What Windles Group does

Windles Group is a UK-based specialist UV lithographic printing company headquartered in a custom-built, BREEAM-rated eco-print house in Thame, Oxfordshire. Founded in 1989 by Bruce Podmore (still Chairman and owner), the firm produces greeting cards, folding carton and rigid box packaging, point-of-sale materials, notebooks, brochures, premium posters, and deluxe magazine and book covers for enterprise customers including luxury brands, publishers, and retailers. Manufacturing is anchored on a KBA 106 Rapida B1-format UV litho press and an extensive portfolio of finishing capabilities — including inline cold foil, hot foil, emboss/deboss, die-cutting, spot UV varnish, and proprietary registered techniques (Kard Klasp®, Light Touch®, Paper Banding®) — many enabled by custom in-house equipment engineering.

The company operates a B2B custom-manufacturing model with quote-based pricing, direct enterprise sales supported by Key Account Managers, and bundled creative services through its in-house MuchMore Design Studio. Revenue is generated one-off per print run rather than via recurring subscriptions. The customer base spans at least five verticals (greetings, luxury packaging, POS, publishing, and stationery) with named logos including Clive Christian and DMG Media / Metro Newspaper.

Windles holds a deep stack of certifications (B Corp as of October 2025, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, FSC and PEFC chain of custody, SEDEX/SMETA, BREEAM building rating) and operates a sustainability-led production environment using biomass heating, solar, and wind generation. Headcount sits near 100 employees and the firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Andrea Norcott was promoted from Sales Director to Managing Director in 2025, formalising operational leadership under the founder-owner structure.

Name

Windles Group

Legal name

Windles Group

Website

https://windlesgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Windles Group is a UK-based specialist UV litho printer in Thame, Oxfordshire, manufacturing luxury greeting cards, packaging, point-of-sale materials, and magazine covers for enterprise brands, publishers, and retailers using proprietary finishing techniques and a BREEAM-rated sustainable facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Greeting Card Publishers (513191), Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Greeting Cards (2771), Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH)

Keywords

• UV lithographic printing
• Luxury print finishing
• Greeting card manufacturing
• Packaging printing services
• Commercial print manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Thame

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print Manufacturing: Specialist UV lithographic printing services for greetings cards, packaging, POS materials, magazine/book covers, and stationery items. Revenue generated through custom print runs for commercial clients.
2. Finishing Services: Post-print finishing services including cold foil, hot foil, emboss/deboss, die-cutting, UV varnish, and specialty finishes. Offered as standalone services or bundled with print.
3. Design Services (MuchMore Design Studio): In-house design studio providing creative support and design services to clients, potentially bundled with print production.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Windles Group is a specialist UV lithographic printing and finishing company that manufactures greeting cards, folding carton and rigid box packaging, point-of-sale displays, notebooks, brochures, premium posters, and deluxe magazine/book covers. The company offers an integrated print-and-finish service backed by proprietary finishing techniques (Kard Klasp®, Light Touch®, Paper Banding®), inline cold foil, hot foil, emboss/deboss, die-cutting, and specialty varnishes, plus an in-house design studio (MuchMore Design Studio).

Product overview

Windles Group is a specialist UV litho printing and manufacturing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of print products and finishing services. The core offerings include greeting cards, folding carton and rigid box packaging, point of sale materials, notebooks, brochures, premium posters, and magazine covers. Their manufacturing capabilities center on UV lithographic and digital printing technologies. The company provides an extensive range of finishing services including inline cold foil, hot foil, emboss/deboss, die-cutting, spot UV varnish, and proprietary processes such as Kard Klasp®, Light Touch®, and Paper Banding®. Specialty printing options include neon inks, Pantone-matched inks, and specialty substrates like Imperium Board. The offering operates as a full-service print production house combining printing, finishing, and in-house design studio services under one roof.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Greeting Cards Luxury printed greeting cards produced via UV lithographic printing with premium finishes, supplied to greetings card publishers and retailers.
• Folding Carton Packaging Custom folding carton packaging for cosmetics, perfume and consumer goods, manufactured with high-quality finishes.
• Rigid Box Packaging Premium rigid box packaging for luxury products requiring robust and elegant presentation.
• Point of Sale Displays Retail point-of-sale materials and displays for brand promotion and marketing campaigns.
• Notebooks Premium notebooks and stationery items with high-quality printing and finishing.
• Stack Pack Multi-unit stack packaging solutions for retail display.
• Brochures Professional printed brochures with various paper stocks and finishing options.
• Premium Posters High-quality printed posters for retail, promotional and decorative purposes.
• Magazine Covers Deluxe magazine and book covers using advanced printing techniques and special finishes.
• UV Lithographic Printing UV lithographic printing service using the KBA 106 Rapida B1 format press, supporting commercial print runs.
• Digital Printing Digital printing service for short runs and quick turnaround projects.
• Inline Cold Foil Finishing Cold foil application applied inline during printing for distinctive metallic finishes without heat.
• Hot Foil Stamping Hot foil stamping for metallic and holographic decorative finishes.
• Emboss and Deboss Textured embossing and debossing finishes for premium tactile effects.
• Die-Cutting Custom die-cutting services for shaped and specialty-cut products.
• Gloss Spot UV Varnish Spot UV varnish application for selective gloss effects on printed surfaces.
• Kard Klasp® Proprietary registered binding/closure system for greeting cards and packaging.
• Light Touch® Proprietary registered light coating technique for subtle finishing effects.
• Paper Banding® Proprietary registered paper banding system for packaging and retail presentation.
• RetroPress Specialist retro/vintage printing effect for nostalgic aesthetic finishes.
• Holographic Varnish Rainbow holographic varnish finish for iridescent visual effects.
• Enviro-Flitter Sustainable glitter and sparkle effect finishing using eco-friendly materials.
• MuchMore Design Studio In-house creative design studio providing design services and creative support to clients, bundled with print production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ tonnes per annum carbon reduction through local sourcing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CelloglascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Celloglas for the HALO TV Series launch promotional cover project. Printed eco-metallic paper with high-definition litho inks and whites for DMG Media Metro newspaper special edition cover.
• DMG MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Celloglas and Windles to produce special edition HALO TV Series promotional cover for Metro newspaper, printed on eco-metallic paper with high-definition litho inks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Celloglas: UK-based specialist print finisher offering foil blocking, laminating and high-end finishing services. Windles explicitly collaborated with Celloglas on the DMG Media HALO TV Series promotional cover project, making them a closely comparable finishing/print specialist serving the same enterprise client base.
• Micropress Printers: UK commercial litho printer offering high-quality magazine, brochure and commercial print production. Comparable to Windles on lithographic production scale, customer mix in publishing, and premium finishing services.
• Castelli UK: Italian-headquartered premium packaging and finishing group with UK operations producing luxury cartons and folding boxes. Directly comparable to Windles' luxury packaging proposition and finishing techniques for premium fragrance and cosmetics clients.
• Push Print Group: UK-based printing group producing premium packaging, POS, marketing collateral and greetings card products for major brands. Closely comparable to Windles on product mix (greetings, packaging, POS) and B2B enterprise customer model.
• HH Deluxe Packaging: UK luxury packaging printer producing folding cartons, rigid boxes and premium packaging for fragrance, cosmetics and spirits. Directly comparable to Windles' Clive Christian perfume carton work and shared customer profile in luxury brand packaging.
• Carte Blanche Greetings: One of the UK's largest greetings card publishers (part of IG Design Group), supplying retailers with branded and licensed greeting card ranges. Highly comparable to Windles as a customer/peer in the UK greetings card manufacturing and publishing value chain.
• UK Greetings: Major UK greeting card publisher representing independent and own-brand cards across retail channels. Comparable to Windles as a UK greetings card sector counterparty and potential customer for high-end finished cards.
• Pollard Boxes: UK-based manufacturer of luxury rigid boxes and presentation packaging serving premium brands. Comparable on rigid box manufacturing and luxury finishing capabilities that overlap with Windles' core packaging offering.

Others

• Leonhard Kurz: Global German-headquartered specialist in hot stamping, cold foil and decorative finishing technologies. Adjacent enabler/competitor supplying foil technology that Windles' inline cold foil capability depends on, with overlapping expertise in decorative finishing techniques.

Broad incumbents

• Multi-Color Corporation: Global large-format label and packaging producer (now part of Platinum Equity) serving premium consumer brands. Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in premium packaging printing but at significantly larger scale than Windles.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@windlesgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/windlesgroup
• Xx.com/windlesgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Windles Group