The family business Whitehall Printing is celebrating its 40th year on paper by teaming up with the Forest of Avon Trust to plant 40 trees in local schools and green spaces.
The commercial printers is run by brothers Adam and Joe Bendon, who took over leadership of the company from their father ten years ago. The brothers made a commitment to become one of Bristol’s greenest printers. Whitehall was one of the first Bristol companies to become FSC certified, sourcing paper from sustainable European forests. In 2013 the printers achieved the prestigious environmental standard ‘ISO 14001:2004’.
The brothers relocated the print works from the Whitehall area of the city to a low-energy facility in Barton Hill. The move doubled the firms’ production capacity housing a suite of high-end printing presses and a 22 strong team.
The partnership between Whitehall Printing and the Forest of Avon Trust began in 2007 as the company looked to sponsor a green charity that makes a positive impact on the Bristol environment.
Joint Managing Director Joe Bendon was born in Bristol the year his father founded the firm. He comments:
“My brother and I have always put sustainability at the heart of our operation. We have children and want to know that our impact on Bristol is good for the city, both commercially and environmentally.
Printing has experienced a rough ride in recent years but there is growing awareness of sustainable paper manufacturing. As we celebrate our 40th year, there seems to be strong demand for the tactile value/authenticity of paper products that is lacking in the digital world. This demand has rapidly increased new forest expansion across Europe - which we are proud to support - but we also want to see more trees in Bristol.”
Whitehall Printing is a long-term sponsor of the Forest of Avon Trust, which helps to protect, plant and manage woodlands in Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset. Charity Director Jon Clark comments on the partnership:
“It is great to have had such enthusiastic and long-term support from local firm Whitehall Printing: this has made a big difference to the charity. The trees being planted will make an important contribution to improving air quality and the wider environment in to the future.”
The printers has experienced continued growth over the last decade and notched a rapid 17.5% increase in turnover in the last financial year. The family firm now employs six members of the Bendon family and 22 staff in total with new apprenticeships in the pipeline.
This month Whitehall Printing was named double Finalist in the Bristol Post’s Family Business of Year 2017 award, and Small Business of the Year 2017 award.
The Whitehall staff will mark the 40th celebration with a team-building day in Conham Woods. The staff will see the work of the Forest of Avon Trust first-hand and will take part in learning forestry skills.