Following its previous investment in two Bowe Fusion Speed inserting lines in 2022, Printweek reported in January that APS Group had taken on an additional six Bowe Fusion Speed systems in late 2023, dedicated to enclosing and dispatching critical customer communications for the UK government.

These high-speed inserting lines will be stationed at APS Group’s Preston Brook and Cheadle print and mail centres.

The business has now also revealed its other recent hardware investments, including an additional Ricoh Pro VC60000 continuous feed inkjet printer installed in December 2023, a Xerox Baltoro colour cutsheet inkjet press that went in just over a year ago, and another Quadient DS-1200 enclosing line that was installed in August 2023.

APS has also further bolstered its team in this space with the hire of Ben Garner as operations director at Preston Brook. Garner joined from Communisis in November, and it was a newly created role aligned to the expansion.

The business said recent successes with government and financial services clients prompted it to add the new equipment, to help cope with demand.

“APS find themselves strategically positioned against the backdrop of recent market upheavals for firms seeking to mitigate their critical outsourced supplier risks by engaging multiple suppliers,” the company stated.

“However, the challenge for large financial services companies successfully managing risk in its supply chain lies in finding experienced partners capable of handling volume and scale, particularly for disaster recovery.

“APS have addressed this concern and secured a number of key clients, including several major high street financial services businesses, for their disaster recovery services, positioning the brand clear of the potential pitfalls of dependence on a single supplier.”

APS group operations director Steve Goodall commented: “The recent raft of new client work that has been obtained for our secure communications business is testament to the investment we have made in both our technical infrastructure and the necessary skills and talent.

“As the market further consolidates, APS is in prime position to support brands in managing their risk and delivering effective multi-channel customer communications.”

100% employee-owned, APS Group was founded in 1961 and helps brands with creative and content, customer communications, and customer experiences.

It employs over 900 staff globally, with headquarters in Cheadle and a number of regional offices across the UK, Europe, and North America.