CFH calls on its first employee to plant commemorative tree at anniversary celebrations

Eighty-two year old Bill Grubb returned to his former place of work - CFH at St Peters Park in Radstock - on Friday 27th April to plant a commemorative tree in celebration of CFH’s 30th anniversary this year.

Bill, who still lives in Radstock, started working for CFH in 1977, retiring in 1990, although he did continue part-time for a further ten months. In planting the silver birch tree, he was joined by company founder and chairman Geoff Broadway to dedicate a new staff garden area specially created for the anniversary.

Total Document Management company CFH, which currently employs 250 people, is marking its anniversary with a series of events throughout the year, including a week of activities in July, when visitors will have the chance to visit the advanced printing facilities. There will also be an exhibition highlighting the changes the company has seen over the last thirty years, and the dramatic progress experienced within the print industry during this time.

When the company first started back in 1977, CFH specialised in the manufacture of continuous stationery to meet the demand of the data processing and mailing industry. By the 1980s, CFH had begun to diversify into security printing, still a major part of the company’s business today. Now established as one of the UK’s most innovative print manufacturers, CFH has led the way in the outsourcing management of document processes, working with major financial organisations, utilities and local authorities.

Now a £25million turnover business, chairman Geoff Broadway acknowledges that the company has come a long way since its early days as a small printer.

“CFH is undoubtedly a success story. While we have seen many smaller, traditional printers fall by the wayside over recent years, CFH has maintained its market position by being prepared to adapt, be innovative, and keep ahead of the market,” he says.

Part of CFH’s innovative approach has been a partnership with The Woodland Trust which has seen over 60,000 trees planted over the last ten years. The Toptree Initiative is environmentally friendly alternative for companies wishing to demonstrate their environmental credentials through print.

The scheme encourages businesses and organisations to use sustainably produced paper in their printed materials that carries the Toptree logo. The Initiative then plants double the number of trees in Woodland Trust managed woods as are used in the production of these materials. In its tenth year, CFH is now extending the scheme to allow more individuals and members of the public to become involved and help plant even more trees.

Launched by weather forecaster Michael Fish earlier this year, the new initiative allows members of the public receiving correspondence from their bank or credit card company, for example, featuring the Toptree logo, to enter a special code number on to the Toptree website and contribute to the planting of even more trees.

Key Facts:

• Over the last ten years CFH has enabled the planting of over 60,000 trees in Woodland Trust managed woods, thanks to its Toptree Initiative.
• CFH is one of the country’s leading secure printers, and a leading manufacturer of PIN mailers.
• Each year CFH prints more than 180 personalised documents, and prints, personalises and distributes cheque payments worth more than £5bn.
• Each month CFH mails more than six million items and prints over 15 million documents.
• Bill Grubb, age 82, still lives in Radstock. He joined CFH in 1977 as a labourer, and retired in April 1990, but carried on working for a further ten months part time!

Back