Our History
1884
William Hobbs
In 1884 William Hobbs set up his own print shop, “William Hobbs & Sons” in Southampton, having begun his career as an apprentice in a village just outside Winchester.
1912
Henry Hobbs
Henry Hobbs (2nd generation) ran Hobbs in the early 1900s. A keen photographer, Henry took this photograph of the Staff Outing in 1912 with his son, Henry Colbert Hobbs, at the helm.
1918
World War One
During World War One Henry Colbert Hobbs (3rd generation) looked after war horses, drove horse-drawn ambulances and assisted doctors and surgeons. In peace time, ‘Bert’ helped to improve the lives of the disabled living in Cheshire Homes.
1937
Shirley Road, Southampton
In January 1937, the family business changed its name to “Hobbs the Printers” and moved to new premises in Shirley Road, Southampton.
1946
Peter & Kenneth Hobbs
After World War Two, Peter and Kenneth Hobbs (4th generation) joined their father at Hobbs. In 1949 Hobbs was awarded a number of contracts to produce business critical documents for the British Railways.
1954
Millbrook, Southampton
Hobbs outgrew its premises in Shirley Road and moved into a new factory in Millbrook, Southampton.
1959
First Female Operators
Hobbs was the first UK company to give female team members the same opportunity as their male colleagues to become trained Monotype and Linotype keyboard operators.
1969
Letterpress to Litho
Hobbs was one of the first UK printing companies to move from Letterpress to Lithographic, yet another example of Hobbs embracing innovation.
1991
Digital Printing
Hobbs becomes one of the first companies to offer very short-run Digital Printing and Print-on-Demand with its investment in a Rank Xerox DocuTech machine.
1994
Calmore, Totton
With an expanding client base, Hobbs outgrew its factory in Millbrook and moved to its own purpose built factory at Calmore, Totton.
2005
International Printers Network
Hobbs joins the IPN, enabling the company to offer Global Distribution & Print services to our clients.
2009
125th Anniversary
Hobbs celebrated its 125th Anniversary at Stationers’ Hall with major clients, members of the Hobbs Team and 3 generations of the Hobbs family, including Chris Hobbs (6th generation).
2017
Inkjet Investment
Hobbs invested in its first continuous Inkjet line with a print engine from Domino and handling & finishing equipment supplied by Hunkeler.
Our Values
Integrity
We treat our staff, customers and suppliers in an ethical manner with honesty and fairness.
Passion for success
We are driven, enthusiastic, and energetic in our desire to fulfil the needs of our customers.
Excellence
We strive to be the best at everything we do, with exceptional care and attention to detail.
Agility
We are nimble and adaptable to meet the changing needs of our customers and actively pursue new opportunities.
Partnership
We listen to our customers to understand their problems and business goals in order to design holistic solutions.
Continuity
As faces come and go, as one generation hands over to the next, our relationships, experience and values remain.
Our Team
Management Team
David Hobbs
Managing Director
Graham Bromley
Deputy Managing Director
Brian Jelf
Sales Director
Chris Hobbs
Business Development Director
Michael Bromley
Project Manager
Ailsa Wooster
HR Manager
Russell Hack
Operations Manager
Katherine Jenkins
Distribution Manager
Customer Service Team
Kevin Clark
Head of Commercial Operations
Colin Richardson
Customer Services Manager
Martin Trigell
Account Manager
Paul Williamson
Account Manager
Matt Digby
Estimator
Will Forster
Commercial Manager