Micro Mailing is based in the same building as MPF, which has been expanded to take a Hunkelar MBO remoist gluing machine, which was bought for £50,000.

For managing director Paul Higgs it is the completion of a 20-year cycle. His father Sid Higgs bought the UK’s first Hunkelar machine at the beginning of the 1980s.

Higgs told PrintWeek: “We wanted something that printers weren’t going to start doing themselves. These days when they buy a press a stitcher is also thrown in with it.

“Remoist gluing is difficult work so it needs a specialist to look after it. We have the first guy to handle a Hunkelar in the UK here.”

MPF specialises in pharmaceutical folding nationwide, as well as handling standard finishing work for local companies.

As well as the operator, the company has also employed a second member of staff to help man the machine and is looking to bring on board an apprentice to be trained on it.

The two companies employ nine staff, while MPF’s turnover improved to £300,000 last year.