Inkwise began life as Guardian Print, primarily providing printing services for Ashburton's local daily newspaper, the Ashburton Guardian. Led by owner Bruce Bell and Ross Mains (who boast nearly 60 years industry experience between them), we soon became the South Island’s leading printer of independent newspapers. Having gained a strong foothold in the coldset market we then began exploring new challenges.
Enter Steve Gallop, who brought with him nearly 40 years of experience in the heatset market, and a host of other highly qualified print professionals. Collectively these individuals had worked for all the country’s leading print companies, often at times playing vital roles in their development. But driven by a desire to do things differently, and better, they joined our team, and the foundation for Inkwise was laid.
To this day we’re the only company in New Zealand to offer both coldset and heatset printing from the same site. That site is now in state-of-the-art premises in Rolleston, (15 mins from Christchurch airport) where our large team of print experts service more than 120 clients spread throughout the country. We experienced 20% year-on-year growth for the last five years, and continue to investigate new and exciting opportunities to expand the services we offer.
As the 4th generation in my family to have owned and managed the 135 year-old Ashburton Guardian it’s fair to say that printing has always been in my blood.
Having been involved in print for nearly 40 years, I've played prominent roles in the growth of some of the country's most successful printing companies.
Before Inkwise I played an integral part in the development of Guardian Print, a company that grew into the South Island’s largest printer of independent newspapers.
I started as a printing apprentice when I was 16, gaining hands-on experience in every facet of the industry before eventually joining the sales team.
I have enjoyed 30 years and counting in various sales positions within the print industry. I'm passionate about delighting customers, uncovering innovative ways to add value and to having a bit of fun along the way.
Building trust is essential in forming strong relationships. After 35 years in the print industry in both NZ and Australia, I’ve come to understand the intricacies of the print industry from both sides of the Tasman.
There’s always something exciting on the go, which makes work a pretty interesting place to be. My role relies on successfully building strong relationships, and I like to think I’m both approachable and extremely reliable.
After gaining Graphic Design qualifications from the Design and Art College of New Zealand I served a Graphic Prepress apprenticeship, joining the Guardian Print team in the late 90s.
I’ve had an affinity with the print industry since I started pottering about at the age of 10, by the age of 12 I found myself producing my uncle's daily paper.
Delivering great products for our customers is essential to being successful in the print industry and to achieve this consistently you need a great team. Great teams need people to grab an opportunity, understand what is expected and then deliver on these expectations. This is what excites me about the Inkwise journey and keeps me in the print industry after 30 years.
I’m a ‘people person’; I’m passionate about meeting and interacting with our incredible clients, and I love getting to know the ins and outs of their businesses.
After working in a variety of logistics and leadership roles across several businesses, I’ve found that I enjoy facing challenges and thrive on finding solutions to meet the needs of our clients.
I have spent all my working life in print, with my background
being in bindery operations. I enjoy this industry as no two days are ever
the same. Always new challenges which keeps the work fresh.
I’ve been in client facing roles for over 25 years. It’s the buzz of finding solutions and getting projects across the line that keeps me going and drives me to do the best for my clients
With over a decade in the industry behind me, I love the constantly evolving and tangible nature of the print world and the challenge of finding the right solution for each and every one of my clients.
I'd like to think the saying 'Behind every great man is an even greater woman' applies here - as Steve’s long-time PA, I keep everything ticking along behind the scenes.