QPS Print took delivery of the refurbished machine from Canon in July, a year after the firm bought its first secondhand Colorado.
Fairweather, who manages the firm alongside co-managing director Jamie Copeland, told Printweek that the decision to invest was easy.
“It’s a no-brainer, because [the price] that you pick the machines up for is ridiculous. Buying another was just a natural progression – and in the next 12 months, we will probably buy another,” he said.
QPS Print runs three Fujifilm Acuity flatbeds and three screen printing lines, with a Mimaki wide-format machine as backup and two Kongsberg cutting tables. Installing the Colorados was part of a conscious move to build up the firm’s capacity, with pop-up banners and posters easier to run at volume through the roll-to-roll machines.
“We’re trying to attract different types of work. Obviously, we predominantly print flatbed on the three Acuitys, but this gives us a bit more versatility,” Fairweather said.
“We can be a bit more reactive to get stuff out of the door; we’ve probably increased our capacity around 20% for that sort of work.”
The refurbished Colorado has slotted in alongside the rest of QPS’ plant on site, with all machines now running alongside each other.
Over the past two years, the company has been busy targeting new work, meaning that even with the extra capacity all machines are running, including the screen lines, which have seen a “resurgence” in business.
“Jamie [Copeland] is very proactive with that, he’s trying to attract new work and strengthen existing customer relations. We used to be a bit guilty of not necessarily following things up, or not chasing things, because we were too busy running the business – but we’ve been having a bit of business coaching and it’s made a difference,” Fairweather said.
“We’re in a good position, but we’re not blasé about it, because we know that in this industry things can change overnight.”
The business currently turns over around £1.6m, with Fairweather and Copeland aiming to hit £2m within the next few years. QPS Print employs 22.
