KGK Genix
Essex-based creative design and print agency KGK Genix gets a helping hand to go green with support from Let’s Do Business Finance and Backing Essex Business.
Having decided to make a change during the pandemic to put sustainability at the forefront of their brand, KGK Genix invests in their future with support in the form of a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) loan from Let’s Do Business Finance.
KGK Genix is a full-service creative design and print agency that specialises in retail, window, event and display graphics, that packs a punch with their portfolio. Having worked with some of the most prominent brands on the British highstreets, KGK Genix has created innovative displays for clients from Oxford Street’s Nike-town and Selfridges to TikTok and Balenciaga.
Setting them apart from the rest, the team at their Harlow office in Essex, led by directors Ken and Graham Pitts, are able to create, print, manage and install their displays; bringing to life their client briefs, and delivering eye catching graphics made with precision detail and skill.
With the arrival of the pandemic and the high streets deserted during lockdowns, a vast majority of the upcoming projects for KGK Genix stopped in their tracks. Specialising in the retail and events sector resulted in 65% of KGK’s business disappearing, and being thrust into this unprecedented challenge for the print industry forced group director Graham Pitts to re-evaluate the running and future of the business to keep up with the changing times.
A move towards Net Zero
Primarily working with blue-chip clients even before the pandemic, Pitts and his team were aware that many businesses were working towards sustainable development goals and Net-Zero, and that eco suppliers were going to be in high demand. It was this forecast that propelled forward the move to boost the company’s environmental credentials, and seeing opportunity in the crisis, the new course the pandemic had set them on seemed the perfect time to do it.
“Compared to five years ago, we are seeing much more demand for sustainability credentials.”
Having acquired the additional site in Harlow two years before the pandemic, KGK got in touch with free business support service Backing Essex Business who were able to source grants available to aid them in making their base carbon neutral. With these grants, they were able to invest in their capital and equipment as well as change all lighting to low energy LED bulbs throughout the building.
Creating their future-proof Eco-Range
Through Backing Essex Business, Graham and Ken got in touch with Let’s Do Business Finance and began to look at finance options for investing in the future of KGK Genix.
Securing a loan under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILs) of £150k, the pair were able kickstart their testing and launch of a brand new eco-range – a marine fabric created from plastic bottles gathered from the ocean, which is then reformed into textile which they can print on directly.
“Coming up with new ways of doing the same things means we stand out from the crowd, and won’t get left behind.”
The loan from Let’s do Business Finance, administered by the British Business Bank, also funded 20% of the cost of a new high-tech printer, which KGK found to benefit their bottom line as well as the environment.
“The new machine uses 75% less electricity than the one it replaced – that’s a considerable saving. The new printer is better quality, faster, and we can print on a bigger range of sustainable materials. It ticks every box, it was a no-brainer.”
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the predecessor to the recently renewed Recovery Loan Scheme, was introduced by the British Business Bank to provide support to small and medium sized businesses across the UK that were losing revenue and threatened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an accredited delivery partner of the scheme, Let’s Do Business Finance administered the loan on behalf of the British Business Bank to businesses like KGK Genix who faced disruption due to lockdowns and uncertainty in their industry. The scheme expired at the end of March 2021, and gave way to the new Recovery Loan Scheme, which has been twice extended as businesses still require support as a result of the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.
“KGK Genix have a strong track record for product innovation, and it has been great to see them leading the industry with their Eco range.
Graham came to us with a clear vision of how he wanted to use the proposed funding to develop the business through turbulent times.”
The future for KGK Genix
With their new eco-range under their arm, their offering to clients has the potential to become circular with 360-degree solutions - increasing their potential for longevity in their working relationships, and signalling a radical change in the industry. As their new printed graphics are made from recycled materials and are fully recyclable, KGK are able to recycle and re-use graphics that clients no longer need and create something new from them, or if that’s not possible, dispose of them in an eco-friendly way.
Their steps towards sustainability have resulted in the company gaining full green credentials, with more plans to replace vehicles and machinery with eco-friendly options when the time comes. Directors Graham and Ken Pitts say that they hope to continue to develop the eco range in the future, and reduce their carbon footprint as much as they can.