Graphic display specialist Leach has secured its largest ever contract - a £2.5m project for the National Museum of Kuwait - as it celebrates its 125th year in business.
Work has begun on the assignment, which will see a 20-strong Leach team spend 18 months producing a new visitor experience for the museum.
Specialising in creating graphic displays that transform brand and visitor environments, the family-run business has grown from a one-man photographic studio established in 1891, to a 92-strong, £10m turnover organisation. Managing director Richard Leach said: “The past 12 months have been incredibly significant for us. We’ve recruited an additional 23 members of staff, formed a new management team, invested over £250,000 in new product development and ploughed a further £750,000 into new technology.
“This has coincided with a company rebrand which has brought greater clarity to our three sub-divisions – Leach Impact which creates wow factor environments for brands, retailers and trade shows; Leach Inspire which brings stories to life in global museums, heritage sites and visitor attractions; and Leach Studio which provides creative interpretation plus 3D and graphic design for UK heritage projects.
“But you don’t enjoy 125 years in business without being progressive. So, as we look ahead to the next 12 months, we’re projecting 15% further organic growth, expansion of our 30,000sqft [2787m2] headquarters, the creation of at least nine more jobs, several significant product launches and an additional £250,000 product development investment.”
Elaborating upon the newly-secured Kuwait project, director Jim Parkin added: “Whilst our overseas expansion first started 15 years ago, it took around three years to prove we could deliver the vast design, production and installation projects that the international heritage sector demanded. However, diversification into this sector - as well as our continued push in the UK retail and commercial market - ultimately secured the survival of our business, when many competing print firms succumbed to the pressures of the recession.”
Originally located in Brighouse, Huddersfield, Leach moved two miles to purpose-built premises in Bradley in 2005.