MPC continues investment plan with 400,000 Buhrs buy

The Magazine Printing Company (MPC) has splashed out 400,000 on a new Buhrs 4000 polywrapping line.

According to the Enfield-based company, the new machine, which replaces a nine-year-old Buhrs line, will offer improved turnaround times and will increase reliability and efficiency.

Managing director Graham Leasor said the company will inadvertently see an increased capacity which he believes will be "rapidly filled".

The new machine can poly and paper wrap, and offers reduced set-up times and maintenance.  It has a combination of a low gathering section with mobile feeders, a servo-driven wrapping module and a Buhrs System Controller. 

It can run at up to 18,000c/h and, according to Buhrs, it is not necessary to stop the system between two different jobs.  

MPC specialises in short-run magazines, producing over 200 titles per month, including 11 weeklies. The company currently employs more than 50 staff and has a turnover of around £5m.

The latest investment takes MPC's spending in the last 18 months to almost £2m, and the company has maintained it will continue to keep investing in order to expand.

Leasor said: "Despite the recessionary marketplace, we are maintaining strong growth and continually requiring additional capacity throughout the company.

"As a company we continually reassess investment to maintain or increase out output, quality and service levels. We will continue to invest so long as the outlay can be justified."

However, he also said MPC considered itself a "master of one trade" and would not be diversifying its business away from the specialist magazine market.