Joanne Smeeton and Glenn Crowley have created Westland Digital, a new range of wide format media for PPB.
Having rebranded as PPB – Service on Display, the once Proctor Paper & Board and its associated companies has been quick to branch into new markets. Digital Printer met the two ex-PaperlinX employees spearheading the new direction.
Joanne Smeeton and Glenn Crowley have found a soft landing upon their descent from PaperlinX’s Digital Solutions team. They, along with seven other former PaperlinX employees, are now spearheading a refreshed brand within the paper sector: what once was Proctor Paper & Board, Buchanan Paper & Board and A&R Board Sales, is now one company under one name: PPB – Service on Display.
It is off and running quickly as well, because PPB has already put together a new range of wide format materials under the brand name Westland Digital. Ms Smeeton and Mr Crowley have been instrumental in shaping this offering in the six months since they joined PPB. It is a new direction for the company, which more traditionally has served the screen printing market. Amongst the media types included in Westland Digital are monomeric and polymeric digital vinyls for solvent, Latex 300 and UV, over laminates, mount films, display systems such as roll up banners and pop up displays, floor graphics, banner materials, and digital films from Neschen and vinyls from Ritrama.
Watchwords in putting together Westland Digital appear to have been quality and clarity. ‘We’ve been very particular about which manufacturers we went with,’ said Ms Smeeton. ‘We wanted to make sure that the materials were high quality but at a cost effective price. We also needed clarity. Certain manufacturers, for example, will not say whether the adhesive used on a vinyl is water or solvent-based, and that makes a huge difference to the application. It’s important for the client to know what he’s getting. So we have been very clear about this in the literature we have produced.’
Having this clarity of product information is a point of differentiation on some other brands, Glenn Crowley contends, saying: ‘Yes, other suppliers do have a confusing range of products. In PaperlinX, we bought more and more suppliers on board. We would have an established range and then we would acquire another business, so we had a huge mixing pot of products and there might be four or five duplicates there.
‘We wanted to make sure this range was very clear and concise for customers. Some of the big sign & display suppliers in the market are growing and growing and acquiring and just adding to the pile. That can be quite confusing to the client, and quite often the buying will therefore be brand-led. It can also be confusing for the staff: someone wants a three-year vinyl; you have six you can offer them.’
In putting together suppliers for the Westland Digital wide format range, it has also been important that the suppliers PPB is working with are flexible, to allow stock to be called on quickly, and to offer bespoke materials when a business opportunity presents itself. ‘Many manufacturers are very stuck on saying, no, this is what we make. We want to help customers overcome day to day issues that they have,’ said Ms Smeeton.
PPB has been investing in other areas too, including a new Pasquato automatic sheeting machine in its Leeds facility (formerly home of Proctor), which can handle material up to 1700 x 3300 mm. This complements the company’s existing converting and added value services, which have always been a big part of the business. These include slitting and rewinding, large format die-cutting, and precision sawing of specialist materials such as industrial plastics and aluminium composites.
The one-time A&R Board Sales operation in London is being moved to a new site in the capital, with warehousing that will be replenished from Leeds overnight. There has been a good deal of investment in people, service and logistics for the London region in fact.
While the three constituent companies have become one under the PPB umbrella, it remains a family owned company, with Richard Proctor still its managing director, and the values, heritage and, it hopes, goodwill it has built up over the years should prevail. This is no small matter: there has been a good deal of turmoil in the market for customers, and continuity of supply is critical for them.
‘The customer reaction has been very positive,’ said Ms Smeeton. ‘Customers really appreciate a family business that cares, and Richard is very hands-on, making sure that orders are going out and that converting is done.’
With the demise of a company as large as PaperlinX, there always comes opportunity. PPB is taking the chance to expand its own horizons.
