13 July 2016

Barnwell Print verified as longest family-run print business in the UK

Barnwell Print, established in 1840, have just been verified by Family Business United as the longest family-run print business in the UK.

Charles Henry Barnwell, a printer from Hull, bought a former Post Office-turned-stationery shop with a printing works upstairs, and it has remained in the family's hands ever since. Charles' wife and son Frederick helped him run the business; even his wife's sister managed the shop until her late seventies.

In the post-war era, Frederick's son Michael started implementing changes and completely re-organised the business, and seeing that litho was the way forward, invested in Heidelberg presses. Soon, space was running out so another building around the corner was purchased and transformed into the new printing works.

Over the years, the business saw many changes and it was eventually purchased by Michael's sons, Julian and Lincoln, who had been helping out since their teens. The real estate continued to expand and the one of the new buildings even received an Enhancement Award from the district council. It was in this building that the pre-press department was to be housed; this investment in digital technology allowed Barnwells to meet the growing demand for faster turnaround times.

The company has demonstrated their commitment to the future with a one million pound investment programme, having recently moved to a new factory on a local industrial estate, where they have exciting cutting edge technology, enabling them to create new jobs and apprenticeships schemes, and ensuring ongoing job security.

Source: Birketts LLP and Family Business United, commissioners of the research and creators of the report.