The G3 was installed in April and will run alongside another G3 – a 3.2x1.6m 3XL-1600 – at the wide-format printer’s Birmingham base. The investment will enable the firm to accelerate its turnaround speeds to better serve its four-year-old signage and interior contract with the fast-food franchise.
Both cutters are needed to run apace with two UV-LED EFI Vuteks – a six-colour 3.2m HS125 Pro and a five-colour 5m 5r – which were installed in January last year in a £1.5m investment.
Managing director Simon McKenzie said: “Our Vuteks run at a million miles an hour so we need the cutting machinery to keep up. I’m a big believer that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it – if you like a restaurant then it makes sense to keep going back.
“In that sense, we decided to go for a second Zünd. It means we do not need to train up our staff on a new kind of machine and can get straight to work. When you buy printers for a few million you need to keep an open mind, but I don’t think it’s the same with finishing.”
The Zünd G3 L-3200 plotting table has a working area of 1.8x3.2m with a maximum speed of 1.4m/second on the X and Y axes and 500mm/second on the Z axis.
As the latest investment in Hollywood Monster’s growth plans, it represents another expansion of the POS specialist’s kit rather than a replacement for an ageing machine. Further tech investments are on the cards, with McKenzie speaking to dealers CMYUK about a possible deal for 3D printing machinery from Massivit.
However, McKenzie’s next major step forward will be centred on M&A activity. The firm hopes to complete a deal in the near future, which McKenzie said could boost Hollywood Monster’s £9m turnover up to £15m.
A London office is also due to open in Tobacco Dock, Wapping, in October.
“Basically, the business is growing really quickly, and we serve an industry where everything has to be last minute – hence we are required to accommodate super-fast turnaround times,” said McKenzie. “Lots of fabulous things are happening for us now.”
Hollywood Monster currently covers 4,550sqm floorspace in Birmingham with a headcount of 75 members of staff. Its print portfolio is rounded out by an HP Scitex XP5300 and two more EFI Vuteks – a GS5000r and an H2000.
