The Liverpool-based family firm bought the saddlestitching and three-knife trimming line from GAE to modernise its bindery and speed up output.

The 23-year-old firm specialises in business sector magazine production, which makes up 60% of its output, and also completes a range of commercial brochures and leaflets.

Custom Print Group managing director David Casstles said the firm "was struggling to get jobs turned around quick enough and we were even turning away work".

He added that some magazines had increased pagination to 72pp, which had to be outsourced, but "now we can take on these jobs and give shorter lead times with better control".

Casstles said: "In the short time it has been in, we have increased the amount we do by 30%".

The 12-staff company claimed a 10,000-run, 48pp magazine job now took four hours to complete "whereas the same job previously would have taken us about two days".

The firm also runs Heidelberg Stahlfolders, a Polar guillotine and shrink-wrapping kit.