Spring Greens, Southwold

The Spring agency relocated to Southwold in 2006 from London and has a fast-growing reputation in the region. It demonstrates the potential of new technology to diversify the rural economy, with staff based both in Southwold and working remotely, an approach which enables them to work with talented designers based elsewhere, as well as recruiting local graduates who otherwise might have moved in order to fulfil their ambitions. Spring offers brand consultancy, advertising, web development and digital marketing, print design and production, and now works for a range of clients from country estates to blue chip power companies, luxury goods brands, family-owned firms in their third century and young start-ups.

Spring started to work with the region’s food producers and companies dealing with the practical side of environmental protection – housing, energy and recycling for example. The agency saw an opportunity to go one step further and formed Spring Greens, a unique eco-design service that uses research into print methods and materials to offer ecologically sound products that take the whole lifecycle into account. From high-quality vegetable inks to recycled paper or unbleached cotton T-shirts, to disposing of waste materials responsibly, Spring pushes its suppliers to go an extra step without sacrificing quality. Spring will even take company’s redundant materials away when they deliver their new items, and ensure clean disposal. Spring has found that this new service not only often saves clients’ money, but allows equivalent production quality.

MD Erika Clegg was conscious that unless new companies make the effort to base themselves in places like Southwold, those communities can lose their working population and families. Spring demonstrates that ‘urban’ businesses can indeed work in rural locations; business tends to be carried out with integrity and Suffolk’s network of ‘green’ businesses provides the perfect support network.

Spring Greens designed the brand logo, graphic identity and website for Suffolk: Creating the Greenest County.

Adnams distribution centre, Reydon.