Hemlock Printers partners with Harling Direct and acquires Kirk Marketing

Hemlock Printers (Burnaby, BC) has announced the creation of Hemlock Harling Distribution, a company dedicated to providing data-driven marketing, postal and third-party distribution services to a diverse range of customers throughout North America. The venture is an equal partnership between Hemlock Printers, a North American printing industry leader, and Harling Direct, a progressive and well-established marketing support company offering postal services and fulfillment, working from facilities in Montreal and Toronto. Hemlock Harling Distribution will formally open its doors on February 1, 2017, coinciding with the acquisition of Kirk Marketing, a full-service print, mailing and fulfillment services company in Richmond, BC, with a proud history spanning 60 years. Operating from Kirk Marketing’s 40,000-square-foot facility, Hemlock Harling will bring together “a dynamic and experienced team of 40 staff members driven by a customer-centric approach and focus on continuous innovation,” said the companies. In addition to serving its own established customer base, the team at Hemlock Harling will also support Hemlock Printers and Harling Direct clients, significantly expanding the capabilities of both partner organizations.

“We’re very excited to launch this new company with our partners at Harling Direct,” said Hemlock President and COO Richard Kouwenhoven. “The management and distribution of our printed materials is fast becoming an integral part of our business, requiring a high level of expertise. Hemlock Harling will enable us to greatly expand this service area and will help us meet the changing needs of our customers in the years ahead.”
Harling Direct President Randy Yates added: “Harling has been actively looking to the Western Canadian Market to offer customers complete distribution coverage from coast to coast. And when the opportunity arose to partner with an established company like Hemlock Printers, we didn’t hesitate. Harling is not new to this type of business venture, having successfully partnered with the PDI Group of Montreal since 2007. Our mutual clients have benefited from a powerful integration of print, mail, warehousing and distribution services which is a model we’re looking forward to growing in the West. Our acquisition of Kirk Marketing provides an ideal springboard for this new venture.”
Gordon Taschuk, President and CEO of Kirk Marketing, said that the three companies are a natural fit. “The long-term vision for Hemlock Harling, which is focused on delivering innovative fulfillment, mailing and distribution services, closely aligns with the values that have guided our business for the last six decades” said Taschuk. “I’m looking forward to my role as General Manager at Hemlock Harling and working with two of the most respected companies in the industry, leveraging our combined strengths to the benefit of our customers and staff.”