About us

When Henry Besley started his small family print business in 1750, little did he know that staying true to his original principles, the business would adapt & evolve to become a leading solutions-based brand management provider.

Throughout our proud 270+ year history, besley & copp has faced everything from the industrial & technological revolutions, the American & French Revolutions, two world wars, several recessions – & as of 2020 – COVID-19. Thankfully, we’ve pulled through stronger than ever.

But today, technology has transformed the way we deliver our services. Through our BrandHub, we now provide our customers with innovative solutions that support their business & create opportunities for growth.

Our story

SCROLL TO TAKE A TRIP THROUGH TIME   ‹  ›
1750
H. Besley & Son established
1845
Robert Besley created the Clarendon font at the
Fann Street Foundry, London
Font used by SONY, People Magazine, Tonka Toys
1850
Thomas Besley publishes Exeter News, Great Western Rail timetables and The Exeter Street Directory
Which became the Kelly's Street Directory
1869
Robert Besley Lord Mayor of London
1898
Became Besley & Dalgleish Limited
1939-1945
WW2
1942
Besley & Dalgleish factory destroyed in the Exeter Blitz
1946-1947
Factory re-built in new location
1969
First moon landing
1990
Internet invented
2002
besley & copp move into Print Management
2004
First Franchise and online ordering customer launched
2010
Nigel & Shane take the helm at besley & copp

Meet the team

Nigel Short
Managing Director
Nigel’s big loves in life are Aston Villa, the F1 & cars. Naturally, he’s not a fan of traffic jams. He’s not keen on negativity or lifts either, so maybe don’t choose a lift ride as the moment to discuss an Aston Villa loss.
Shane Tout
Operations Director
Shane loves craft beer; especially at the cricket or tennis. He hates anchovies & heights aren’t his thing, so he won’t be joining you on a roller coaster any time soon.
Holly Tout
Account Manager & Head of Support
When Holly’s not hard at work, you’ll find her listening to house music with a gin in one hand & a bag of pick & mix in the other. She hates lateness & loud breathing, but above all, can’t abide by mushrooms.
Linda Bowen
Finance Manager
Linda is our resident art expert & appreciates nothing more than a beautiful landscape & a chocolate treat. Don’t get her started on the media though, she dislikes them even more than she dislikes BMI & violence.
Tom Gooding
Systems Manager
Books, coffee & hummus are amongst Tom’s favourite things. Mobile phone addicts stay away! You’re on his list of dislikes alongside the rain, cold & stupidity.
Zita Racz
Account Manager
Peanut butter: some hate it, Zita loves it. Chocolate & Google too. Injustice & arrogant people are some of her biggest dislikes, not forgetting gravy (sorry Northerners).
Alistair Chuchuk
Account Manager
Ali, as he is known, is a big fan of chicken pie, Liverpool FC, holidays & all types of music. He is much less keen on heights, losing & the cold.
Scott Howard
Graphic Designer
Scott is all about the patterned shirts, video games & cake. Don’t offer him custard with his apple pie though, he dislikes that as much as he dislikes hornets & heights.
Paul Hooper
Graphic Designer
You’ll find Paul out in the mountains, enjoying nature and scaling cliffs. When it comes to SUVs & Brexit though, he’d like to throw them off a cliff!
Terry Mohan
Client Support
Terry’s ideal day out is to sit in his VW Camper listening to 6 Music whilst reading an historical novel. Don’t ask him to go shopping for mustard and he won’t be parked anywhere near a sheer cliff!
Bertie
Head of HR Happiness
The job role says it best. When he’s not spreading joy throughout the office, Bertie loves to relax with a long walk on the beach.
Milo
Head of 'Barketing'
Nothing makes Milo happier than his tennis ball & a cuddle. He’s great at his job, but we’re overdue a one to one to discuss his concentration loss when pigeons are around.
Darcy
Head of 'Lead' Generation
The youngest of the besley & copp canine support team, Darcy's strengths lie in sniffing out new business and generally just looking pretty
Rue
Head of Product Testing
Rue heads up our product testing division, making sure that all of our products stand up to a hard chew. She spends her time wiggling her bottom and chasing her favourite ball.
Bruno
Head of Talent 'Spotting'
With a keen eye for detail, Bruno will always spot an opportunity. He's a little sensitive, hates the rain, but loves a good old fashinoned run around.
Sandy
Head of 'Purrfection'
With a keen eye for detail and a no-nonsense vetting process, Sandy ensures that all of our products & services are the cats pyjamas.
Beanie
Head of Collections
Beanie is our Head of Collections and goodness knows what she'll bring back next! A street dog maybe but loves the beach and a good toy to destroy. Just make sure your invoices are paid on time!

Join the team

We’re always on the hunt to find the right people to expand our talented team. If there aren’t any vacancies advertised, please don’t let that stop you from getting in touch as we would love to learn about you for when future opportunities arise.

Charity work

With so many worthwhile causes to support & many of our colleagues having personal reasons to give back to particular charities, it’s always incredibly difficult to narrow our fundraising down to just one. As a result, we decided to support one local & one national charity: the Exeter Leukemia Fund and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

Check out how much money our amazing team has raised so far!

£4,000
Raised so far, including 60 hours of design services
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