The Awards were presented by Horizon president Eijiro Hori and IFS managing director Bryan Godwyn at Sketch brasserie restaurant in Mayfair, London.
As well as honouring customers, Godwyn used the event to laud the 36-year shared history of the two businesses.
“I still feel like a newcomer, having only worked with Eijiro san for some 26 years, but Tony [Hards, IFS chairman] was the man responsible for bringing Horizon to the UK 36 years ago,” said Godwyn.
“We’ve enjoyed an incredible relationship over those years. Tony always said that finishing was the way printers could add value and profit to their business, and that’s as true today as it was 36 years ago.
“But it’s not only us that have a strong relationship with Horizon, many of today’s winners are third- or fourth-generation users and have more than one product; thank you to all our customers.”
Piyush Shah, chairman of Tongwell, Milton Keynes-headquartered Enveco was honoured for installing the UK’s 200th Horizon StitchLiner, a 5500, which was upgraded to a 6000 over the summer.
The StitchLiner was installed at Enveco’s Milton Keynes site, which specialises in luxury stationery and personalised school exercise books with flexo inners and digital covers. The firm also has a greetings card and bespoke envelope operation in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Envelopes Plus.
Flexpress in Birstall, Leicester received an award for installing the 175th third-generation BQ-270 single-clamp binder in 2013, which was collected by directors Steve and Mel Wenlock.
Helen Bowden, director of Herefordshire-based commercial print and design firm Orphans, collected the 200th AFC-Combination Folder Award for the AFC-566FG folder with MKU38 Mobile Knife Unit it installed earlier this year. The 25-staff firm runs two five-colour Speedmaster SM 74s and an Indigo 5500.
The award for installing the 100th BQ-470 perfect binder was presented to BCQ Group chairman Richard Knowles, who accepted the trophy on behalf of the 130-staff Buckingham-based commercial and wide-format printer.
DG3 UK director Barry Page and operations director John MacDonald collected the 250th Bookletmaker Award. The £20m sales UK arm of the global group runs a raft of Horizon kit including two Horizon SPF-FC/200A bookletmaker lines.
“I’m delighted to say that today DG3 has signed for another order for a Horizon bookletmaker, so this is really a 251st bookletmaker award,” said Godwyn.
The new machine will be installed in January.
Managing director of £3.8m-turnover, Ipswich-based Healeys Print Group received an IFS Premier Horizon User Award as did Alan Bunter, managing director of family-run commercial digital and litho business, Remous, although he couldn’t make yesterday’s event.
Godwyn said that Healeys was one of IFS’ oldest Horizon customers, having been a user for more than 30 years.
Healey’s Dodd thanked IFS on behalf of all the winning customers: “Thank you to Mr and Mrs Hori for visiting us in the UK and please keep making wonderful pieces of kit that help us run our businesses.”
