Fifteen years has passed since the pioneering US based company, Olberding Brands, expanded its overseas operations into the UK by bringing its brand, Phototype UK, to the county of Kent.
Locate in Kent provided vital support for the relocation where Phototype UK, now have an international production facility based in Ashford, with an international client support office in Folkestone.
Whilst 2020 created new challenges for businesses globally to face, Phototype UK remained focused on their desire to grow and expand. As a result, they employed nine additional staff to cater to the growing production demand and quadrupled their annual turnover.
Founded in 1919, Phototype is one of the longest running, independently owned brand building and packaging graphics companies operating on a global platform. It is a fourth generation, family-owned business that prides itself on providing fully integrated graphic solutions to all segments of the consumer-packaged (CPG) industry, counting some of the world’s greatest CPG manufacturers among its clients.
The reasons for selecting Kent remain strong today including access to a resilient client base with Central London just 38 minutes away from their location in Ashford, and less than two hours from the boulevards of Paris.
Add in excellent motorway links to the rest of the UK, with City Airport, Heathrow and Gatwick closer by, it is no surprise that Kent was chosen as the company’s gateway to Europe.
“We chose Ashford as our base in Kent as it enhances our strategic development plans, as well as presents us with new opportunities to take advantage of. Kent also has a fantastic and highly skilled pool of experienced and up-and-coming talent, which is great for any business looking to grow,” explains Stuart White, Director of Operations at Phototype UK.
“Our location and its excellent accessibility allow us to be an attractive offer to Kent’s talent as well as our existing staff, as they can easily access our offices from all over the county as well as London and Europe.”
The U.S. based company quickly saw the value Kent represented and Ashford as a natural fit with its other locations and since deciding to locate in Kent, Phototype UK has not looked back. Enjoying both consistent growth and excellent access to European markets, enables the company to increase services offered to clients.
Like many businesses that are building a global reach from within Kent, Phototype UK is a company that nurtures innovation with a can-do attitude that inspires creativity and sparks new ideas, supported by a strong financial commitment to embracing change. That includes reinvesting a generous portion of annual revenue into process and technology research and development.
Phototype is a global brand that has built success here in Kent, using services offered by Locate in Kent to support its expansion, and using our expert team and corporate partners to help connect services and networks. Signposting the way for many more years of success.
