Fifty years of print, 30 years of graphic arts PR

Print Solutions

In the wake of Genesis Marketing Services turning 30 years old in January 2026, owner Russ Hicks has been celebrating a full 50 years in the wonderful world of print, as of July 4, 2026.

Well known across the industry, Russ and Genesis Marketing have carved out a considerable niche in the public relations sector over those 30 years. Frequently seen at printing and packaging events, Russ has enjoyed freelance PR roles with both small and large equipment supply businesses. In addition to his PR work, Russ has also written a considerable number of features for the trade press.

Russ said, ‘It has been a fabulous journey. It really doesn’t feel like 50 years in the industry, or 30 years in the PR arena. There is an age old saying about work: ‘Find a job you love doing, and you will never work another day in your life!’! Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is not a million miles from the truth. It really has been a blast. I have worked for and with some wonderful people, and great companies, with some fabulous leading edge products, plus, of course an amazing cohort of brilliant journalists and editors over the years.’

Regarding his early years in the printing trade, Russ says that industry knowledge was very valuable when discussing pre-press articles with article contributors, and when talking about installed products with potential PR subjects.

Among the many clients Genesis has worked for in its 30 years have been Morgana Systems; RMGT/Ryobi presses with M Partners and previously as with Ryobi dealer Apex Digital Graphics; manroland Goss GB web presses, though prior to the split into sheetfed and web companies, he was working with manroland GB, including Perske Price Services (the MAN Roland dealer prior to it being converted to the MAN Roland business); Benson Group (prior to the purchase by Graphic Packaging International); Xeikon (at various times); Centurfax, and its UK distributor Ripware; MidSystems, as well as another Chris Hodges software product Wave2; Marlowe Graphics (in three spells); Troika; RasterGraphics; Flame Graphics, including its publishing arm; and Tera newspaper systems, along with many others.

Russ started his print journey as a composing room apprentice back in 1976, when lead type was still the key component for page assembly in the commercial sector, at the wonderfully named Bocardo & Church Army Press. He was also exposed to some of the early phototypesetting equipment from Linotype-Paul.

As computer based typesetting technology became mainstream, and having witnessed several new equipment installations during his first few years in the trade, Russ had taken note of the trainers who would come in to a company to provide a few days of education on new equipment. He thought that this was a job he could quite easily see himself doing.

Eventually this knowledge led to a role with American owned AM Varityper – one of the three main suppliers of photo composition equipment in the 1980s. The job included demonstrating products, both in the showroom and industry exhibitions, as well as training new customers in the London training school, or on follow up visits for in-company training.

Just over 18 months (and 40,000 miles!) into this ‘dream job’, a position was mentioned to him within the AM International group working in the company’s international dealer office. The AM Dealer Operations office existed to locate, set up, and support independent dealers to sell both Varityper typesetting and Multigraphics small offset printing kit in countries where AM International didn’t have its own subsidiary company. It had 14 subsidiary offices around the major trading countries of the world. The UK based dealer office covered European dealers, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian sub-continent, and South-East Asia. The job included typesetting support, managing dealer training needs (with support from AM offices in the UK mainly), and producing marketing support material.

This was, of course, still in a world without the internet or mobile phones, meaning that support often included quite a few air miles!

Support for dealers included having a presence at major international trade shows, such as drupa, Ipex, Imprinta (a popular event held in Düsseldorf at the time when pre-press was evolving with imagesetters, PostScript, platesetters, and a myriad of new screen technologies, storage devices, and scanning systems), and the IFRA newspaper focused event.

Russ was also charged with setting up the first worldwide AM International dealer conference. It was staged on a boat that travelled down the Rhine in the three days leading up to the drupa show of April 1990.

However, the times were continually changing. AM International sold the Varityper business, Russ went back to the AM International UK head office for a year, before redundancy forced him out. This led to a year long stint as marketing manager for Monotype Systems in Surrey.

Following this, Russ formed Genesis Marketing Systems (Milton Keynes) Limited 30 years ago.

‘I suppose the first highlight must be that it has lasted 30 years! Regarding other memorable moments, securing the hire of the FA Cup for a day at the 2002 Ipex show, on the Centurfax stand, always comes to mind. It provided a real focus with a long queue of people wanting to hold the trophy and have their photo taken with the cup.’

He continued, ‘Being hired to represent Perscke Price Services/MAN Roland was certainly another stand out moment. Marketing director (at the time) Murray Lock had consulted with trade press editors when his previous PR person decided to take up an editor’s job in Australia. My name was mentioned as a good fit for what Murray needed. As one of the three big press suppliers of the time, it was a major coup for me, and the beginning in 2001 of a long standing working relationship with Murray and Mark Stribley from the renamed manroland GB team that has lasted to this day with their company M Partners.’

‘A career with a passion for print, is how I would describe the past 50 years,’ said Russ. ‘I have had the pleasure of meeting many great people in my time – some, however, stand out for the faith they have shown me, and the knowledge that they have imparted.

‘First, Andrew Gotch, the manager of the AM Varityper Southern UK office in Highgate, London, for having the faith to hire me for my first ‘supplier’ position. Secondly, the previously mentioned Murray Lock for taking me on as a PR consultant for PPS/manroland GB, and more recently for M Partners. His marketing knowledge has been invaluable. Thirdly, Laurence Wallis, a colleague at AM International, who I had the immense pleasure of travelling with in Africa, Singapore, and India. A brilliant public speaker, Laurence gave me many tips and tricks to improve my ability for engaging an audience. In addition to that he shared with me and many others his amazing knowledge and excitement regarding the process of print, and particularly pre-press. Sadly, Laurence, along with such great characters, and customers, as Martyn Elmy and Bob Leslie, are no longer with us, but they are fondly remembered by all who they came into contact within this fabulous family of print.

‘With regard to the trade press, I must mention Jo Francis, Darryl Danielli, Susan Wright, and Gareth Ward, who have been a constant presence through my 30 years of PR activity. They have read and published a great many words on behalf of the customers that I have represented. I thank them for that. Their knowledge and passion for the technology behind this great art of printing remains to this day and will do for the coming years, I am quite sure.’

Whilst Russ would prefer to bat the problem away, progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) has been instrumental in the gradual reduction in the quantity of work that he has been able to produce over the last 15 or so years. ‘It is a bit of a nuisance, but there are a great many people with far worse problems to live with,’ would be his typical response to those who were aware of the issue.

Congratulations to Russ. He remains a stalwart of the industry and we wish him every success and many more years within print.