The team at the rebranded New Image Tile Studio in Weymouth.
Published: January 21, 2022 | Updated: 22nd January 2022
Steve Cobb’s business has come a long way since he sold his car and used the proceeds to buy a second-hand van and tile fixing tools.
Thirty three years later, New Image Tile Studio employs 13 people, has annual sales of £1.6m and – as befits its name – a brand new image.
Out goes its famous gecko, a familiar sight on the side of its Weymouth showroom and fleet of vans, and in comes a logo more suited to the business in 2022.
Because from its early days as a tile supply and fixing service it’s grown to offer made-to-measure kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and offices.
Not that the decision to bid farewell to the multi-coloured lizard, pictured left, was an easy one after 20-plus years.
Kerrie Keegan, General Manager, said: “We worked with graphic designer Rowena Taylor, who designed the new logos, and the project was coordinated by Key Digital in Poundbury.
“The gecko came up very early on in our discussions.
“It’s well-known in the area, very distinctive and many people know us for it.
“The gecko had served us well for our tile service but it was felt we had outgrown it and it was looking dated.
“When our new logo was presented to us we couldn’t at first visualise how it would look but when we saw the visuals we knew it was the right one.
“We were blown away and couldn’t have asked for more from Rowena or Key Digital.”
Steve, 56, pictured right, said: “The gecko was my idea initially and it was a bit of wrench to say goodbye.
“But it was absolutely the right thing to do and I’m very happy with our new look.”
For much of its first 20 years New Image was located in a small tile showroom on Abbotsbury Road in Weymouth.
Then, in 2009, the family-run independent business, at the time employing five people, moved to its existing premises some nine times larger on the Granby Industrial Estate
The showroom, warehouse and offices cover 12,500 sq ft and two floors.
The decision raised more than an eyebrow, not least as the UK was going through the 2008/9 Great Recession.
The team at New Image Tile Studio.
“It was a massive jump for us and some people thought I was crazy,” recalled Steve who also started the business before the 1990 recession.
“But what they didn’t know is that we also had two other warehouses and were bringing everything under one roof.”
Now installing and supplying kitchens and bathrooms, the decision to expand its services beyond tiles proved a wise one.
Kerrie, pictured left, said: “It was a natural progression and has worked well.
“We now do around eight bathrooms a month and about four or five kitchens.”
Even before the pandemic New Image had plans to expand the home improvements business.
During the last two years, including the forced closure in the early days of Covid, Steve, Kerrie and the team reviewed the business.
It resulted in an extensive modernisation of the showroom and an expansion into made-to-measure bedrooms and home/business offices.
It now has 30 room size displays – including a new bedroom showroom – aimed at suiting every style, taste and budget.
Kerrie said: “Without question people are investing more in their properties.”
Much of the work on the rebrand took place during December with the final piece in the jigsaw – an updated website – going live last week.
Apart from designer Rowena Taylor and Key Digital, other local businesses involved in the new image included:
Kerrie said feedback to the rebrand had been positive although the loss of the gecko had been noticed.
“We had a call to ask if we were aware that there was van going round with our name on it.
“Because it had our new logo, but no gecko, they didn’t think it was us.
“We’re very pleased with the rebrand.
“We think it’s very classy and grown-up,” added Kerrie.
