KIWI SHAKE-UP: SOAR AND ICG CREATE PRINT POWERHOUSE WITH MERGER

Auckland‐based print specialist Soar Print and communications group ICG are merging, creating a Kiwi print powerhouse of creative, publishing and large format expertise, combined with commercial print, logistics and packaging proficiencies.

The merged company will operate out of new 5000sqm consolidated premises in Mount Wellington from early next year, initially under their existing brands. The new entity will though be renamed, with a revised brand in line with the move on the cards.

Fred Soar and David Atkins, currently CEOs of the two businesses, will be joint CEOs of the new company. All 80 Soar Print staff and the 100 ICG staff will be part of the new business.

The ICG team will move into the new premises in January, with the Soar team picking up any printing slack during the transition. The team at Soar will then complete the move by May, with all operations then established at the new site.

The company will be right at the top of New Zealand print power, with both Soar Print's Heidelberg 106 XL and ICG's eight-colour B1 Komori long perfector among the production equipment that it will have at its disposal.

The two businesses are already well known to each other, and have had a ten year working relationship. The catalyst for the merger was both companies relocating their respective operations in the new year, opening a door to a more strategic relationship.

While servicing largely different clientele, ICG and Soar Print have had an “open and strong” working relationship, built on the family‐led values of each of the company’s founding fathers. ICG managing director David Atkins and Soar counterpart Fred Soar have since developed a plan for what a combined business offering will mean for the market, and how this will improve the service offering to both ICG and Soar’s existing clients.

ICG offers a wide range of services from print and creative to content and marketing automation. Atkins said, “For us it is about looking to the future of what a combined offering means for good and sustainable business, and how this translates to not only financial stability and continuity for our staff and clients, but also opportunity to grow.

“It is exciting to get the critical mass that we’ll have, and therefore the market penetration that'll go with it, while retaining the Kiwi ownership in our DNA that has been strong drivers of both the ICG and Soar brands.”

Soar Print is a third‐generation family business currently celebrating 100 years of printing. Managing director Fred Soar, grandson of the fouinder Lt Col Fred Soar, said, “Soar Print and ICG have a similar philosophy about work and we know that both our teams get on pretty well. We've helped each other out with work over the years, and now we’ll be able to better help our clients with a greater offering and capacity.

"We have done a lot of work when it comes to print and sustainability, and I’m excited by what a combined offering will further achieve in our sustainable best practices."