Our Story
We started in the family garage and have grown to cover 50,000 square feet of factory space.
We started in the family garage and have grown to cover 50,000 square feet of factory space.
KEP Print Group is a family-run commercial printing company based in Tamworth. The business started in 1979 in the family garage of Kenneth E. Plowman, his wife Irene, son Mark, and Mark’s wife Anita. Ken was a gifted sign writer, and Mark, Anita and Irene knew they could capitalize on his talent by purchasing a printing press so Ken wouldn’t need to hand-write every sign in a multiple-sign order.
In order to justify the cost of such an expensive machine at the time, Mark and Anita visited local businesses canvasing for small jobs to put on their press in hopes of turning a profit.
The four-person team worked tirelessly to deliver and exceed their new customers’ expectations as they were competing against large, established printers.
Mark, Anita, Irene and Ken slowly became known for their excellence in customer service. They delivered accurate jobs on-time every time, even if that meant working through the night to meet tight deadlines and personally driving orders 40 miles on their small motorbike in the rain when they couldn’t afford a delivery service. Clients took notice, and as the customers’ businesses grew, so did KEP.
Eventually, Mark and Anita needed to purchase more equipment in order to serve their clients’ needs. With the new equipment came the need for more space, and the business moved into an industrial estate near their home.
The growth was exponential and what was once a small four-person business operated out of a garage with a simple printing press is now a printing company with 120 employees and more than 35 machines offering all services from design to delivery.
Allen Lloyd, founder of Lloyds Pharmacy, came to KEP when he only owned six pharmacies, frustrated that other printers had turned down his small order of six posters, one for each storefront window.
Mark and Anita welcomed the work, and the relationship was born. Today, KEP provides Lloyds with all point-of-sale marketing materials for over 1,500 stores and operates a team at the Lloyd’s Pharmacy head office in Coventry.
KEP still believes in taking on every job – no matter how small or large, simple or complex – and providing their customers with the best service possible. They know the support needed to start a business from the ground up, and will ensure you and your team are provided with the expertise, creativity, and resources provided by a 40-year business.
Let us create print products that capture your customers’ attention.
