Q: What does the MW
stand for?
A: Moores & Sons + Warburton & Golder
Yes we’re the result of a merger or two and we have a wee bit of history so we decided not to rebrand as a colourful fruit, exotic animal or futuristic over zealous electron. Instead we choose to hold on to our rather eventful past.
With over 100 years experience in the print industry, the company in its present form has little resemblance to the early days other than the professionalism, culture and ethics that has succeeded it for many years.
MW Graphics & Design now operates as a family owned business at 21 Railway Ave, Alicetown. It’s an intimate company run by Dion Criscillo and has a team of seven full time staff, including three designers, production and support personnel, along with a number of part-time and freelance contractors.
Incidentally this is how the company began, as a family business called C Moore and Sons. In 1953 it became a registered company, mostly producing letterpress photo engraving.
Fletcher Challenge (Wrightsons) then purchased the company for the prime land it owned and occupied in Willis Street. Part of the purchase negotiation was the agreement C Moore and Sons be kept operating as long as it was profitable. It was a successful and viable business for a number of decades before it was then moved to Ghuznee Street.
In 1973, realising the need to progress, C Moore and Sons purchased an enterprise by the name of Warburton and Golder, renowned for its pre-press colour offset work. The new combined companies were named Moore Warburton Ltd and joined together in the Fletcher building on Adelaide Road.
Six of the key personnel brought together a proposal to buy the business from Fletchers in 1985, which they succeeded in doing. Under new directorship Moore Warburton Ltd stayed in Adelaide Road and operated as a private venture for many years, where they refined a stalwart reputation in the industry for quality.
However, in August 2001 the building in Adelaide Road was sold to property developers, who did not require tenants. This prompted our move to Petone and a reinvigoration of our services, equipment and personnel.
To compliment an existing wide range of skills, specialised visual communication design services were introduced in 1998. As it happens, this was the year our very first Website was rolled out. Hosted on Tripod.com — anyone remember Tripod, Angelfire or GeoCities? They were the only places you could afford to host with in those days.
Currently our group is a blend of creative plus practical know-how. We are passionate about design, the environment, technology and of course sport. We have degrees in Graphic Design, but in spite of that you won’t hear jargon or pretentious designer talk with us. Our team is down to earth and has built a reputation for being friendly and easy to work with. We raise children and pets, play music and footy, race treddlies and horses…
...but always, we are on the lookout for memorable experiences to help us market you, your product or your business with great design.
