If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing now? I would probably still be running big industrial plants in the USA which is where I lived for three years to escape the last recession in the early 1990's.
How did you get into digital print?
My father rang me up and said that if I didn't come back to run the family business, he would sell it. I was already discovering that I prefer to be my own boss, so here I am. It was a natural progression for our business to develop into digital print from a small chain of traditional copy shops. Who is your favourite person in digital print, and why?
I can't say one individual but my fellow colleagues in our trade association, GDL, are all great fun! They are all owner/managers and understand the opportunities and threats facing our industry and are a source of wisdom in good times and bad.
The greatest myth in this business is ..........?
That it’s a cost plus game. Be bold and value your service, response times and quality. People like to deal with us because we are straight with them from the start about deadlines and then don't let them down. We also value the fact there are 24 hours in a day which is important for those last minute hitches.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without ......?
My parents. My father gave me an education but little or no pocket money. He did give me every chance to earn money though and some top tips on what not to do. So I became an entrepreneur and worked hard for every penny.
What would make your daily life easier?
An extra five hours a day!
What is your greatest achievement to date?
I am very proud of ten years of continuous growth at John E Wright. However, the single most rewarding achievement was in my last job, when I refused to believe that the very fine chalk by-product generated by my factory was a waste product. 100,000 tons was piled up in waste ponds. I was only 30 at the time and despite my elders telling me I was wasting my time, I used my chemistry degree to convince the local authorities to retest the product as agricultural lime. The results confirmed our ‘waste’ product to be the best fertiliser for the local apple industry, thereby converting a $3.5 million landfill liability into a $500,000 profit.
Tony Barnett, MD, John W Wright
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