Last month an eight-colour B1 KBA Rapida was installed and a 10-colour will be arriving in January, taking its total number of units to 48, to be followed by another 10-colour next September.

"It's difficult to believe anyone is running as many long perfectors, at the moment we have more than anyone else in the UK, " said chairman Bernard Galloway.

Although the machine to be installed in January will be another KBA, Galloway said that the firm would look for the best available technology for the machine arriving next September.

He added that the firm wouldn't be considering the latest specification KBA Raida 105 because it "needed to be tested and we don't intend to be guinea pigs".

As part of its increase in firepower the firm will also increase the number of machines with Rapidkut KBA's reel-to-sheet device.

It has one already, is retrofitting one to an existing machine and the new 10-colours will be fitted with them.

The firm has also invested in its pre-press and finishing with a third Agfa Galileo platesetter and two Stahl pallet fed folders.

It sees no sign of slow down in its core market of short run B2B magazines and now produces 320 titles for clients including Emap.

Following its 10m spend over the past five years its board has approved a further 3.4m.

Story by Barney Cox