Auckland-based print specialist Soar Print and communications group ICG have announced that they will merge.
The new entity – yet to be named – will draw on ICG’s creative, publishing and large format expertise, combined with the print, logistics and packaging proficiencies of Soar Print. The merger will strengthen the new entities’ visual communication offering, and give greater opportunity within its creative services and thereby strengthen its marketing and direct marketing services.
The catalyst for the merger being that both companies are to relocate their respective operations in early 2022, opening a door to a more strategic relationship. While servicing largely different clientele, ICG and Soar Print have had an open and strong working relationship for well over a decade, built on the family-led values of each of the company’s founding fathers.
ICG Managing Director David Atkins and Soar’s counterpart Fred Soar have since developed a plan for what a combined business offering will mean for the market, and how this will improve the service offering to both ICG and Soar existing.
The team at ICG is passionate about delivering great work, while using curiosity and innovation to drive ongoing efficiencies. Across the Group, ICG offer a wide range of services from print and creative to content and marketing automation. This combined with deep expertise enables the second generation print company to deliver beyond normal range.
ICG Media publishes consumer magazine titles Dish and Good as well as business titles NZ Marketing magazine and StopPress. The company also produces a number of custom publications for clients such as Resene, LiquorLand and AA.
“For us it is about looking to the future of what a combined offering means for good and sustainable business, and how this translates to not only financial stability and continuity for our staff and clients, but also opportunity to grow.
“It’s exciting to get the critical mass that we’ll have, and therefore the market penetration that’ll go with it, while retaining the Kiwi ownership in our DNA that has been strong drivers of both the ICG and Soar brands,” says Atkins.
Ink is the blood of the team at Soar Print. A third generation family business with more than 100 years of printing experience, Soar is a dedicated print specialist. The team get really excited seeing blank, raw material become beautiful pieces of artful communication that present its clients’ messaging in the best way possible.
“We’ve done a lot of work when it comes to print and sustainability, and I’m excited by what a combined offering will further achieve in our sustainable best practices. Soar Print and ICG have a very similar philosophy about work and we know that both our teams get on pretty well. We’ve helped each other out with work over the years, and now we’ll be able to better help our clients with a greater offering and capacity,” says Soar.
The ICG team will move into the premises in January 2022, with the Soar team picking up any printing slack during the transition. The team at Soar with then complete the move by May with all operations established at the new site.
In the short term, the business will utilise the current Soar and ICG branding, with a look to a revised brand in line with the move. This will ensure a seamless transition for clients, staff and key suppliers.
