Who are we?
History
Calabar Printers was incorporated in Burnaby, BC on February 4, 1970 by the late Stanley John Kernaghan (1921-2001), AFC, DFM. As an RAF Fighter Pilot during World War II in North Africa, Mr. Kernaghan once had to make a forced landing in the Port City of Calabar in South Eastern Nigeria. This dramatic war-time experience was memorable to Mr. Kernaghan, which he honoured many years later in naming his ‘print shop’: Calabar Printers.
Calabar Printers began by providing exclusive printing for Mr. Kernaghan’s primary businesses, and then moved on to build a diverse client base over the next three decades. Calabar provided printing and office supplies to increasing numbers of customers who continued to return year after year – and some have been using our services for over 30 years! Since 1970 Calabar Printers has successfully ridden the wave of technological progress and increased competition within the printing industry.
Management Team
Today, Calabar Printers is led by Jennifer Kernaghan Azizi. Since the passing of Mr. Kernaghan in 2001, Jennifer has been committed to preserving Calabar’s dedication to outstanding customer service and to expanding the scope of Calabar’s print services.
Ken Haley is the General Manager, and has worked with Calabar Printers since 1991. He manages the daily operations of the company, from running the presses to front line customer service. Ken provides both Calabar and our clients with valuable expertise and first rate interpersonal skills, both of which ensure customer satisfaction.
Our Pressman, Vince Donnelly, has been with Calabar Printers since 1995 and, along with Ken, has taken the Company forward by mastering each successive printing press that Calabar has acquired in order to serve our clients better.
The Management Team at Calabar Printers offers a combined experience of over 60 years in the printing industry.
Environmental Initiatives
- At Calabar Printers we are committed to preserving the environment by reusing and recycling as much as possible throughout our operation
- Calabar offers electronic invoicing. Our heating and electrical systems operate on timers to avoid wastage during non-business hours. Finally, we have begun a program of replacing fluorescent light bulbs with a more efficient alternative with reduced mercury consumption (91% less); energy consumption is also cut by 50 percent.
- Our new ME Maintenance Engineering DTC Earth-Gaps Bulbs are TCLP Compliant, which means that they reduce the amount of pollutants (such as mercury) that are released into the environment. Our new energy-efficient bulbs are 69 percent brighter than fluorescent and emit a more natural hue for our work environment so that your printed materials can be produced under the best possible light.
Reuse
Many of our production materials are continuously reused until they are no longer viable working products. These include:
- Inks
- Make-ready paper samples
- Metal Plates
- Mixed and Corrugated Paper
- Wood Pallets
- Linens, rags, and mats are regularly picked up, laundered and again reused
Recycle
When reusing has reached its limit, production materials are then recycled. The above reusable items are all picked up by various recycling agents for responsible processing. Also included for off-site recycling pickup are:
- All paper waste
- Pre and post press trimmings
- Bindery waste and trimmings
- Developer and stabilizers for polyester plate production
- Plastic containers
- Shrink Wrap packaging
Printing Options
We use soy-based inks for all of our offset printing projects. Clients are also welcome to choose any paper that suits their needs, including such environmentally paper alternatives as:
- FSC Certified Paper
- 100% Post-Consumer Recycled
- Ancient Forest Friendly
- Enviro 100 (100%) Recycled
Giving Back
Supporting the community
We believe it is important to give back to our community that we have called home since 1970. While we are always open to different charitable initiatives, our yearly commitments include:
Choices Markets ‘Stars of the Season’ Christmas Hampers.
Throughout the year we support animal welfare organizations and also local rescues through various means, a cause especially close to all of our hearts.
