The Runcorn-based firm installed a twin tower Horizon SPF/FC-200L bookletmaker, a Horizon CRF-362 creaser folder and a Foliant Taurus 530SF laminator last month. The installs, all from Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), replaced Watkiss, Morgana, and Autobond machines respectively.
“We looked at the finishing operation and we knew that we needed to perform more efficiently to be able to operate within some of the pricing in the market,” said operations director Pete Lewis.
“We’re not going to be able to push prices up really, the only way we can live with them is to perform better and be more efficient.”
According to Lewis flexibility was also a key driver for the investment, citing the Drupa-launched 4,500bph bookletmaker’s ability to feed landscape sheets up to 640mm wide, the CRF-362 ability to perform top and bottom creases, and the laminator’s handling of B2 short-edge jobs as well as B3 long edge work, and the machines’ ability to finish both litho and digital work.
“We’ve invested heavily on the print side of the business in recent years, so a lot of what we’ve done is bring our finishing up to scratch because in some ways it was our bottleneck. A lot of what we had was what we bought when we moved into digital, now that we’re litho and digital we were putting too much pressure on it,” added Lewis.
This latest spend follows the firm installing the UK’s first Heidelberg Speedmaster SX 74 two years ago, with the five-colour press signalling the digital printer’s move into B2 litho.
As well as litho, the firm operates a raft of digital kit, including a Kodak Nexpress, Xeikon 5000 and a number of Xerox machines and is currently reviewing new MIS and possibly a new digital press installation later this year.
It also entered the wide-format arena a few years ago, running Mimaki, Roland and HP machines, with the most recent addition being an Océ Arizona flatbed installed at the start of last year.
“Wide-format fits nicely with some of the retail work that we do, so we can produce everything from digital and litho marketing work all the way through signage and POS,” said Lewis.
Around 60% of the firm’s work is for large print management groups, but it also deals with a number of leading retailers direct.
To help achieve its growth targets, as well as upgrading the bindery, Lewis said the firm was looking at boosting its marketing activities.
“To be honest we’ve been fairly anonymous really and because of the markets we’re in we’re probably not that well known even in our local area, so we’re looking at developing a marketing strategy to spread the word,” he said.
