Enter the new entrepreneurs

You’ve heard the theory. Print is dying. Young people are giving the sector a wide berth. It isn’t sexy enough. The skills short­age is only getting worse. Few could argue that the pool of talent entering the industry is drying up, but it’s not a drought. Plenty of under-30s are not just choosing a career in print but are taking to the trade with gusto. We sat down with three sets of young people pouring their hearts into very different businesses to find out what makes them tick.

The DistilleryNathan Leong and Jessica Foy learned the hard way that they don’t quite fit into the printing industry. Walking around the show floor at PrintEx11, they tried helplessly to purchase a guillotine. Cast off as hip hobbyists by the majority of finishing suppliers, the well-dressed pair left empty-handed, contemplating just where their edgy print business ideas fit into a traditionalist’s industry.

At 30 and 23, respectively, Leong and Foy aren’t your typical letterpress operators. Their niche business approach further separates them from the commercial print world. However this didn’t stop them from opening The Distillery, a start-up business offering creative-minded companies a unique design and print service.