In what it says is the most significant change in its 78 year history Melbourne-based printer Newlitho has officially rebranded as Neo and unveiled a new logo.
The third generation family company, which specialises in printing and marketing for the real estate industry, has been through several rebrands during its history – but CEO Seth Watts describes this as the most significant change yet.
He says, “We have come a long way, and our name has not survived the journey. Newlitho is a throwback to the era of lithographic printing and just isn’t relevant to how we operate in 2016.”
Neo comes from the Greek word for new and shares the beginning and the end of the company’s new name. “The symmetry was too good to ignore,” Watts says.
The extensive overhaul, which includes not only new branding but a state-of-the-art website, has been months in the making. Neo recently completed the biggest capital investment in its history, giving it the some of the most extensive capabilities of any Australian printing company today.
As the publisher of the Real Estate Weekly Peninsula and Real Estate Weekly Ranges, Neo is known as a product leader and innovator. Around 80 staff operate out of the company’s Mulgrave headquarters, while a second plant opened in Sydney in 2015.
“We couldn’t be happier with the name and the new branding,” Neo Chairman Paul Daley said.
“Saying goodbye to Newlitho is bittersweet, but I think I speak on behalf of the team when I say that we are all incredibly excited for the next chapter.”
Neo was founded as religious publisher New Life Publications in 1938. Today Neo is the printer and marketer of choice for elite real estate brands in Melbourne and across Australia’s eastern seaboard.
Watts says the disconnection between the company name and its service offering has been evident for the past decade however a rebranding was not possible until this year.
“Rebrands have often been associated with negative events in the print industry, so we set a target for the business to be debt free and coming from a position of financial strength before undergoing this,” he says.
“So we waited until we had five years of fantastic growth before we did the rebrand. Our last two years of operating have been the most successful we have ever seen.”
Today the company has a staff of 80 operating out of its Mulgrave headquarters, and recently opened a second plant in Sydney with further expansion on the cards.
Watts adds, “Sydney has proven to be enormous for the business and our first 18 months in the city has been beyond expectation. We are also seeing good opportunities for growth in Queensland and some opportunities in South Australia.”
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter