2022 marks a watershed 40th year for Australia's first print franchise chain, Kwik Kopy. Started in 1982 when Penfold Printing acquired the A-NZ rights to the USA's expanding global Kwik Kopy network, the quick printing franchise was purchased outright by Stephen Penfold in 1985 and he remains involved at Board level. Forty years on, his son Matthew is assuming the Chairmanship after several years of running the Darling Harbour, NSW franchise.
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| Signage is now firmly an official part of Kwik Kopy's B2B offerings |
Starting with the classic A3 small offset 'high-street' quick-print model of Itek camera and AB Dick duplicator press pioneered by Texan Bud Hadfield since 1967, Kwik Kopy Australia became a brand where small and medium businesses went to for their stationery, cards, docket books, administrative print and reports. It regularly featured in 'franchise of the year' awards.
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| Kwik Kopy founder Stephen Penfold |
In 1985, Stephen Penfold seized the opportunity to strike out on his own when he purchased Kwik Kopy from the Penfold family business. Fast forward and today's Kwik Kopy shops offer digital print, design, signage and banners and even stickers and labels. What can't be produced in-house is outsorced to trade printers with bigger kit. Under the long stewardship of CEO David Bell, who is retiring, the chain grew to well over 100 outlets. Today there are around 90 but, following a deep analysis by consultants, we are sure to see more services offered and store openings as post-pandemic growth fertilises the business field.
Signage and large format has become an important part of the Kwik Kopy mixture, with most stores having a wide format printer of some type. This sector is overseen in NSW by Area Sales Manager Signage & Large Format Sue Waite who herself has a long history with Kwik Kopy - her late father Reg Waite bought the very first Kwik Kopy franchise in Sydney and grew it to four strategically-placed outlets prior to his untimely passing, with the business then sold to Rob Shaw's CityPrint.
With Matthew Penfold's appointment to the Chair of Kwik Kopy, franchisees can rest easy that he knows what makes the business tick, having owned and run one of the franchises together with his partner Genevieve Rechner since 2016. Matt's sister Annalise is also on the board and his daughter Eloise works in the finance department.
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| New Chairman Matthew Penfold |
Ever since William Clark Penfold borrowed £2,000 from his father in 1886, to buy Sydney printer & stationer William Moffit's established firm, the Penfold name has been embedded in Australia's printing industry. The ensuing century and decades have seen many changes but progress has always been paramount. In a biography of WC Penfold, it was noted:
"From 1887 with the addition of a stone flat-bed lithographic printing machine, Penfold quickly modernised his plant, beginning the tradition of regularly updating equipment to compete with such rivals as John Sands and Edwards, Dunlop & Co. Ltd. In 1898 the first Linotype machine was installed..."
The Linotype machine was the 'internet' of the 19th century - and much of the 20th. It was described by Thomas Edison as 'the eighth wonder of the world,' as it drastically reduced the time it took to get printed communications into people's hands and minds. For Penfold to start installing them only a few years since the first one in New York was progress indeed.
We are sure Kwik Kopy will continue the tradition of progress and entrepreneurship, with inkjet wide format technologies at the forefront.
