The company spent £300,000 on a Xeikon 3300 digital presses and a GM DC 330 label finishing line. The equipment went in two months ago.

The purchases were made thanks to a £200,000 funding package from HSBC signed last year. Lotus Labels put up the remaining £100,000.

The kit was bought to meet the required industry-standard, high-gloss metal finish needed for the 15-staff company's clients within the food and cosmetics industry.

Lotus Labels expects to grow sales from £1.28m in 2015 to £1.35m in 2016, said co-owner and managing director Andreas Schillinger – who prior to joining Lotus in 2014 was managing director of Muller Martini UK.

The Xeikon replaced one of four Webtron 750 flexo presses.

Schillinger said: “We liked the Xeikon because it was more of an industrial type of machine and fast. We print on a lot of thermal papers and the kit does that because it has special toner. It does jobs in half the time.

“And it is putting more work our way: customers who used to give us flexo work but not more complicated digital work are now asking us to do those kind of jobs.”

He added: “This new equipment not only helps us meet the necessary requirements for our clients, it also allows us to offer a greater variety and flexibility with design and packaging.

“We have been banking with HSBC since our company was incorporated in 1987 and value the support and funding the bank has provided.”

Lotus Labels is part of Dynamic Systems Group, one of Germany’s leading industrial label manufacturers, in 2014.

The business offers design and manufacturing of labels and packaging for a variety of clients including Alton Towers, Yo! Sushi, Jaguar and Fenwick department stores.

HSBC area director of business banking in Gatwick and East Sussex, Victoria Mutter said: “Our team has worked closely with the business over the years to support its growth and development, and our latest equipment finance loan will enable Lotus to remain ahead of the competition and broaden its customer base.”