As technical director, Hutchins will be responsible for providing support to the sales team of Druckfarben’s offset printing blanket range, which includes its range of IMC Perfect Dot blankets. He started at Druckfarben on 18 April.
Hutchins said: "Obviously I'm very pleased to be working for Druckfarben. One of the reasons I've decided to work for them is because they have just put a big investment in. They want to be a serious player in the blanket market. I will be trying to bring value to the selling of blankets from the point of view of technical assistants, sales people and customers."
Druckfarben expanded its offering in November 2015 with a £500,000 investment, bringing in new staff and purchasing a CAD converting machine. This machine is an automatic blanket converting CAD cutting facility, which cuts blankets automatically to size. It has dual cutting heads to cut stencilled blankets.
Druckfarben managing director Grant Penfield, who worked with Hutchins at his previous company Stehlin Hostag, said he is a perfect fit for the role. He said: “I’ve done this before and it’s about having the right people and the right products. If you don’t attack the market and put the team in and don’t build a relationship, then you will lose out.
“Jon is known so he is an important guy. He’s been around the blanket business for 40 years. He’s respected and he’s credible.”
Hutchins has previously worked providing technical support for offset printing blanket manufacturer Duco.
As well as its IMC Perfect Dot range, it is now distributing the dayGraphica range of offset blankets, acquired from the Flint Group, which recently closed its Dundee plant. It also distributes the TyreF coating blanket range.
Penfield added: "For us to become a market leader in the development of blankets we need to give a service to the marketplace and support the product that we sell. We are growing but we are fighting the marketplace, which is shrinking by 7% each year.”
Druckfarben moved premises in August 2015 to a 10,000sqm site in Corby, Northamptonshire. It turns over approximately £15m and is aiming for growth of 15% year on year. It employs 30 staff.
