Ballyconnell firm exploits the greeting card market

In these recessionary times it is really heartening to encounter a successful indigenous manufacturing company that has a positive and futuristic story to relate. Vellum Gold Ltd which manufactures high quality greetings cards is located at Unit 8 in the Ballyconnell Business Park. The people at the helm are Barry and Mary Murray and another business partner Tom Rodgers. Barry Murray told The Anglo Celt that they manufacture greetings cards to cater for every event. They focus in particular on cards that larger companies either don't manufacture or can't turn out. He finds that Ballyconnell is a brilliant central location for both Northern and Southern customers. The company received help from Enterprise Ireland who did an in depth study of the business. "They grant aided us to the tune of €400,000. We are open five days a week and sometimes on Saturday and the odd Sunday as well", says Barry. Vellum Gold Ltd has the capacity to print 3,000 cards per hour and can do around 20,000 cards a day. In the new year they hope to expand the idea of people being able to do their own personalised cards on their computer using the Internet and then proceed to have them printed at Vellum Gold in Ballyconnell. The cards are then posted out to customers the next day. Barry Murray said that the expansion into England and France was a new venture and he revealed that there were companies in the United States and Australia who wanted to print their cards under licence. This was all being explored through the John Hinde Group. All cards are printed using the most modern digital technology and Vellum Gold Ltd have the capacity to do localised cards featuring local towns. They also produce cards for birthdays with the children's names on them and also personalised Christmas name cards. Barry revealed that they have been in business for ten years and located to the Business Park in Ballyconnell in March of this year, having relocated from Clones Enterprise Centre. There are currently a total of eight people employed in the business. Vellum Gold Ltd have just installed a magnificent new digital production press which can print on 300 gram board and it can print on both sides automatically. It prints very high quality work and is a very efficient production machine. There are only seven other machines of a similar type in Ireland today. Barry said that he formerly used to buy in greetings cards from wholesalers in England and then sell them on. "We saw that there was a market for an Irish made greetings card that could include local scenes and images. We now design, print and manufacture all our own stuff", he stated. Vellum Gold Ltd send cards all over Ireland, both North and South. "We are starting to export to England through the John Hinde Group and they are looking after the agency for us there. They are also doing an agency for us in France", said Barry Murray. Barry added that they are steadily building the business and there is the prospect of creating further jobs. He says that people will purchase greetings cards when they would not consider purchasing expensive gifts. They have two sales representatives on the road and they hope to take on another sales representative in 2010 to cover Dublin and the Midlands. The cards are available in dedicated card shops and newsagents. When asked if he would have any advice for other businesses in this time of recession Barry said "You have to cut costs and hold steady. If possible at all, identify new areas which would afford expansion opportunities. This may cost money, but if the Banks would help out, we might even do more".