New Website launch completes HoF brand update
The new WebsiteWelcome to the new look website! Restyled as part of a company brand update, the new site has easy to navigate menus displaying the wide range of products available, links to their online shop and simple to view and download information leaflets.
The brand update has evolved over the last twelve months, commencing with the change to HoF Display Solutions as the company trading name, and includes the updating of the company’s corporate image.
Established thirty years ago as The House of Flags, the company has grown from a sole trader whose main focus was hand-sewn national and company logo flags to a market leader with a 23,000 sq ft facility in Cambridgeshire, home to a team of designers, printers, a sewing team as well as sales, operations and administration with additional offices in Birmingham and Taunton.
“The company name no longer did justice to the diversity of products we now produce” explained the company’s chairman, Ian Simmonds. “Over the past few years, our product range has grown and evolved to represent the best in promotional display, and meet the needs of our customers. From large format digital printing and crowd flags to vehicle graphics and internal display stands, we felt that HoF Display Solutions perfectly described our position now and into the future.”HoF Sponsors marathon veteran.
Stuart FarquharsonHoF was proud to sponsor Stuart Farquharson running in this year’s London Marathon, raising money for the Children with Leukaemia charity.
Stuart, a marathon veteran, completed the 26 mile course in just over 4 and ½ hours, though hail and torrential rain. “I decided last year that this would be my last,” said Stuart, who has completed a total of seven London Marathons. “I wanted to do one more before an upcoming landmark birthday, but the weather really made this one tough.”
Over the years, Stuart has raised thousands of pounds for a variety of charities and calculates that he has raised over £1,600 for Children with Leukaemia. The charity works in a number of areas, funding vital research into childhood leukaemia, raising awareness of the disease and raising money for treatment facilities and helping families coping with diagnosis and treatment.
If you would like to make a donation to the charity, visit www.leukaemia.org or call 020 7404 0808Flag for Leicester
The Winning DesignFran Henthorn and Andrew Conway were proud to represent HoF at the unveiling of a new flag for the City of Leicester, on Wednesday 23 April 08.
HoF was contacted back in December 07 by Tony Wadsworth of BBC Radio Leicester, following a competition to design a flag for the city. When asked if we would be able to produce a flag of the winning design, we were happy to help.
The design combines a cinquefoil rose, part of the Leicester City Council logo, Royal Bengal Tigers from the badge of the Royal Leicestershire Tigers Regiment and incorporates the motto from the city’s coat of arms. The purple colouring represents Leicester’s Roman roots.
The flag was unveiled outside the city’s Ramada Jarvis hotel by Tony Wadsworth, the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Gary Hunt, hotel manager, James Conaghan, the designer of the winning flag, Jamie Bott and Martin Traynor from the Chamber of Commerce, during Tony’s morning broadcast.
For more information about how to order your flag contact a member of the Kimbolton sales team.Government Policy on Flag Flying updated
Union FlagA government white paper has led to new guidance regarding the flying of the Union flag on UK government departments. The changes mean that all UK government departments have the freedom to fly the Union flag on their buildings whenever they wish, rather than following the traditional 18 flying days, when the Union flag is flown by command of Her Majesty the Queen, as specified by legislation dating from 1924.
The changes follow a consultation launched last year, exploring the importance of the Union flag to national identity, part of The Governance of Britain Green Paper. 60% of respondents to the consultation were in favour of the Union flag being flown on UK government buildings all of the time. In addition to flying the Union flag, Whitehall Government buildings will be able to celebrate the patron saints days with the flags of Scotland and Wales being flown on those days where there are two or more flag poles.
Buildings benefiting from the changes not only include Whitehall and local authority buildings but hospitals, schools and libraries.
For more information regarding flag flying etiquette and the traditional flying days, click hereBedford International stadium help Olympic Athletics team with lucky vest
Olympic VestWhen HoF Display Solutions needed to check their athletics kit was in good order, they turned to Bedford International Athletics Stadium for help.
Bit over the top?
It would be, except that this running vest happens to be a 20 x 13 m replica vest, specially commissioned and hand crafted for the British Olympics team.
Bedford International kindly offered their sports hall to enable the vest to be laid out flat for final checks and photographs, prior to being sent to the customer.
“We had wanted to photograph it outside on the track“ said Jon Goodchild of HoF “but the weather was against us and we could have ended up chasing a giant vest across Bedford Town centre!“
The cotton vest was manufactured at HoF’s Head Office site in Kimbolton. The company’s 23,000 sq ft facility encompasses their design and printing departments as well as the sewing team that was charged with sewing the giant vest panels and lettering together.
“When HoF contacted us we were happy to help“ said Charlotte Conroy, Bedford International’s Manager “I feel this is an ideal location for the vest to begin its journey to Beijing. With Bedford being one of the busiest facilities this year for National and International events it seemed a fitting start.“
The vest is now off on its travels to meets all around the country where athletes will sign it as a good luck gift for the British Olympic team in Beijing.
Known for many years as The House of Flags, the Kimbolton based company recently changed its trading name to HoF Display Solutions. “The new name is a reflection of the variety and depth of our product portfolio“ commented Jon.HoF building for the future
New printing studioThe introduction of two new digital printers for fabric and PVC has significantly increased the production capabilities and turnaround times at HoF Display Solutions. The Cambridgeshire based company have been leaders in the fabric display industry for many years and the additional printing equipment sees further investment in the future.
Operations Director Donna Geranio explained: “Over the course of 2007 we increased our banner and fabric display print output by a massive 25%. Our printing studio has done a fantastic job and working with the national sales team, we have increased sales by 20%. We have been approved to the ISO9001 quality standard for over 10 years and are committed to a program of continuous improvement and growth, and we have invested in a new 8500 sqft facility to house the expanding printing capabilities.“
The extra space means that HoF now utilises 23000 sqft at their head office site, with additional offices in Birmingham and Taunton. Established nearly 30 years ago producing flags and flag poles, the product portfolio now covers many aspects of promotional display materials including vehicle advertising graphics.
“The expansion of the print studio is great news for our customers. We have always strived to provide the highest quality of product with the fastest possible turnaround times, the new equipment will enable us to continue meeting and exceeding expectations.“ added Donna.
To find out more about the products and services available for HoF Display Solutions call the national sales team on 01480 861678, email solutions @flags.co.uk or visit the website, www.flags.co.ukHOF's a star for children's charity
HoF was able to support a children’s charity recently by providing a flag as a raffle prize for a fund raising event.
The When you wish upon a Star charity’s primary aim is to grant wishes for children with life threatening or terminal illnesses. As well as organising individual wishes such as swimming with dolphins or meeting Mickey Mouse, the charity organises yearly holidays for 45 families at Center Parcs and charter a plane to take around 100 children to meet Father Christmas in Lapland each Christmas.
The event held by the Stockport branch of the charity raised over £800.00!
If you would like to find out more about When you wish upon a Star, visit their website at www.whenyouwishuponastar.org.uk.HoF Back in the spot light
St. Trinians MovieHoF flags are again featuring on the big screen. The new St Trinians film, released 21 December 2007, features flags manufactured at the company’s Cambridgeshire site. A regular supplier of flags and displays for film sets, the specially designed school flag was hand finished to the consistently high finish experienced by all of our customers.
Media spotlight has also fallen on one of our Scottish customers. A giant crowd flag, produced for Glasgow Warriors Rugby Union club, was given it’s first outing during a Heineken Cup clash with Biarritz at the club’s Firhill ground. Here’s hoping the flag brings the club continued winning ways.HoF get ‘wrapping’!
HoF's wild animal themeHoF have been at the forefront of specialist promotional printing on different substrates for many years. That expertise is now being used to produce stunning vehicle graphics.
More and more companies and small businesses are recognising the effectiveness of personalising company vehicles to build brand awareness and take their promotional messages direct to customers. With every mile you drive, a high impact vehicle advertisement can be a cost effective and proactive way of continuously promoting your business.
Using the latest full colour printing technology, HoF can now apply eye-catching graphics to practically any vehicle.
At HoF we have fully wrapped several of our company vehicles, including a striking ‘lightening’ scene on a van and a wild animal theme on a VW Golf – both guaranteed to make people stare as you drive past! Ian Simmond’s, Managing Director of HoF, also agreed to have his Radical SR racing car wrapped. A stunning red & orange ‘fiery’ design was chosen, which certainly gets him noticed on the track, but perhaps not for the reasons he was hoping for!
So if you would like to get noticed with branding on the move, give our National Sales Team a call on 01480 861678 or email us by clicking on the Contact Us tab.Major House Builders choose HoF on grounds of excellent customer service
Major House Builders choose HoFBarratt Homes have renewed their contract with the Cambridgeshire based flag pole supplier, HoF, for another year, based on the excellent service they have received for the duration of the supplier relationship.
Comparable prices were received from several suppliers when Barratt Homes reviewed their flag pole contract, but for the 4th year running, the problem-free order processing, excellent customer service and spot-on delivery times were all part of the reason Barratt chose to stay with HoF.
As well as aluminium flag poles, HoF also supplies bespoke banners for Barratt Homes Sites across the UK. Each region has been highly complimentary about the time, effort and service that go into these specialised orders.
HoF is not only flag pole supplier to Barratt Homes, but they also supply poles, flags and banners to Persimmon Homes, and flags and poles to George Wimpey. Once again these relationships are based on excellent customer service and appreciation of delivery time scales that are so important in any supplier relationship.
Offering a full range of products from poles and flags to banners and bunting, HoF can help industries across the UK maximise their promotional opportunities with high-impact, highly visible fabric displays printed on a huge variety of substrates and using the latest printing technology.
