Contract manager Steve Norman said the company had recently won "some long-term contracts in the education sector, with higher education institutions and universities" and was producing a mix of materials, from advertising to course notes.

Norman said the five-colour press with coater, which will be commissioned in early February, would help the company achieve faster turnaround times. It will complement a broader overhaul that includes a further £500,000 spend on pre-press and finishing equipment.

An all-Heidelberg business, Richmond Cavendish also runs a 10-colour and six-colour machine and offers in-house finishing, including die-cutting, folding and saddlestitching.

"We decided to move our business forward by attracting customers from markets where we previously had no presence" said managing director Martyn Kübe. "Our strategy means we have secured major contracts from clients seeking a market-led supplier. We focus on service delivery, rather than production process, and then look at investment that satisfies customer need."

He added: "We always planned to increase our throughput as we changed our work mix, and the XL allows superior response times as we help customers meet their own business objectives which continue to change in tough markets."

Richmond Cavendish is based in Leicester, employing 78 staff, and has a turnover in the region of £8.8m. As well as its education work, it produces catalogues and brochures, along with direct mail material for consumer markets, advertising clients and design agencies.