What Hobs Reprographics does

Hobs Reprographics Ltd is the UK's largest independent reprographics and digital printing network, operating 24 physical branches across the country from its Liverpool origins as a five-person print shop founded in 1969. The company provides a broad portfolio spanning high-resolution digital printing (Xerox Iridesse CMYK++ presses with gold, silver, white and clear varnish capability, HP Indigo, HP PageWide wide-format), 3D printing and visualisation through the Hobs 3D sub-brand, CGIs/animations/VR (including the patent-pending VRCUB3D platform), wide-format visual communications, in-house graphic design, and specialist bid/tender services under the TeamTender brand (integrated with Qvidian proposal automation and Autodesk Buzzsaw data-room software). Supporting offerings include Hobs Exchange (document scanning and digital mailroom), Hobs Integrated Services (managed print rooms and facilities management), Hobs Spaces (3D-mapped workplace experience platform with desk booking and asset mapping), Fine Art Scanning, Prototype Packaging, Print & Post, and a StudentPrint online channel.

Revenue is generated through project-based and transactional fees across five streams: core printing services (transaction fees), 3D and visualisation services (professional services), bid/tender support under TeamTender (professional services), managed document services (managed services with recurring revenue characteristics), and graphic design (professional services). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales through a national branch network supported by online file upload and FTP channels, targeting architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) as the primary vertical, with additional exposure to retail/luxury, legal, public sector (including Crown Commercial Services framework), education and events/hospitality segments. Named enterprise clients include Balfour Beatty, Mace, Wates, Kier, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Thames Tideway, Knight Frank, Harvey Nichols and King's College London.

Ownership remains private under the Hobs Group umbrella, with Business Growth Fund (BGF) as the disclosed institutional investor having committed over £11m cumulatively including a £4m follow-on in September 2017. James Duckenfield, formerly of Xerox and co-founder of NewField IT, has served as CEO since December 2016, leading growth via the 2016 acquisition of Face Creative Services, the 2018 acquisition of Call Print Group (which established the 24-branch national footprint), and capability expansion into 3D printing, VR and digital mailroom services. Hobs holds a Royal Warrant for services to the Royal Household and is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 27001:2013 standards.

Name

Hobs Reprographics

Legal name

Hobs Reprographics Ltd

Website

https://hobsrepro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hobs Reprographics is the UK's largest independent reprographics and digital printing network, operating 24 branches nationwide to serve architecture, engineering, construction, retail, legal and public-sector clients with digital printing, 3D/VR services, and bid/tender support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing Services

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Reprographics & Large‑Format Printing (Posters, Banners, Blueprints, Signage) (EDAEAJAD)

Keywords

• Digital printing services
• Reprographics services
• Wide format printing
• 3D printing services
• Bid tender support

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Printing Services: Core printing services including digital printing, wide format printing, visual communications, exhibition graphics, and display printing. One-time transaction-based revenue from print jobs.
2. 3D Services: 3D printing, laser scanning, visualization, animations, virtual reality, and architectural model making for architecture, engineering and construction sectors.
3. Bid Services / TeamTender: Specialist bid and tender support services including proposal management, content management, and presentation design for competitive bidding processes.
4. Document Management: Digital archiving, collaboration software, document scanning, and digital mailroom services.
5. Graphic Design: In-house design services working with clients from concept to final artwork.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hobs Reprographics operates the UK's largest independent reprographics and digital printing network, providing high-resolution digital printing, large-format and visual communications, 3D printing and visualisation, specialist bid/tender submission support (TeamTender), document scanning and digital mailroom (Hobs Exchange), managed print rooms (Hobs Integrated Services), and graphic design services to clients in architecture, engineering, construction, retail, legal and public sectors. It operates 24 physical branches across the UK supported by online file upload and FTP submission channels.

Product overview

Hobs Reprographics is a UK-wide reprographics and digital printing company offering a broad portfolio of products and services across architecture, engineering, construction, design, retail, education and the public sector. The core offering spans digital printing (HP Indigo, Xeikon, Xerox Iridesse), 3D printing and visualisation through Hobs 3D, visual communications and wide-format display graphics, graphic design, and specialist bid/Tender submission services under the TeamTender brand. Supporting services include Hobs Exchange (document scanning and digital mailroom), Hobs Integrated Services (managed print rooms), Hobs Spaces (workplace experience platform with desk booking and asset mapping), Corporate Stationery, Print & Post, Fine Art Scanning, Prototype Packaging, Events & Exhibitions, and Hospitality services. The company operates 24 branches across the UK, with 3D studios in London (Here East), Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow. Notable products include the Xerox Iridesse Production Press (offering gold, silver, white and clear varnish in a single pass), HP PageWide wide-format printing, and the VRCUB3D virtual reality platform. Recent additions include Hobs Enhance (creative digital design), StudentPrint (student-focused online printing), and the Spellbound reference guide. The company holds a Royal Warrant for services to the Royal Household and is part of the Hobs Group alongside Hobs 3D, Hobs On-Site, and Anexsys.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hobs 3D: 3D printing, model making, 3D visualisation, virtual reality, and augmented reality services for the architectural, engineering and construction sectors.
• Hobs Spaces
• Hobs Exchange
• Hobs Integrated Services
• Hobs Visual Communications
• Hobs Enhance
• TeamTender

Products and services

• Digital Printing Services High-resolution digital printing using HP Indigo, Xeikon and Xerox Iridesse production presses, covering business cards, flyers, brochures, corporate stationery, large-format printing and specialty prints with gold, silver, white and clear varnish effects.
• Hobs 3D Printing Services 3D printing, 3D laser scanning, photorealistic CGIs, animations, virtual reality experiences and architectural model making for architectural, engineering and construction clients.
• Visual Communications and Display Graphics Wide-format printing for exhibitions, events, signage, site hoardings, window displays, vehicle vinyls and large-format visual communications using HP PageWide machines for fast plan and poster printing.
• Graphic Design Services In-house graphic design supporting clients from initial concept through to final artwork, including bespoke design for printed materials, exhibition graphics and presentation documents.
• Construction and Bid Services (TeamTender) Specialist bid and tender support services including proposal automation, content management via Qvidian, document control and bespoke bid submission boxes for construction, AEC, professional services and financial services clients.
• Hobs Exchange (Document Scanning and Digital Mailroom) Bulk and specialist document scanning, archiving, digital mailroom, legal scanning, heritage scanning, A0 flatbed scanning for fine art or old deeds, and intelligent document management with mail, email and fax routing.
• Hobs Integrated Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 55,000+ pages processed for Thames Tideway Tunnel planning application
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• PrintReleafcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Environmental partnership for global reforestation. PrintReleaf is the first automated platform that converts paper consumption into planting actual trees. Theme of 'you print one, we'll plant one' - Hobs paper usage is equated to trees needed for reforestation in geographic areas of need.
• XeroxcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2018First to install two Xerox Iridesse Production Presses - the most significant technological advancement in digital printing since HP Indigo in 1993. CMYK++ capability with gold, silver, white and clear varnish printing.
• QvidianstrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2017First partnership of its kind for Qvidian in Europe - bringing greater automation solutions to printing, content creation and graphic design through cloud-based content management and proposal automation software.
• Autodesk (Buzzsaw)strategicTechnology or IntegrationHobs is the UK's biggest supplier of Autodesk Buzzsaw software for document collaboration and data room management. Used for document version tracking and secure information sharing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Precision Printing Group: Precision Printing Group (formerly part of St Ives Group) is a UK commercial printing business serving enterprise customers. Comparable to Hobs Repro's commercial print and document services offerings for UK enterprise accounts.
• MOO: MOO is a UK-headquartered premium online printing company offering business cards, marketing materials, and bespoke print products. Comparable to Hobs' premium digital print capabilities (Xerox Iridesse specialty finishes) though positioned for SMB/design-led customers via e-commerce rather than enterprise field sales.
• Bishops Printers: Bishops is a UK-based commercial printing company offering digital, lithographic, and large-format printing services to enterprise clients. Comparable to Hobs Repro in commercial printing, finishing, and visual communications for UK enterprise and AEC-adjacent customers.
• Pureprint Group: Pureprint Group is a UK-based commercial printing company offering digital and lithographic printing, finishing, and fulfilment services. Comparable to Hobs' core commercial printing capabilities with overlapping service offerings for enterprise and publishing customers.
• Printing.com: Printing.com is a UK-based franchise network of print centres offering business printing, marketing materials, and design services. Direct competitor to Hobs in UK multi-branch commercial print for SMEs and enterprise, with similar product mix.
• Kall Kwik UK: Kall Kwik is a UK-wide franchise network of print and design studios offering digital printing, design, and document services to local and regional businesses. Most directly comparable to Hobs Repro as a UK-based multi-branch print network serving AEC and SME customers with similar services.
• Solopress: Solopress is a UK-based online commercial printing company offering digital printing, large format, and business stationery with next-day delivery. Comparable to Hobs' core digital printing and corporate stationery offerings though distributed online rather than through physical branches.
• Prontaprint: Prontaprint is a UK franchise network of print and design centres offering digital printing, large format, graphic design, and document services. Direct competitor to Hobs in the UK multi-branch print network space serving enterprise and mid-market clients.

Broad incumbents

• Xerox UK: Xerox is a global provider of digital printing equipment and managed document services. Hobs is a key Xerox customer (first UK Iridesse installer) and CEO James Duckenfield is a former Xerox executive. Overlaps with Hobs in production printing hardware, managed print, and document services at a much larger scale.
• Ricoh UK: Ricoh is a global provider of print hardware, managed print services, and document workflow solutions with a significant UK presence. Listed as a Hobs technology partner; competes broadly in managed print services and document management spaces where Hobs Integrated Services and Hobs Exchange operate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Hobsrepro
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HobsReprographics
• Facebookfacebook.com/HobsRepro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1024601
• Pinterestuk.pinterest.com/hobsrepro
• Instagraminstagram.com/HobsRepro

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Hobs Reprographics