The Hull-based printer officially unveiled its expansion, which has almost doubled its premises in size from 600sqm to 1,100sqm, at an opening event last Thursday (25 May), attended by more than 50 of Springfield’s clients and business partners. The expansion involved the taking on of a 15-year lease of the building directly behind Springfield’s existing premises. 

Joint managing director Dennis Ebeltoft said plans had been put in place after the company invested in a Screen Truepress L350UV inkjet machine at Drupa, its third Truepress, which was installed in February.

Ebeltoft said: “We’re growing every year, quite substantially in print, running double day shifts, and had no place to go other than a third shift to keep up with production demands. So we said we needed to buy a new machine, but because of production demands we had no more space."

On the day of the opening, attendees were given a presentation on the history of Springfield, before a factory tour and ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

The Truepress, along with two newly-acquired Digicon finishing lines, will now join two other Truepress presses in the newly expanded premises, one of which was the first to be installed in Europe. Springfield also runs an HP Indigo WS6000 and WS6800.

Ebeltoft took over as joint managing director along with Matthew Dass in 2014 and is responsible for the operations side of the business, having previously been Springfield operations director. At the time the pair set a target of doubling the firm's sales, which currently stand at £9m, within five years. Springfield is on course to produce more than 200 million labels by the end of 2017, doubling output from three years ago. 

“I think the decision to go digital was the best move we’ve made,” added Ebeltoft.

“The customers we deal with demand quick turnarounds and provide small- to medium-volume jobs, which don’t warrant being put on a conventional press.”