Draft:CFH Docmail

CFH Docmail Ltd is a multichannel communications provider of print and mail (or print and post), hybrid mail and digital solutions.

Company history
Continuforms was founded by Geoff Broadway as a family-run business in 1977. The business started with a few lithographic printing  presses and finishing machines.

In 1982 the business was given the authorisation by UK Payment Administration Ltd to print cheques and pin numbers.

By 1992 CFH was printing its first Electoral documents, printing millions of postal vote packs, poll cards and ballot papers for every type of UK election.

In 1997 they launched the Top Tree Initiative, a tree planting scheme in association with the Woodland Trust. They have planted more than 76,000 trees through the scheme.

In 2007 CFH installed its first mail sortation equipment to become a downstream access (DSA) mail licence company.

In 2008 CFH launched its hybrid mail solution, Docmail, which was the first of its kind on the market. CFH Docmail hybrid mail combines online technology with Royal Mail delivery. Mailings – whether a single letter or a personalised mailing to thousands – are written and created online by the originator and uploaded electronically to Docmail, where they are printed and sorted via CFH’s Downstream Access (DSA) facility, to be finally delivered by the Royal Mail.

In 2009 Hays invested in Docmail hybrid mail to deliver upwards of 9 million mail packs each year.

In 2011 CFH bought FST Technologies providing manufacturing, service teams and developers in Scotland. Shortly after, in 2012, CFH acquired Print for Business Limited (PRINT.UK.COM).

In 2015 CFH completed a further acquisition, with the purchase of BSS Scotmail.

In 2016 CFH produced 16% of all EU referendum ballot papers for the British electorate.

By 2020 it was estimated that CFH could fulfil 1.1 million letters in a working day, with over 220 million documents delivered to-date through Docmail.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, local authorities used the Docmail Hybrid Mail print capability to send information about supplies, services and support to 135,000 residents within 48 hours. In 2021 CFH were selected for a four-year framework to provide digital document management tools and printing services to NHS organisations.

CFH has an ongoing relationship with Canon, and in December 2023 they replaced several traditional toner printers with the Canon VarioPrint iX3200 sheet-fed inkjet press to minimise energy usage and bolster delivery. In 2023 CFH produced and delivered over 66.3 million postal packs.