Kale Print
Tauranga’s Kale Print is a familyowned business with a reputation as the leader in their field for quality and service, owing its continued growth and success to the embracing of new technology and a clear focus on the future, grounded in generations of print experience.
“It’s a constantly changing industry,” says Stephen Kale, who started the business in 1984 with his wife Jill. “Keeping up with the newest technologies means we can provide a greater value service for our clients. Every new technology acquisition is driven by our desire to create a better experience for the customer.”
With a staff of 40, Kale Print is now the leading print company in the Bay of Plenty, providing a wide range of print solutions for local businesses, as well as companies throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Wealth of expertise
“We have very high staff retention, which in turn creates a wealth of knowledge and expertise,” says Stephen. “We have some of the most knowledgeable and passionate people in the industry working at every stage of the process.”
General Manager Peter Lloyd says Kale Print’s staff also includes a dedicated team of specialist consultants, from various design and print backgrounds. “They all pride themselves on delivering great service and helping our clients find innovative ways to break through the competition and get their customers attention,” Peter says. “It’s a truly valuable part of the Kale Print experience that sets us apart from our competition.”
Embracing new technology
Since 2020, Kale Print has updated its digital print and offset print technology. Kale Print’s low energy LED offset printing machine purchase - a first for the Bay of Plenty - allows for instant drying, helping the company meet the market’s demand for small-to-medium run printing such as packaging and business stationery as well as meet its carbon reduction targets.
“We’re producing more jobs than we ever have, but trends are tending towards shorter runs, and the need to provide faster turnaround and finishing. We’ve become a full endto-end solution for commercial visual communications, providing design and print services for not only traditional marketing and stationery requirements, but also signage, vehicle wraps, labels and packaging,” says Peter. “Print is certainly not dead.”
Their latest installation, the 6 colour Fujifilm digital press, can now print, white, clear and neon pink for vibrant spot colour reproduction. The new Konica digital press has inline automation of booklet making, perfing, cutting and creasing, further reducing costs of manufacturing and reducing lead-times.
“Keeping up with the newest technologies means we can provide a greater value service for our clients”, explains Stephen.