Hobs Reprographics established in Liverpool in 1969 is a printing and reprographic company. It provides professional printing and scanning services, aimed at but not exclusive to the architecture, engineering and construction market.
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By 2008 Hobs had 29 branches across the country with over 300 employees. Hobs employs drivers to deliver printed files, whilst also establishing Hobs onsite, which offers quick services to construction project sites. This was notably the case with the construction of the new Wembley Stadium.
Hobs carries the Queen's royal warrant, for services provided to the royal family and country which was awarded in 2003.
The Forming of Hobs
Hobs was founded in Liverpool in 1969 when Kieran O'Brien perceived a gap in the market for a local drawing office that also offered a collection and delivery service and somewhere for clients and students to discuss their printing needs and get advice on the best way to produce their work. Kieran presented his ideas and business plan to JD Hackett, an Irish Reprographics company established in Dublin in 1954 and immediately secured their backing and investment. The two joined forces to establish Hobs which stands for Hackett and O'Brien.
In 1982 Hobs Manchester opened on Kennedy Street comprising a branch manager, two printers and a delivery girl. In 1983, Hobs bought-out CT Reprographics Ltd on Deansgate and moved its operations from Kennedy Street to CT Reprographics existing building. The staff doubled in size overnight. Hobs dropped its name in favour of the already well established CT Reprographics Ltd brand. The same year CT Reprographics was the first company in the UK to purchase the advanced Xerox 2080 printer which became a welcomed addition to the two dyeline printing machines. Because of the size of the Xerox 2080, Kieran O'Brien had to seek new premises on Deansgate to house this machine. In 1987, bigger premises became available on Deansgate, so CT Reprographics and the Xerox 2080 were both co-located in the new building, and the CT Reprographics brand reverted to Hobs Manchester. Today in 2010 it offers a complete range of printing solutions.
Media Attention
In 2006 the Liverpool Echo newspaper wrote an article on Hobs, interviewing the owner Kieran O Brien. The article claimed that Hobs turnovers £600,000 p/w
Despite having 8 offices in the London Hobs was founded in Liverpool where the company still maintains its headquarters.
The Liverpool Echo reported that hobs were famous in the 1960s for their fleet of "Hobs girls" or the "Mini Girls". The Mini Girls were the team of couriers employed by Hobs, so called because of the cars they drove, or as some would suggest because of the mini skirts they wore, popular in the 60s. An all girl drivers fleet was seen as quite revolutionary for the time and Hobs were considered to be an early support of equality in the workforce. Liverpool Echo, May 1, 2006 Hobs Online, About us Page