From the premium labels that line store shelves, to scroll-stopping packaging for today’s online retailers, the printing industry stands out as one of the UK’s largest and most varied employment sectors, offering career opportunities that blend creativity, technical innovation and sustainability.
As a leading prepress partner to the UK’s packaging printers, we understand the pressures our customers face. Brands demand pin-sharp colour accuracy and unwavering quality, while lead times grow shorter and sustainability requirements more stringent. Meeting these demands requires not just cutting-edge technology, but also the right talent with the right skills.
At Contact Originators, we’re proud to be playing our part in developing the next generation of packaging professionals, ensuring our customers have access to the technical expertise and innovation they need, both today and tomorrow. Through strategic investment in talent and technology, we’re helping to secure the future of packaging prepress excellence.
Building pathways to excellence
Our approach to nurturing new talent stems from our belief that leaders never follow. From our core expertise in corrugated packaging to our expanding capabilities in flexible packaging and labels, we’ve built our reputation on pushing boundaries in packaging prepress. This extends to how we develop our team. Every member of Contact’s workforce has access to comprehensive training and development opportunities, including the industry-leading FIAUK Academy flexo programme.
For our printer customers, this investment in talent translates directly to their bottom line. Our team works hands-on with Contact’s visionary technologies, from MagnaForma™ plate technology that maximises press capacity and reduces waste, to the Optimus™ technology that delivers superior ink laydown while cutting ink usage by up to 20%. By giving our emerging talent practical experience with these industry-leading solutions, we’re enabling them to help customers optimise their printing operations in exciting new ways, and achieve consistent, high-quality results. The results are more efficient workflows and effortless right-first-time printing for our customers.
Creating sustainable careers through fresh perspectives
Supporting our customers’ drive for sustainability means embedding environmental consciousness into everything we do. Our steam-powered ‘Goliath’ still (the largest of its kind in Europe), paperless workflows, and commitment to zero waste to landfill demonstrate to our new talent that sustainability isn’t just a buzzword or marketing jargon – it’s fundamental to how we do business. When printers partner with Contact, they’re accessing not just our prepress technology, but the expertise of a team that understands the importance of meaningful sustainability practices in modern packaging production.
Our success in developing talent is perhaps best exemplified by our own leadership team. Operations Director, Nick Mitchell, began his journey with Contact as an apprentice over 20 years ago. Stories like Nick’s showcase the genuine career progression opportunities available in our industry – from hands-on technical roles to senior management positions.
At Contact Originators, we believe the future of packaging prepress is incredibly bright. While the industry faces clear challenges in attracting new talent, we’re tackling this head-on by offering important career development, hands-on experience with next-generation technology, and a culture that values innovation and sustainability.
Whether in corrugated, flexible packaging or labels. Whether it’s a customer in the UK, Europe, or beyond. At all times, our commitment to excellence remains constant and uncompromising.
Our continued expansion into new markets brings fresh opportunities, both for our team and our customers. Through our investment in talent development and innovation, we’re ensuring that the next generation of packaging professionals has the skills and knowledge to support our customers’ success, maintaining the exacting standards that the packaging industry demands.
For printers seeking a prepress partner that combines technical innovation with proven expertise, Contact Originators offers exactly that. Our ‘leaders never follow’ ethos extends beyond our technical innovations to our people – the true driving force behind our customers’ success.
