EN was on site for Ultima Displays’ 2025 summer open day in Corby, taking place at the company’s manufacturing, printing and distribution facility.
The visit offered a behind-the-scenes look at Ultima’s day-to-day operations and a chance to meet the team who shared insights into their roles, workplace culture, and the company’s future ambitions.
Founded in 1999, Ultima Displays has grown to become Europe’s largest trade-only manufacturer of marketing display solutions, employing over 220 staff across six countries and supporting a global network of partners with over 25 years of expertise in creative display solutions.
However, as the industry has evolved, businesses have become increasingly demanding for creative display solutions that accurately reflect their brands and make them stand out from their competitors. Ultima has pivoted to satisfy this demand by expanding their creative customproduction capabilities and using their Summer Open Days to demonstrate exactly how they can do this.
Running the show: How Ultima adapts and innovates
During Ultima Displays’ summer open day tour, EN caught up with operations director, Dave Bonehill and the team to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the company continues to grow and innovate through change from Brexit to Covid recovery, while serving a diverse mix of clients.
Beyond flags and banners
We’re not just flags and banners, we do a lot of custom work and variable data printing for our clients on behalf of some of the biggest retailers in the UK and instantly recognisable global brands.
Ultima’s expanded range now spans everything from bespoke hardware solutions for exhibition display stands, custom lightboxes, counters, brand activation displays, retail displays, window displays and point of sale to tailored visual merchandising solutions, designed and printed in-house on their dye-sub, UV & Latex printers.
They provide enhanced service support to fill in internal capability gaps for their clients from design conception, through to production, installation and dismantle, allowing clients to use them as much or as little as they need to ensure smooth completion of their projects.
Post-Brexit: Building a more resilient system
Prior to Brexit, Ultima served the entire European market from its UK base. After Brexit, we decentralised accounts to our offices in France, Poland, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Despite these changes, the company remains connected across markets through a robust partnership with DHL Express for international dispatch, while managing all import duties and taxes from its UK HQ.
From crisis to creativity during Covid
Covid furloughed most of the business. But it gave us space to innovate.
During the pandemic, the team quickly adapted by creating new products to support the rollout of safety infrastructure including roller banners, vaccination booths and desk dividers. That spirit of innovation is still very much part of the company today.
What it’s like running the factory
Leading the operations team is a fantastic experience. I work with a team of around 30 people across specialised zones, and because everyone is multi-skilled, they can jump between departments when needed.
To deliver the lead times our customers expect, it is not just about operating the machines at full capacity, it’s about having the right people, with the right skills, ready to step in and keep things moving.
Tech investment fuels future growth
Looking ahead, Ultima is investing in technology across its operations from new large-format printing systems to automation in sewing and finishing.
We’re moving away from traditional manual procedures to speed things up and scale.
Being a trade-only partner, they produce work on behalf of their clients for a variety of end-userapplications such as retail, leisure, conferences and exhibitions. Ultima works with a wide spectrum of clients with varying needs from one-off orders to high volume bulk-buying, to individual custom projects throughout the year. All artwork is handled by their in-house creative team to ensure a quality end product that meets the customers’ expectations.
Summer shows highlight a broader vision
Managing director, Andrew Cushing, explained that the company is continuing to invest in digital services, including e-commerce, to boost efficiency and make ordering easier for customers. A wide variety of ‘white label’ marketing services supports Trade Customers in promoting the range of products for their clients.
The summer shows proved vital in demonstrating the complete customer experience, highlighting that the company offers far more than just flags and banners, showcasing a diverse range of products, innovative solutions, and services that connect with customers in new and exciting ways. It was also an opportunity to get customer feedback on new products showcased at the event, including a new display stand rental system, digital signage, inflatable outdoor products and much more.
Showroom and Factory tours
In May 2024 Ultima launched their Customer Experience Centre, a creative space dedicated to showcasing their in-house hardware, print and custom production potential, allowing clients to identify new opportunities and provide inspiration for fresh ideas.
A tour of the onsite factory also gives valuable insight into their operations processes and internal expertise, further giving confidence to their clients.
To book a tour, you can complete the following form: here
