History
Mirage Inks Ltd – A Potted History
Mirage Inks was incorporated as a Ltd. Company in December 1983.
Steve Fisher along with three colleagues commenced production of offset inks from rented premises at Radstock, near Bath. Within one year Mirage had added flexographic inks to the product range supplying customers, predominantly from within the South West of England.
Four years later Mirage expanded into adjacent buildings and had moved from a tenant to owner of the property they then occupied.
Mirage has always placed a great deal of emphasis on R&D and during the 1990’s was successful in obtaining government funding for various U.V. and water-based projects. Many successful developments resulted and enabled Mirage to prosper over the coming years, the developments opening doors for Mirage to provide product to customers as far and wide as South Africa and Australia. The customers from both continents remain active today some 25 years later.
Fast forward to 2010 when Mirage purchased a building plot on Commerce Park – Frome, nine miles from Radstock. Commerce Park offered direct rail links to London from the local rail station and more accessible motorway links. With a hotel situated at the heart of Commerce Park offering another benefit in accommodating customer visits.
During 2015 Mirage decided to commence the building of a State of the Art factory placing the emphasis on increased efficiencies of all manufactured products. By this time Mirage had become an established company supplying companies all over the world with water based, UV cured and solvent based inks and coatings. Currently exports account for over 40% of Mirage’s £10m turnover and this is anticipated to increase in the coming years. A very strong and capable technical department provides the resource to take on development projects with various organisations, both large and small. Some developments are successfully completed in a relatively short time period with other developments taking much longer with very few failing to “make the grade”. Currently Mirage has eight development projects ongoing with both customers and prospective customers alike.
Thirty two years after the formation of Mirage Inks Ltd. the building of the new factory commenced. The principle building contractor, being an old school friend of Steve Fisher, was responsible for building to the design that had taken over thirty years to form.
Since completion Mirage is no longer restricted regarding output as investment in high volume and higher capacity equipment ensures a capability to achieve three times current sales value within a financial trading year. All visitors to the new facility have been very complimentary regarding the design and a recognition that products can now be more efficiently produced than at any time within our history. This could not have been achieved without our dedicated, hard-working and reliable work force many of which have been with the company for 20 years or more. There is also a more than capable younger generation coming on behind well equipped to take Mirage forward, in all departments, over the next decade.
Recognition of Mirage’s progress has recently been acknowledged by inclusion with the London Stock Exchange Group of 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain. The report is a celebration of the U.K’s fastest growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses.