True to Character

With his father involved in the graphic design and printing business before him, it is no surprise that Warrick Bowden followed a similar career path, although the print landscape has dramatically changed. “I entered the print game at age 19,” says Warrick, “but my family was already involved in the industry – my father worked with Smurfit Print and then set up his own business – Louis Bowden Graphic Design and Photography. After I completed my Leaving Certificate, I did a year at Ballyfermot in graphics and print making. I went on to work for a number of print companies before deciding that I wanted to set up my own business.” The motivation, explains Warrick, was rooted in his loyalty to clients. “I felt when I worked for other companies, I had to be loyal to my employer, sometimes at the expense of the client. I didn’t ever want to feel compromised or have any allegiances that would trip me up. I believed there was a market there for an honest, ethical voice and so I set up Character Print based on these values.”

Building a Business

The company began in the front room of his house with one printer, but grew steadily, moving to a premises in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, and hiring several staff members before eventually establishing a base in Naas Industrial estate. Twelve years ago Warrick decided to set up an in-house mailing solution: “We were buying a lot of mail and we never got the product we wanted. So, we set up a sister company, Mailing It, where we could manufacture our own direct mail in-house.”

“We are constantly investing back into the business. I know it is a cliché to say, but you are only as good as the people around you. We have 15 full-time staff who are all dedicated to what we are trying to achieve and I believe it is really important to promote a good work/life balance.”

Serving the Charity Sector Warrick notes that a lot of the company’s clients are charities. “We have amazing clients and we have developed some great relationships, including with Charities Institute Ireland. I love to work with really good people and that philosophy has been the right one for us. We first worked with a charity-related client when we took on Persuasion Republic. When Damien O’Broin left Persuasion Republic to set up Ask Direct we added this new company also to our client base. After that, we continued to grow our charity client base. We began offering charitable direct mail services and then transactional direct mail. We are now specialists and I really enjoy being part of this incredible sector.”

Sustainable Efforts

The company is ISO accredited both 9001 and 14001 and are members of Leave No Trace. “For me, sustainability is a really important issue. I am a huge nature enthusiast; I love my dogs and I keep bees at home. Making sure we have an awareness for the wider world and that we look after nature is crucial. When purchasing equipment we make sure it has the smallest carbon footprint as is possible and we have solar panels going up on the office building later this year.”

A Changing Landscape

So, in this new digital world, how has Warrick witnessed change in the printing business? “The market has definitely evolved, however we were told 15 years ago that printing was dead and we are living proof that this is not the case. In fact, the volume of print is going up, turnover is rising and we are busier than ever. The volume of direct mail is also increasing, albeit the work is a little more complex as fundraisers come up with different ways to get people to open a letter. Data capture is also much more sophisticated. We did have a bit of a dip in our print volumes about 10 years ago but only for a short time. People love to flick through a magazine or prospectus on a company table: it doesn’t require the internet, you don’t have to download anything.”

Looking ahead, Warrick says that the market will continue to change but, as long as they remain innovative, he is confident of the future: “You have to be lean and agile – you need to be able to duck and dive. You can’t simply stand still; you have to reinvest constantly and you need a workforce who will join you on this journey.”

Fina out more at: https://www.character.ie/