the history of hart&clough
 
The family business is a recipe for success, and it certainly has been in the case of Hart & Clough Limited which has now been in existence since 1885. The company saw its beginnings at 21 Swaine Street in Bradford's Forster Square, where it was set up as a printing business by George Hart. Expanding rapidly over the next few years, George Hart was joined in 1888 by Ezra Clough, the manager of J.Y. Knight & Co's Bradford stationery shop. The company came to change its name to Hart & Clough in the mid 1890's. During the 1880's, Ezra Clough became interested and involved in photography. He went on to become the President of the Bradford Photographic Society and to help found the Yorkshire Photographic Union. Some of his early photographs show the first machine and stock rooms at Hart & Clough. Into the 20th Century, and the company was joined by Ezra's son Vincent in 1907, allowing George Hart to retire in 1910. In 1916 however, Vincent left to fight for his country in the First World War, and returned to the company in 1918 having been seriously wounded in action. In the meantime Hart & Clough had acquired the bookbinding firm of W.H. Butler (Bradford) which was relaunched as Woods (Bradford) Ltd., and continues as one of the most successful and prosperous trade binderies in the area. Hart & Clough became an incorporated company in 1928, and seven years later Vincent's son Michael joined the company, thus firmly establishing the family run tradition of Hart & Clough Ltd. The return of Michael from military service in 1946 saw the company expanding with significant investment in new printing equipment, and a move to premises in Summerville Road. Hart & Clough was at this time making changes in its line of work, shifting from the production of stationery to that of publicity leaflets and brochures. By 1952, the company had installed its first lithographic offset press, the first of many which would be installed in subsequent years. In 1965 the fourth generation of Hart & Clough was established when Peter Clough, the present Managing Director, graduated from the Printing College in Leeds. The following years saw the expansion of the firm's activities in the camera, film-planning and platemaking departments, as well as an ever-increasing output in the field of litho printing. Into the 1980's Hart & Clough underwent further expansion, facilitated by the construction of new offices and warehousing, and an extension to the machine room. Close attention was paid to the lighting in the machine room as the company responded to the increasing demand for accurate colour printing with the installation of its first four colour litho press. Hart & Clough could now boast of being able to offer high speed colour printing of an extremely high quality. The introduction of computers into every day company administration in 1983 brought about vast improvements in the areas of costing and accounting using bespoke programmes written by Michael Clough. Hart & Clough's use of computers increased further in 1991 with the introduction of its first computer controlled four colour press, and two years later a PC network was developed for running the company's management information system (MIS) including estimating and work ticket production. The work on this system was completed under Richard Clough - the fifth generation of the family - who graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University Printing Course in 1993. Computers began to play an ever increasing role in the day-to-day printing business with the widespread use of digital artwork. This was reflected by the installation of an ISDN line in 1996 and Apple Macintosh computers dedicated solely to the output of high quality design, artwork and film. A new management information system was introduced in January 1999, as the company readied itself for the new millennium. A complete new network, hardware and software was purchased from Print MIS specialists Shuttleworth allowing a more streamlined transfer of information within the company. 1989 saw the acquisition of The Amadeus Press in Huddersfield, a specialist book and magazine printer now firmly established as one of the leaders in short-run high quality book work. The year 2000 brought Hart & Clough and The Amadeus Press together under one roof for the first time following considerable investment in a new 23,000 square feet production facility at Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. Production flexibility, capacity, and services offered to clients all increased significantly following the move. The new name and logo of Hart & Clough Print Group was introduced to indicate the company's new capabilities.  Hart & Clough Print Group can now genuinely approach any print job from a small stationery run up to full-colour books, brochures and packaging, and with Woods, offer a complete finishing service. This flexibility has attracted some of the regions' finest companies as well as blue chip customers from further a field. Despite the vast changes which have occurred within the printing trade over the past 120 years, one thing has not changed since George Hart took up tenancy in Swaine Street in 1885, and that is the company's business philosophy. The Hart & Clough Print Group strongly believes in maintaining a close personal contact with both staff and clients while producing a first class job. The Hart & Clough Print Group is sure that the combination of the above qualities will continue to further its appeal to customers large and small as we enter our third century of trading.ezrahouse.html
Ezra Clough Hart & Clough invoice with the original logo Hart & Clough’s machine room circa 1900 Ezra House, West 26 Business Park, Cleckheaton Hart & Clough’s stock room circa 1900 Hart & Clough Print Group, The Amadeus Press and Woods Print Finishers are trading names of Hart & Clough Limited. Registered in England 233722 at Ezra House, 3 Littlewood Drive, West 26 Business Park, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD19 4TQ. VAT REG No: 179 6471 14
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Website created by Simon Frater e: simon@themacroom.co.uk © Hart & Clough Limited 2009 West 26 Business Park, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD19 4TQmailto:simon@themacroom.co.ukshapeimage_33_link_0