History
James Townsend and Sons Ltd was established by James Townsend in 1866. James’ uncle was a missionary and the company was the first to produce prayer books in the native tribal languages.
Together with his son, Mr Wilfred Townsend, two generations of the family ran the company for 116 years until Wilfred’s death in 1982. Throughout this time James Townsend & Sons Ltd build a solid reputation in the area, and in 1908 the city librarian H Tapley-Soper regarded the company as one of the largest in the industry at that time.
At the end of the 19th Century James Townsend & Sons Ltd produced their very first label, and in the early 1980’s became a dedicated label printer. In 2002 following a MBO the company is now a family business again, owned and managed by the Coles family.
Today, James Townsend & Sons Ltd remains a strong leader in the market and continues to evolve in order to sustain for the future and generations to come.
