jump at it,” says Kieran. “The way we resolve issues is streets ahead of the competition. We take responsibility for any issues and do all we can to help customers get their jobs out on time.”
Flexible
Innotech’s recent rejig of the racking means an extra 1,000 rolls of grand format media can now be stored
This word is two-fold when it comes to Innotech. Firstly, Innotech is extremely flexible in its product offering. Whether you are looking for eco-friendly print media, display films, printable fabrics, roller banners or the display hardware to go with it, Innotech will surely have a product to suit your requirements.
To allow for even greater flexibility in its product offering, Innotech has set the goal of developing a sustainable or PVC-free alternative for every one of its print materials by 2025. This has been driven by the end-user and is something that Kieran is confident can be achieved.
Innotech first introduced its Envirotech line in 2016, with more products added in the intervening years and more in the pipeline. Envirotech was the UK’s first dedicated range of PVC-free print materials. The range now extends to biodegradable and recyclable print materials.
He said: “I am really excited about this area of product development. It’s where we see the future of the industry heading. There is no excuse for the printer not to offer eco-friendly options anymore.”
Flexibility is also seen in the way Innotech strives to help customers. On speaking with Kieran, it seems that no request is too difficult. If a customer requires a bespoke size of a product – no problem. Needs something next day, but misses the 4.30pm cut-off – no problem. Excellent customer service is what Innotech strives for.
Not only this, but Innotech recently redeveloped its online ordering facility – giving customers even more flexibility in how and when they order their products.
Empowerment
A selection of the media that Innotech supplies
During my conversation with Kieran, I asked him what it was that he enjoyed about his job and working in the sign industry. His reply was: “I enjoy that I am empowered to take calculated risks, and given the flexibility to experiment and do new things. You’ll see within our marketing that we do things differently and that’s because we’re empowered to do so.”
The recent Pets in Print Trophy competition is a good example of this free reign that Kieran refers to. Innotech printed 100 bandanas and encouraged the industry to send in photos of their pets wearing a bandana in a bid to win the trophy. It certainly went down well with many entrants received.
Kieran was also asked for his thoughts on the future of the print industry to which he replied: “If you had asked me that 11 years ago when I started with Innotech, the general consensus was that print was dead. But in recent years the print industry has seen a new lease of life. Now the phrase ‘print is dead’ just isn’t heard.
“Marketers are now proving however hard you try to integrate digital into your marketing, there is always a place for print advertising. It’s a channel we can’t do without. The future is bright and I can see clear opportunities for growth.”
In his role as head of marketing, it’s Kieran’s job to push forward the company message and during my time with him, Kieran did it with ease. Innotech certainly lives by its ‘fast, friendly, fl exible’ ethos.
