The Sheffield-based business, which was created following a merger of Northend Creative Print Solutions (CPS) and My Print Partners (MPP) in April, took delivery of the machine at the start of August.

Supplied by Printaply, which is based around six miles away from Northend, the device has replaced an aging Autobond laminator that CPS had been using for the past few years and which has now been part-exchanged as part of the deal. A secondhand GBC Delta laminator that MPP had been using prior to the merger was sold on privately.

Northend production director Richard Green said: “The Cellcoat Emerald 52 ticks all the boxes – it can do 10 sheets from digital or 10,000 sheets from litho, whereas the Autobond that was being used previously wasn’t fit for purpose [anymore].”

While the company considered other alternatives on the market prior to making its purchase, Green said he liked the fact that this machine was supplied by another Sheffield-based outfit and “we were confident that they could deliver what we wanted following a conversation that we had with them”.

He added: “It hasn’t stopped – we’ve had it in a month and we’ve had someone on it eight or nine hours a day every day since. Installation and training was straightforward – it went in on a Wednesday and we were running work on it by Thursday morning.”

The device has joined a kit portfolio that includes a five-colour RMGT (Ryobi) 925 LED-UV press and recently installed Epson wide-format machinery at Northend’s 1,858sqm premises.

45-staff Northend is aiming to turn over around £5m this year. The company serves commercial and B2B clients as well as design agencies.

Green concluded: “We’re absolutely stacked out at the moment. Everything has gone swimmingly since the merger, probably even a bit better than we thought it would, which is always nice.”