A team from Howitts visited Heidelbergs Montataire plant in France last week to look at the M600 web production line.
The firm, which was the subject of a recent management buy-in/buyout from the Communisis group, is understood to be taking a five-unit press in the summer.


Howitts already has an M600 and its not clear whether the new press will replace it or not.


The business remains tight-lipped on its plans for the time being, and finance director Chris Knight would only say that the company was "still in discussions" with Heidelberg.


"We have plans on many fronts that are still being formatted and put into place," he said. "Im hearing all sorts of things that were doing and its all very interesting!


"We havent bought this business to carry on exactly as it was there are several pieces that make up the jigsaw and not all are in place yet," he added.


Knight was part of the MBI/MBO team along with sales director Mike Normyle, commercial director Tony Ogle, operations director Dave Weiss and freshly-appointed managing director James Elliot.


Howitts currently operates from two factories in Nottingham: an 8,360m2 unit in Hucknall and a 4,645m2 plant in Bulwell. Both are leased.


Sources in the area say that the firm is looking to relocate to a single site at an industrial park within a short distance of the existing operations.


Story by Jo Francis