TANDYM Print’s initial premises just 250m² in size, were in Fifth Avenue, Maitland. In those early days the staff complement was four, and this figure included Jerome Morkel and his mother, Cecelia, who was thoroughly immersed in the fledgling business, since Basil Morkel was under a trade restraint after selling his shares at his previous company.

The very first press purchased by Tandym Print was a single-colour Ryobi 500K — purchased from the New Apostolic Church printshop in Southfield!

Not long after that, two additional single-colour presses (a Heidelberg KORS and a Heidelberg SORD) also found their way into the business forming part of Basil’s share payout.

In those early days, Tandym Print was a general jobbing printer, working mainly in one- and two colour work.

The first turning point in the company’s fortunes came three years after its inception. In 1997, Tandym Print moved into slightly larger premises in Twelfth Avenue, Maitland (not far from its initial location) and George Lumb of Mills Litho offered to sell the Morkels a four-colour Miller press which was surplus to his requirements. This was the beginning of our move into four-colour work,’ Basil recalls.’We were moving into the big time!’

Seen here are the four-and five-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster presses, the KBA Rapida 102 five-colour press and the new eight-colour Heidelberg press in the background.

An even greater turning point came in 1999, when Tandym Print gained valuable business from National Publishing (now IHS South Africa), to print certain of the company’s magazines.

1999 also marked Tandym Print’s move to considerably larger and more salubrious premises in Viking Place, Thornton. Additional presses were purchased in fast order in 2000 another five-colour Heidelberg joined the line-up, and yet another four-colour Heidelberg in 2001. These were joined in 2002 by a pre-owned KBA Rapida 105 five-colour press purchased from Thunderbolt Solutions.

And now, the Morkel family with almost 100 employees have settled into their gleaming, newly- built and modern premises, where pride of place goes to an eight-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 press, complemented by a new Stah and a Polar guillotine (purchased brand-new from Heidelberg Southern Africa). Tandym has also acquired a new Bravo-I gangstitcher from Thunderbolt Solutions. Other significant investments have gone into prepress and finishing equipment.