Argent Colour, part of Wyndeham Press Group, has appointed Richard Mason as technical development director.
Mason was previously production director at Electronic Solutions (ES), one of the first totally digital pre-press companies in the UK.
Argents main contract is with IPC, covering titles in the South Bank group, including Marie Claire, Homes & Gardens and Woman & Home. It was extended to come under review in 2004 prior to the departure of IPC manufacturing director Peter Barber last March.
IPC began the change to PDF workflow early last year with the Argent titles moving in October. These then went fully CTP in December, along with another 30 IPC titles. The rest are expected to follow in the next four months.
Masons appointment followed a social meeting with managing director Tony Austin. He worked for ES for six years and his remit at Argent is to develop business with more publishing companies as well as organically grow business with existing clients.
Ive been brought in to bring the company forward and start shouting about what Argent can do, said Mason.
Masons responsibilities at ES have been taken on by executive production director Steve Jones, but the majority of his work had been completed.
When I started at ES there were 14 of us and when I left there were 140. There was not much more I could do there, added Mason.
ES managing director Steve Hobbs said it was an amicable split. His key strengths were developing new workflow systems. He had delivered that and needed greater challenges, he said.
Story by Rachel Barnes