Bought secondhand from Xerox, the 2018 Rialto, which used came from Datagraphic's Rugby facility, presented “too good an opportunity to pass up”, according to Stephen Ferri, general manager at PM Solutions.
“Volumes are increasing, and we’ve got a couple of big contracts looming in the distance, so the install is us getting prepared for that business to come in,” he told Printweek.
The Rialto was installed in December, just before Christmas, and commissioned in January. It has arrived six months after PM Solutions invested in a Winkler + Dünnebier (W+D) BB820+ intelligent inserter, capable of up to 20,000 units per hour.
With the new Rialto, PM will run the W+D at around 75% capacity, leaving plenty of slack for additional work as it comes in.
“We needed that additional firepower in the print room to be able to feed [the W+D],” added Ron Davidson, founding managing director of PM Solutions.
While the latest Rialto to go in isn’t brand-new, PM Solutions received it in good condition and have taken on a service contract from Xerox, which facilitated the deal.
“We saw the opportunity, and it made perfect sense: we already have the logistics in place, and there was no need for new training, and we already have the [supplier] deals with the paper. It was too good an opportunity to pass up,” Davidson added.
“We have a Xerox engineer who is absolutely fantastic, a godsend, who keeps on top of the maintenance, and we do the same for cleaning. He has served us brilliantly well, and it made sense to stick with Xerox based on that level of service,” Ferri said.
With the new printer taking up slack in the production line, the company is ready for growth in 2025.
“We don’t have the inserting machines waiting on the print room: we’ve got balance between both departments,” Davidson said.
“And we can turn up the speeds [on the W+B], which gives us the capacity for growth, without having to alter any shift patterns, which helps the work/life balance of our staff.”
PM Solutions employs around 15 full-time staff, and is on track to turn over a forecast £3m.
“We’re certainly on the up. We’re still a family business, but we’ve gone from a small mailing company to a force to be reckoned with,” Davidson said.
