The building on the Avenidas in Palma which houses the Imprenta Nueva Balear print shop is much more than just a workplace for 46-year-old Mallorcan Belén Aguiló. "This is where I grew up and this is where I run our fourth-generation family business."
Together with her 45-year-old brother, she runs the print shop, which was founded in 1913 and is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. The family business is one of the oldest printing companies still in operation on the island. "My father was the first to work as a printer. Now my brother operates all the machines that have been passed down from one generation to the next." Most of the machines are from the traditional German company Heidelberger Druck. The family acquired one of them from the Serra publishing group, which owns Mallorca Bulletin.
Before Belén joined the family business, she had trained as a nursery teacher. "But when I finished that, I quickly realised that it wasn't my thing." She doesn't regret having gained experience in other areas before joining the family business.
While her brother works in the print shop and operates the antique machines, Belén Aguiló takes care of the administration, social networks, orders and management. Her customers include boutique hotels, high-end luxury shops and restaurants. In addition to posters, they also print menus.
Business boomed, especially in the 1960s and 1970s with the start of tourism on the island. "The tour operators wanted to do more advertising for the island and needed posters and invoice pads. That created a lot of work for our family." Little by little, digitalisation came in. Belén's father kept the old, high-quality machines, but bought new ones that were not too expensive. "This combination of tradition and innovation is very enriching for all of us," she explains. The company employs 14 people.
The family business has survived difficult times, such as the financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. "In the 1990s, the Spanish department stores chain El Corte Inglés, which has a branch next to the print shop, tried to buy the entire building from our family. However, my father and aunts decided not to sell at the time. We resisted, so to speak," she says. Today, the business stands next to the huge department store.
During the pandemic, Belén and her family had to get creative. "We printed posters for hospitals on the island. And we created masks with different motifs and kept our heads above water. That was a tough time," she recalls.
The print shop has since recovered from the crisis. "Business is going very well. People are focussing on quality and high-quality prints. The retro style is back in fashion. I'm very happy that people appreciate the traditional more than they used to." There is work all-year round. "As many hotels and restaurants are now also open in winter, menus and advertising posters are also needed all-year round."
Anyone who wants to see for themselves what goes on in the print shop has the opportunity to do so. "Our work is far too valuable to be carried out behind closed doors." This is why Imprenta Nueva Balear offers guided tours. The aim is to educate schoolchildren and young people in particular about the art of printing. Each poster is unique to them. "There is a story behind every poster that you can't find in Google. It is passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth."
The workshop was established in cooperation with the company Stick No Bills.
Cooperation with TUI
Support from the tourism industry: the video project is sponsored by Europe's leading tourism group Tui and its Tui Care Foundation. The initiative was founded in 2016 with the aim of supporting sustainable projects in the destinations. The foundation focuses on the potential of the tourism sector as a driver of social development, education and prosperity. The Group promotes sustainable tourism in cooperation with local people.