Educational Printing Services

Educational Printing Services Limited, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, was established in 1975 by Fred Pickering, an ex-school teacher. With a single old style Platen Letterpress and two employees, Fred started a small commercial business in Blackburn's Whalley Banks producing tickets for local shows and concerts. The company also used to print season tickets and programmes for the Blackburn Rovers Football Club and carry out various other works for Chelsea and Reading Football Clubs. The company made a move to bigger premises in 1993 with factory space of 32,000 sq.

Later Fred and his colleagues started to tour education exhibitions where they had the idea for Exercise Books thus expanding the business. The company at present produces nearly 2 million standard and bespoke exercise books a year.