Lloyd James is installing the new press at its Sidcup plant this week and it will be fully operational by early August. It invested 350,000 in the equipment.

Group sales director Jo Lloyd said that the company had made the move because of the direct mail industry's shift towards more targeted, short-run campaigns.

Lloyd added that she saw the company "going down the digital route" and the move would result in same-day turnaround for print runs of up to 5,000. "Clients are going for smaller runs and clever mailings," she said. "It was important to have a five-colour press to do this and NexPress suited our needs."

Lloyd added that there were plans to add another NexPress machine to its Sidcup facility in the spring of next year. "Kodak has a very large war chest to spend on development of the press," she said.

Em En Ess is running its new addition alongside its existing four-colour NexPress 2100, which was installed at the end of 2001 and operates as part of Em En Ess's digital division Clickonprint.com (PrintWeek, 22 February, 2002).

"Em En Ess was an early adopter of the 2100 press," said Kodak NexPress UK sales manager Chris Matthews. "There has been a significant leap in terms of technology, and in the direct mail industry, there is a recognition that although digital costs more it can encourage higher rates of response from consumers."

Matthews added that NexPress would move from its current base with former parent Heidelberg in Brentford to Hemel Hempstead with Kodak. He said that the sales team would move into the site in August with the entire NexPress workforce moving by the end of December.

Kodak concluded its deal to buy Heidelberg's 50% stake in NexPress at the start of May (PrintWeek, 22 April).