According to managing director Andrew Scrimgeour, the seven-colour HP Indigo WS6000 is more than twice as productive as the WS4500 the company was running: "The difference between the two generations of Indigos is phenomenal."

The 330mm-wide press, which was officially unveiled by minister for schools and Bognor Regis and Littlehampton MP Nick Gibb last Friday (19 August), is capable of 60m/min mono or 30m/min four-colour on substrates up to 450 microns thick.

The new press will run alongside the label firm’s WS4050 and an Omega Digicon series 2 digital label converting line. The £250,000 Digicon 2 was installed in January and features a screen unit, two flexo units and cold foiling and coating. The 60-staff, £6.5m company also runs a battery of conventional combination label presses at its Littlehampton production site.

The final piece of the company’s digital jigsaw is a new MIS, which is expected to go live in the Autumn.

"We took the company over two and half years ago: the first step was getting back to basics and doing the simple things; year two was taking that forward through continuous improvement; and by the end of year two we were in full growth mode and reaping the benefits, so that gave us enough confidence to enter 2011 with an investment plan," said Scrimgeour.

AJS, formerly AGI Labels, was bought in an MBO by Scrimgeour, who was previously AGI Media European managing director, in April 2009. The loss-making business was turned around within 12 months, scooping PrintWeek’s Customer Service Team of the Year in 2010 and Company of the Year (up to £5m) at the BPIF Excellence Awards in June this year.

Scrimgeour added: "The commitment of the staff in the past two years of getting the company back on its feet, back into profit and growth, coupled with investment, should bode well for the future, but we’re not going to take anything for granted in what is, after all, a very competitive marketplace. We can always get even better."