A 50-year plus relationship recently yielded a refreshing reward for the staff at Te Rau Design and Print in Gisborne, and caused its manager to reflect on the value of loyalty in business.
The printing company, a BJ Ball customer for over half a century, won a draw run by the paper company to promote one of its offset grades: Advance Laser. Te Rau staff says the prize, a refrigerator full of beer, made a welcome addition to its canteen, especially at the end of a busy working week.Murray Ferris, manager of Te Rau Design & Print in Gisborne, took time to examine his company’s history with the paper supplier and came to the conclusion that that loyalty does pay off in business. He says that Te Rau’s relationship with BJ Ball Papers stems from a difficult period in the 1950s. The company’s owner, at that time, found himself in financial straits, which led to receivership. The receiver sold the company to Ferris’s uncle, Max Stephens along with several other partners.
Ferris says, “At that time, the only merchant in the country prepared to supply the struggling business was BJ Ball, and we've had a great mutually beneficial relationship with them ever since. They are top people." When he considers the length of time that Te Rau Design and Print has remained with BJ Ball, Ferris says, “We think, after all this time, we've earned our slice of luck."
The company had no problem purchasing enough Advance Laser paper to qualify for entry to the promotion. Ferris says, "We use a lot of it, having switched from another brand. It eliminated ink drying problems and processes very well."
He advises that it’s now too late for anyone thinking of dropping in at Te Rau after work to help them consume their prize. He explains, "It's famously sunny on the East Coast and printing is thirsty work. Our team got through it happily and without difficulty after working in the summer heat.”
