Hawthornes Printers has spent 1.8m on new kit including the UKs first eight-colour Speedmaster SM 102-8P with fully automatic plate loading.


Executive chairman Chris Hawthorne said the new press would work with an older eight-colour 102 and would mean "we no longer have to turn down two big eight-colour jobs or four-back-four jobs".


It replaces a two-colour Heidelberg in October and should give the 8.4m turnover Nottingham firm up to 20% greater productivity than its current eight-colour.


The investment also included a Heidelberg Trendsetter CTP system and Prinergy workflow, a proofing upgrade to a DuPont digital Cromalin AQ, and a Stahl folder.


Half the firms 90 staff have joined its employee share ownership trust offering 16% of shares (PrintWeek 9 June).


They have taken up 4% of company equity so far, but Hawthorne would not say how much this was. Non-family directors hold 9%.


Story by Jez Abbot