The new business – (yet to be named) – will draw on our print, logistics and packaging expertise of Soar Print combined with the creative, publishing and large format expertise of ICG.
While servicing largely different clients, we have had an open and strong working relationship with Dave and his team at ICG for well over a decade, built on the family-led values of each of our company’s founding fathers.
This merger strengthens our overall offering, and gives greater opportunities for both our clients and teams. It also paves the way for an exciting future and allows us to stay as an independent New Zealand owned business.
In the short term, the business will utilise the current Soar and ICG branding, with a look to a revised brand in line a move to a new 5000sqm consolidated premises in Mount Wellington in early 2022. 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. This ensures a seamless transition for clients, staff and key suppliers.
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.
Fred Soar and David Atkins, currently CEOs of the two businesses, will be joint CEOs of the new company.
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.”
Managing director 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."
