The Thetford, Norfolk-based plastics and coatings supplier bought a SignRacer 2500 H-LED last month at Fespa Digital in Amsterdam, to take on trade orders for wide-format direct-to-media signage but has since decided to create a new company – Direct to Media (DTM) – to better grow that side of its business.

DTM is located in the same premises as Peerless in a new 6x39m clean room cleared for the SignRacer. There is room for two or three more printers, the company said.

So far, one minder and a graphic designer are the company’s only dedicated staff, with management and other staff resources as needed shared between DTM and Peerless.

Managing director of both companies, Peter Llewellyn-Stamp said: “We felt it made more sense to have a separate print company and do very much the same work as a trade house and so we can expand into new industries and market ourselves as a trade house for signage and shops.

“Peerless is very different. We just felt that everyone in the signage industry wouldn’t really know Peerless, it’s not a market that we’ve gone into for many years.”

Llewellyn-Stamp said that since it was established and with very little promotion and no big launch fanfare, the trade printing business had “moved very fast” and had picked up signage printing business locally. It was also getting enquiries for banners, he added.

One of the business’s three majority shareholders, a former managing director in the signage industry, James Grint, had also been advising Peerless bosses on the move.  

DTM said it offers customers a smooth transition from the print bed to the coating line for a fully protected, UV-cured hard coat. Protective coatings can be applied in both clear gloss or matt finish and give protection against the weather and chemical cleaning.

The SignRacer is 2.5m wide and can print onto rigid media up to 50mm thick. The company can also print roll-to-roll on flexible media such as vinyl or canvas.

Llewellyn-Stamp said the aim was to grow DTM but it would remain a trade house and would not sell direct to the end-user.

“We’ve operated as a trade supplier for many years and it works for us,” he said.

Peerless Plastics & Coatings has a turnover of £1.5m and 44 staff. Managers hope the new company will make up to £800,000 within 18 months.