Perth commercial printer Abbott & Co Printers has won a $475,000 government tender and seen another lucrative contract extended, keeping its business steady in a volatile market.

The 75-year-old outfit has netted work for the WA Fisheries Department to print almost 300,000 copies of the Statewide Recreational Fishing Guide – the bible for anglers out west that lays out laws and regulations – for the next five years.

It will also print the WA Health Department’s Baby Book, which provides information and advice for new parents and their doctor and helps keep track of child development, for an extra 15 months in an extension of its $1m deal.

The book is popular with parents and has increased its annual orders from 35,000 to 60,000 in four years.

[Related: More printers winning government contracts]

Abbott & Co Printers managing director James Smedley says government work accounts for about 10 per cent of its business and is an important source of reliable income in a slippery commercial print market.

“It’s a steady and reliable, if somewhat low margin work that gives us stability in the leaner months – it flattens out seasonal ups and downs,” he says.

“If you know every month you’re going to have a guaranteed amount of money coming in from ongoing contracts, giving you more confidence to chase new business.”

The company won the open tender after printing the 43-page book last year on a one-year deal. Smedley says the company was successful because of its good relationships and track record.

“We give great service at a fair price and are easy to deal with. That’s important to us in how we do business,” he says.

The work will be printed on Abbott & Co’s Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 76 six-colour plus coater offset press.

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