Almost three years after the pandemic put paid to its plans to expand, Sheffield-based hospitality and event print specialist FYI has installed its sixth machine since April 2021 - with plans for further development.
FYI, which employs 26 staff, moved to a new 930sqm site in January 2022 to accommodate the growth.
Tom Buxey, FYI’s co-founder and director, said the installations had helped the company grow its turnover significantly - to £2.4 million - and boost margins by bringing services in-house.
Buxey said that much of the expansion had been on the cards pre-pandemic, but that it's exposure to the hospitality, drinks and entertainment sector meant that when the lockdowns started it press paused on its plans.
“We were hit very hard - we lost about 80% of our revenue - and most of our customers had to close, or cancel events. [The expansion] has been part of our recovery and plan for growth.”
The installation series includes a new Canon Arizona 2300 XTF 2.5x3m flatbed, bought to replace an old Arizona, and an Imagepress 9010VP cut-sheet toner engine - both bought direct from Canon.
The firm likewise bought a Matrix 530DP laminator and Veloblade Volta 1070+ digital die-cutter, installed at the end of July, from Vivid Laminating Technologies, with which FYI has a 7 year relationship stemming from their last laminator purchase.
Rounding out the series of purchases were FYI’s new Duplo System 3500 Bookletmaker and its Summa F3220 flatbed cutter, which it bought from Paper Graphics.
Buxey said installations had helped the company increase its production capacity, speed, and bring in-house much of its outsourced finishing.
FYI’s planned installation of an ROQ DTG screen printer in September will bring another process in-house.
The firm nearly bought a label printer, too - but according to Buxey, its narrow range of applications would have meant more trouble than the machine was worth.
He said: “It would have been too big of a distraction, post-Covid.
“It’s not a cheap investment, and it would have been a totally new product for us - and there’s not a lot else you can do with those machines.”
