The Scunthorpe-based printer's investment, funded by a mixture of capital investment and loans, included Heidelberg, Muller Martini and Creo kit.

In the press hall, the company is installing a Heidelberg M600 web in the next two weeks, which joins the firm's existing Speedmaster 102 with CutStar and image control.

Pre-press has been upgraded with a Creo Lotem platesetter and Prinergy workflow.

The finishing department will get a Muller Martini Tandem Prima S stitching line and a Muller Acoro perfect binder, to be running within four months.

Director Paul Doran, who founded The Journal Printing Company in 1997, said that the investment would not fundamentally change the nature of his business. He said: "We're not going to be a web printer, but a short-run magazine printer that happens to have a web."

"We're going to specifically target long-perfecting printing companies by printing web with sheetfed. We're not trying to drive prices down but we think we can be more competitive and do it quicker."

Doran explained that the investment marked a move into the final stages of the company's initial ten-year strategy.

"Our ultimate goal within 10 years was to we would achieve recognition as one of the best in the country at what we do," he said.

Doran added that the company had recently won several major new contracts, with "national PLCs", although he declined to reveal further details.

Story by Josh Brooks