Regal Print celebrates 40 years

Family-run print company for trade, designers, and creative agencies, Regal Print is celebrating 40 years in business.

Based in County Durham, the business offers litho printing, digital printing, NCR printing, stationery, invitations, printed marketing material, and artwork.

Co-founder and current owner, Marco Rigali, who has been in the industry since age 16, has reflected on the business’ history as it celebrates this milestone.

In 1984, the opportunity arose for Rigali, aged 21, to start his own business with the factory manager at his current job.

The name Regal Print is an amalgamation of Rigali’s surname and his business partner’s which is Royal. Discussing the name in a pub, Rigali explains that the deciding factor was that Regal spelled backward is lager and that is what the pair were drinking at the time.

Regal Print started out in a small rented shop in the mining village of Horden with an upstairs cupboard rented as a darkroom. “In those early days, we spent more time knocking on doors than we did actually printing, but eventually the tables turned and we had built up a good customer base,” Rigali explains. 

“We had some contacts within the NHS and produced quite a lot of work for various hospitals and health centres in the area.”

Soon outgrowing the shop, the owners bought a larger premises down the road with plenty of room for growth. Rigali recalls how the business got busier with the owners working every weekend to keep up with the workload. 

Royal brought his two sons into the business when they left school and after about five years, the team was struggling for space in the shop.

When another shop became available three doors down, the owners moved the pre-press division there with print production remaining in the current premises. This is how the business still operates today.

Royal retired in 2003 and Rigali took ownership of the entire business which was now made up of six team members. The NHS work had grown to a point where the business was always busy.

However, when in 2007 Regal Print lost out on a big tender for the NHS work it had been producing for the previous 20 years, the team had to dig deep and persevere.

“This was a really big blow for us,” Rigali explains. “After going to various networking events and getting back on the road, knocking on doors I realised that we needed to play to our strengths.”

Geared up to print small-to-medium-sized spot colour work and with the finishing capabilities for NCR, Rigali decided to send an A5 NCR flyer as an insert in Print Monthly to promote this offering to its readership.

“This proved to be a turning point,” he says. “The response was brilliant and we quickly became known for providing NCR work to the trade.” 

As the business celebrates 40 years, Rigali adds: “We have seen many changes over the years, changes in technology, and how people want to do business, but we still remain focused on providing a good service with a personal touch. 

“I feel like the industry is on a decline, but I still love my job, the people, and my customers. Here’s to the next 40 years.”If you have any news, please email carys@linkpublishing.co.uk or join in with the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn.