BIG ENOUGH TO COPE BUT SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE
Roy and Marian Baker set up in a factory at Vale Royle in Kings Cross with their office in a caravan on site. Production started with flat screen, litho, and hotfoil printing and a small slitter. Noel (pictured) is still with Bakers today. Accounts for labels with now familiar household names such as Gillette, Max Factor and Guerlain are established and business builds.
Baker Self Adhesive Labels is founded.
April 1973
Investment in Gestetner Offset Litho
April 1973
Establishing customers and suppliers
May 1973
Bakers invests in their first Nilpeter. An S330/S 4 colour reel to reel screen press. Bakers develops basic letterpress printing with the Falcon and Dominators. Slitting develops with 1m wide machine The business continues to grow and another big move is necessary. Bakers moves premises to Sutherland Road, Walthamstow.
Purchase of Nilpeter S330/S
January 1980
Falcon and Dominators
June 1980
Second factory move
January 1987
In early 1991 Bakers launched a patented cost saving invention – the Die Cutting Frame, the result of 3 years research and development. Roy Baker invests in a Flexo F2400. It’s one of the first to be installed in the UK. A computer typesetter was added so in-house typesetting could be offered to smaller customers and amendments made to existing copy for larger customers. Baker Self Adhesive Labels celebrates its 21st Birthday. Several of the staff in the photo are still with Bakers today. Bakers prints their first company brochure highlighting their history, flexibility, innovation, technology, integrity, philosophy. Bakers makes further investment in a Parkland Slitter (1.4m) and a second Nilpeter F2400.
Patented Invention
February 1991
Flexo F2400
August 1992
Bakers embraces technology
March 1993
21st Birthday
April 1994
Company Brochure
September 1994
Parkland Slitter
January 1995
After almost 3 decades, company founder Roy Baker takes a step back and his son Steve Baker takes over as Managing Director. The Flexo F2500 arrives at the factory in Walthamstow as Bakers maintains the ethos of re-investment. A second Parkland slitter is also added to the equipment. Bakers moves into digital printing by investing in their first HP Indigo press, a WS4050. The Digicon and Coater are also added. Baker Self Adhesive Labels Ltd. wins the “Adding Value” Award for their work with Moo.com sticker book. in a competition run by Digital Printer Magazine that recognise achievements in digital printing technology In this year Bakers is the first UK printer to install a WS6000, replacing the WS4500 that had been added the previous year.
Change at the top
January 2000
Another Flexo
January 2001
Bakers goes digital
March 2006
Award winning
November 2008
First HP Indigo WS6000 in UK
September 2009
After almost a quarter of a century at their factory in Walthamstow, Bakers moves to new purpose built premises in Brentwood, Essex. A new addition to the digital capabilities at Bakers as they install an HP Indigo WS6600. To celebrate their 40th birthday Baker Labels launches their new logo with a bright splash of colour The Nilpeter Flexo FB3 is installed at the new factory. Baker Labels expanded its digital printing capability by investing its first inkjet device, a Screen TruePress Jet L350UV press with Screen EQUIOS universal workflow. The factory floor area is grown with an extended mezzanine, taking the services for the flexo machine upstairs and releasing space on the production floor. Bakers completes a major upgrade of its digital capacity by buying and installing a pair of HP Indigo 6800 presses, adding to the one they already have. Bakers has been in their purpose built factory in Brentwood, since the move from Walthamstow in 2011 and has been rapidly increasing production capacity, turnover and staff recruitment ever since. As part of his continued investment in the company, Steve Baker saw the vacant neighbouring warehouse as an opportunity not to be missed and has some exciting plans for the extra 10,000 square feet. Keeping up the tradition of the family business, Mandy and Steve’s eldest son Harry has joined Bakers. Before joining us, Harry graduated from Nottingham University with a First Class Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2017. Investment in 2 new ABG Digicon finishing machines. Both are Series 3 presses but with different modules and purchased for different reasons, one being aimed at high quality embellishing labels. Phil Smith joins the senior management team as General Manager BakPac. The first major investment of 2019 for Baker Labels is a Screen Truepress Jet L350UV+LM. Baker Labels scoops the top prize at the Brentwood Business Awards 2019 Baker Labels makes £300k investment in two ASHE Slitters for materials department Baker Materials.
Third factory move
April 2011
HP Indigo WS6600
January 2013
40th Birthday and a new logo
April 2013
Another New Nilpeter
August 2013
Purchase of Screen Inkjet press
November 2015
Mezzanine installed
April 2016
Baker Labels’ biggest investment to date
February 2017
Factory Expansion
April 2018
Harry Baker joins the family business
May 2018
Two new ABG Digicon Series 3
July 2018
Phil Smith joins Senior Management Team
June 2019
Screen Truepress Inkjet L350UV+LM installed
June 2019
Brentwood Business of the Year
November 2019
New Slitters for Baker Materials
November 2019
Tom Baker has joined his parents and brother at Baker Labels in a new role as Bakers Academy coordinator. Baker Labels is crowned Employer of the Year at the 2020 Essex Business Awards
Tom Baker joins the Family Business
November 2020
Essex Employers of the Year 2020
December 2020
