Integrated Manufacturing Solutions and Futuregrafic, headed up by Malcolm McKenzie and Gary Rogers respectively, have established Meler Bookbindinding Division in partnership with adhesive delivery systems manufacturer Meler Gluing Solutions.

McKenzie and Rogers previously worked togther at Muller Martini UK.

Their new business will specialise in converting hot-melt binding lines to PUR, a service both had previously been offering separately using Meler's technology. Between them they have already installed a significant number of PUR conversions at UK companies including Lavenham Press, Infinity Print Finishers, Quantum Bookbinders and Hobbs the Printers.

However, they hope that by joining forces and with Meler's continued support they will mirror their UK success worldwide.

McKenzie said: “Meler has asked us to look after the whole of the world for bookbinding by working together.

“We have so far converted 13 big binding systems from the likes of Muller Martini, Kolbus, Horizon and Wohlenberg to run with PUR. Meler supplies the core components and we  customise them to create complete PUR systems."

McKenzie said a conversion system would typically cost around £45,000.

While McKenzie and Rogers had mainly focused on the UK previously, they have already   supplied systems to Australia, Poland, Belarus and North and South America, which encouraged them to create the new business and target global growth.

"We target anyone with a large bookbinding system who wants to add PUR to the existing kit. It's not a massive market, but when you consider the UK is quite a small part of the overall picture, looked at globally it has quite big potential,” said McKenzie.