Busnessmen breath new life into Sherrens printers (From Dorset Echo)

Busnessmen breath new life into Sherrens printers

11:00am Wednesday 21st December 2011 in Business By Joanna Davis

A PAIR of businessmen are breathing new life into a Weymouth institution.

Clive Garman and Andy Sharpe have bought Sherrens printers of Weymouth and plan to reignite the well-known firm.

Sherrens was established in the town centre in 1837 and moved to the Granby Industrial Estate in 1989.

Mr Garman said: “By purchasing Sherrens, Andy and I want to breathe new life into the business and reignite it.

“Some people say that buying a business in this climate is crazy. I bought it because it’s so well-known but we want to keep that trade going and keep it up to date.

“I’m going to be more at the front of things and Andy is going to be more involved in production.

“We’re two local lads and we’ve worked in lots of printers in the surrounding areas.

“My background is in management. I’ve done a printing apprenticeship and a management apprenticeship. A natural progression from management is to become a director.”

Mr Garman said the biggest challenge will be bringing in more customers to the Avon Close company.

Long-standing customers of Sherrens include the Kings Group of hotels and Condor Ferries.

“We’re going to be using social networking and getting involved with the Chamber of Commerce.

“The internet is affecting everybody. We can’t sit back, we have to adapt to the environment.”

Mr Garman said he plans to do more digital printing on top of the traditional litho printing Sherrens is known for.

“The message I’m trying to get out there is Sherrens is still trading.

“It’s business as usual and we welcome any new customers.

“It seems to have relied on the fact that it’s an old fashioned business but we want it to be known as modern with old-fashioned values.

“We have to put Sherrens back on the map.”