The Cheshire-based firm, which aims to achieve double its £16m 2005 turnover by the end of this year, has added a range of new litho, digital and finishing equipment over the past six months.
Print manager Ian Duddle said that, in addition to the two Roland 700 perfectors, the company had invested a sizeable amount in both digital and finishing equipment, including at least one new digital press and inserting line.
APS director Cid Thomas said: “APS has grown significantly in the past two years, which has led to an unprecedented demand from both new and existing clients for marketing-related print.
“Our customers expect us to be able to respond to the challenging requirements of their marketing objectives and, in addition to being able to arrange outsourcing through our print hub, it became increasingly evident that we needed to increase our own onsite manufacturing capability.”
The firm has already grown its turnover from £16m in 2005 to £22m last year and is now targeting £30m for 2007. APS Group is the first UK company to have purchased two 10-colour Roland 700 presses on the same order.
In addition, APS is the first UK print manufacturer to run its Roland 700 presses alcohol free. Duddle said: “Our existing presses run alcohol-free fount solution and so we expected, from day one, this to be the same for the new ones. We are pleased to report this was the case.”
The two new presses, which were installed between November 2006 and this February, have almost tripled the firm’s B1 capacity, taking its total units from 11 (comprising a five-colour and a six-colour press) to 31.
Thomas said: “MAN Roland offered us such a good deal on a second press that we decided to take up the offer – unquestionably the right decision because since the two machines were installed they have never been idle.”
APS GROUP
Sites Cheadle Heath, Cheshire; Edinburgh
2005 turnover £16m
Projected 2007 turnover £30m
Last six months’ kit spend £3m
New kit includes two 10-colour Roland 700 sheetfed presses with InLine-Perfector, new digital and finishing kit
APS on mission to double sales after 3m in-house kit spend
Print and print management firm APS Group has massively beefed up its in-house production facility with the addition of two 10-colour MAN Roland presses as part of a 3m investment.
