History
I’ve just copy and pasted from their website.
The history of Deanprint Ltd can be traced back to a young entrepreneur named Joseph Dean. Joseph was a Yorkshireman who despite being born into impoverished circumstances, used his intellect and determination to set up a travel agency – Dean & Dawson – in 1871.
Joseph eventually bought a printing press as he recognised the potential of being able to produce his own brochures for the travel company. This simple acquisition lead him to establish, in 1890, the company that still bears his name today.
The printing business steadily grew and soon a second factory was required. This was half a mile away from the first. During this period Mr Dean became friendly with one of the pillars of Stockport’s hatting industry – Mr Giles Atherton. Together they went to America and while in New York they were offered the patent rights to hat leather stitching machines. From this the company also began making hat leathers and a wide variety of other leathers. This business was run from a third factory in Stockport. It soon became obvious that the company should acquire more suitable premises. Two of the factories were sold which enabled land to be bought and in 1920 building work commenced on a new 47,000 sq. ft. factory without having to borrow any money. The total cost of this factory was £21,000.
At it’s peak there were over 120 employees and there was an office in London. Now there are 45 members of staff and 110 printing and finishing machines. The current Directors succeeded in a Management Buyout in 2011 and since then the company has invested heavily in more than a dozen machines and in new systems, has recently introduced a shift system and is running more profitably that any time in the last thirty years.
The broad range of services that they offer – printing, case binding, perfect binding, wiro-binding, singer sewing, ringbinders, slipcases, boxes, folders, etc. – offer our customers a wide range of options with the confidence that everything is done in-house.
In 2022 Deanprint was purchased by Manchester Printers Group where they later relocated to Lawnhurst Trading Estate around November 2022 signing a 15 year lease on the new premises.
However this was short lived and the company was placed into administration in April of this year and all staff laid off.
The Cheadle Heath Works is to be flattened to make way for a Lidl.
The Explore
Checked on this one a couple of times but never got anywhere and after seeing pictures of it online inside on their website via a virtual tour I had totally forgot about it. Fast forward a year and @host gives me a bell “That printers is open” so I checked it out. Cheers mate.
Nothing epic, but still a few decent bits non the less. Reminds me of old school exploring when there used to be tons of buildings like this around for a wander.
I’ll start off with what initially drew my attention to the building after seeing it on a Facebook group.
Some absolute mouth breather thought it would be a good idea to cover over this fantastic masonry work with some typical plastic tat. Clowns.
There was also two oak trees planted outside the building, one by the founder Joseph Dean, the other by his first employee W. Wild. The reason for the oak trees was that one of the original factories was called Royal Oak Works and the new site was to use the same name. Alas this never happened and it was called Cheadle Heath Works.
As you can see the trees are no more.
In 1990 for the centenary of the company
So pretty stripped, pikes have been in had all the copper and what not. Still a few cool things to have a rummage at though.
There was a few of these circa 1950’s Tan-Sad machinist stools about. Rather cool
There’s loads of work still lying around. Rollys Royce brochures, registers, police notebooks all sorts.
There was also a joinery workshop “Cheshire Joinery” in one part of the building at the front.
And that’s about it.
I’ve just copy and pasted from their website.
The history of Deanprint Ltd can be traced back to a young entrepreneur named Joseph Dean. Joseph was a Yorkshireman who despite being born into impoverished circumstances, used his intellect and determination to set up a travel agency – Dean & Dawson – in 1871.
Joseph eventually bought a printing press as he recognised the potential of being able to produce his own brochures for the travel company. This simple acquisition lead him to establish, in 1890, the company that still bears his name today.
The printing business steadily grew and soon a second factory was required. This was half a mile away from the first. During this period Mr Dean became friendly with one of the pillars of Stockport’s hatting industry – Mr Giles Atherton. Together they went to America and while in New York they were offered the patent rights to hat leather stitching machines. From this the company also began making hat leathers and a wide variety of other leathers. This business was run from a third factory in Stockport. It soon became obvious that the company should acquire more suitable premises. Two of the factories were sold which enabled land to be bought and in 1920 building work commenced on a new 47,000 sq. ft. factory without having to borrow any money. The total cost of this factory was £21,000.
At it’s peak there were over 120 employees and there was an office in London. Now there are 45 members of staff and 110 printing and finishing machines. The current Directors succeeded in a Management Buyout in 2011 and since then the company has invested heavily in more than a dozen machines and in new systems, has recently introduced a shift system and is running more profitably that any time in the last thirty years.
The broad range of services that they offer – printing, case binding, perfect binding, wiro-binding, singer sewing, ringbinders, slipcases, boxes, folders, etc. – offer our customers a wide range of options with the confidence that everything is done in-house.
In 2022 Deanprint was purchased by Manchester Printers Group where they later relocated to Lawnhurst Trading Estate around November 2022 signing a 15 year lease on the new premises.
However this was short lived and the company was placed into administration in April of this year and all staff laid off.
The Cheadle Heath Works is to be flattened to make way for a Lidl.
The Explore
Checked on this one a couple of times but never got anywhere and after seeing pictures of it online inside on their website via a virtual tour I had totally forgot about it. Fast forward a year and @host gives me a bell “That printers is open” so I checked it out. Cheers mate.
Nothing epic, but still a few decent bits non the less. Reminds me of old school exploring when there used to be tons of buildings like this around for a wander.
I’ll start off with what initially drew my attention to the building after seeing it on a Facebook group.
Some absolute mouth breather thought it would be a good idea to cover over this fantastic masonry work with some typical plastic tat. Clowns.
There was also two oak trees planted outside the building, one by the founder Joseph Dean, the other by his first employee W. Wild. The reason for the oak trees was that one of the original factories was called Royal Oak Works and the new site was to use the same name. Alas this never happened and it was called Cheadle Heath Works.
As you can see the trees are no more.
In 1990 for the centenary of the company
So pretty stripped, pikes have been in had all the copper and what not. Still a few cool things to have a rummage at though.
There was a few of these circa 1950’s Tan-Sad machinist stools about. Rather cool
There’s loads of work still lying around. Rollys Royce brochures, registers, police notebooks all sorts.
There was also a joinery workshop “Cheshire Joinery” in one part of the building at the front.
And that’s about it.
