His appointment forms the last stage in Rhapsody’s expansion into the cross-publishing arena using the firm’s Emagine asset and workflow management system, said the firm. Rahim will be responsible for devising and implementing digital strategies across the client base and overseeing digital output. “My goal is to help catalogue companies produce better, more engaging digital content for use on technology such as iPads, and really bring a new level of understanding,” he said. “Some publishing companies are strong on digital but most are in the transitionary phase. “There is still a role for print: a lot of titles are fantastic and deliver great value to their customers, but digital can offer something different and enable people to delve deeper. Print isn’t going to go away but its relationship with digital is changing, driven by the customer.” Rahim’s career spans 17 years in the digital arena for employers such as Fitch, Harvest Digital and Modem Media. He has worked with Apple, Penguin Books, Conde Nast Publishing and government departments, and before Rhapsody he worked in retail design. “The way we consume media has changed beyond all recognition and publishers and brands are still questioning how best to integrate print, digital, and mobile content to ensure consistent user experiences irrespective of the medium or format,” he said. Managing director Les Pipe said: “This is a key appointment for Rhapsody and reflects our commitment to innovate, manage and deliver clients’ content across all media. John’s experience in digital adds value to our compelling suite of services in print and on-line.” Rhapsody, owned by Walstead Investments which also owns Wyndeham Group, has several blue-chip clients such as Boden, De Beers, Superbrands, Marie Claire, Orient Express and Waitrose Food. Walstead boasts £125m sales....

His appointment forms the last stage in Rhapsody’s expansion into the cross-publishing arena using the firm’s Emagine asset and workflow management system, said the firm. Rahim will be responsible for devising and implementing digital strategies across the client base and overseeing digital output. “My goal is to help catalogue companies produce better, more engaging digital content for use on technology such as iPads, and really bring a new level of understanding,” he said. “Some publishing companies are strong on digital but most are in the transitionary phase. “There is still a role for print: a lot of titles are fantastic and deliver great value to their customers, but digital can offer something different and enable people to delve deeper. Print isn’t going to go away but its relationship with digital is changing, driven by the customer.” Rahim’s career spans 17 years in the digital arena for employers such as Fitch, Harvest Digital and Modem Media. He has worked with Apple, Penguin Books, Conde Nast Publishing and government departments, and before Rhapsody he worked in retail design. “The way we consume media has changed beyond all recognition and publishers and brands are still questioning how best to integrate print, digital, and mobile content to ensure consistent user experiences irrespective of the medium or format,” he said. Managing director Les Pipe said: “This is a key appointment for Rhapsody and reflects our commitment to innovate, manage and deliver clients’ content across all media. John’s experience in digital adds value to our compelling suite of services in print and on-line.” Rhapsody, owned by Walstead Investments which also owns Wyndeham Group, has several blue-chip clients such as Boden, De Beers, Superbrands, Marie Claire, Orient Express and Waitrose Food. Walstead boasts £125m sales....

The £5m reclaimed fibre plant at James Cropper’s production mill in Kendal, Cumbria, was opened today (17 July) by The Queen and Princess Anne, after four years of development. “Until now the plastic content of cups made them unsuitable for use in papermaking,” said chairman Mark Cropper. “In the UK alone around 2.5bn paper cups go to landfill. We separate the plastic in the cups leaving paper pulp for use in the highest quality papers. “Pulp is a big cost, it is a global commodity that swings all over the place and, like other paper businesses, we have no control over it. As well as our environmental aspirations, if we can do more production ourselves we will have more control.” Cropper said the technology could be used on about a quarter of his company’s output. James Cropper produces 45,000 tonnes of paper a year for some of the biggest names in the world including Krug, Fendi, Selfridges and Dunhill. He would not reveal how much he aimed to save or how much he hoped to add to the 500-staff company’s existing turnover of £80m, “but this is a major investment and it will earn its keep”, he said. Disposable cups are made of up to 95% high strength paper with a 5% thin coating of polyethylene. James Cropper recycles the fibre content in cup waste and the plastic coating, giving a sustainable solution to the global problem of disposable cup waste, he said. The process involves softening the cup waste in a warmed solution, separating the plastic coating from the fibre. The plastic is skimmed off, pulverised and recycled, leaving water and pulp. Impurities are filtered out leaving high grade pulp for use in paper and packaging. Cropper said: “Because the cups are designed to take hot drinks, the quality of the paper is very high. This will enable us to create a paper stream. We will be recycling 1bn cups a year, around 40% of the UK’s coffee cups. But there are 500bn around in the world, so potential is vast. This is a fantastically important project – the most important in a generation for sure.” Chief executive Phil Wild said: “This is the latest in a long history of innovation that has kept James Cropper ahead of the game for nearly 170 years and six generations. We were one of the world’s first producers of coloured paper.” “We were also a pioneer in the production of paper-like non-woven materials from carbon and other fibres. Today these are used in industries as diverse as US defence programmes to the latest composite cars and aeroplanes.”...

The £5m reclaimed fibre plant at James Cropper’s production mill in Kendal, Cumbria, was opened today (17 July) by The Queen and Princess Anne, after four years of development. “Until now the plastic content of cups made them unsuitable for use in papermaking,” said chairman Mark Cropper. “In the UK alone around 2.5bn paper cups go to landfill. We separate the plastic in the cups leaving paper pulp for use in the highest quality papers. “Pulp is a big cost, it is a global commodity that swings all over the place and, like other paper businesses, we have no control over it. As well as our environmental aspirations, if we can do more production ourselves we will have more control.” Cropper said the technology could be used on about a quarter of his company’s output. James Cropper produces 45,000 tonnes of paper a year for some of the biggest names in the world including Krug, Fendi, Selfridges and Dunhill. He would not reveal how much he aimed to save or how much he hoped to add to the 500-staff company’s existing turnover of £80m, “but this is a major investment and it will earn its keep”, he said. Disposable cups are made of up to 95% high strength paper with a 5% thin coating of polyethylene. James Cropper recycles the fibre content in cup waste and the plastic coating, giving a sustainable solution to the global problem of disposable cup waste, he said. The process involves softening the cup waste in a warmed solution, separating the plastic coating from the fibre. The plastic is skimmed off, pulverised and recycled, leaving water and pulp. Impurities are filtered out leaving high grade pulp for use in paper and packaging. Cropper said: “Because the cups are designed to take hot drinks, the quality of the paper is very high. This will enable us to create a paper stream. We will be recycling 1bn cups a year, around 40% of the UK’s coffee cups. But there are 500bn around in the world, so potential is vast. This is a fantastically important project – the most important in a generation for sure.” Chief executive Phil Wild said: “This is the latest in a long history of innovation that has kept James Cropper ahead of the game for nearly 170 years and six generations. We were one of the world’s first producers of coloured paper.” “We were also a pioneer in the production of paper-like non-woven materials from carbon and other fibres. Today these are used in industries as diverse as US defence programmes to the latest composite cars and aeroplanes.”...

According to provisional data, this year’s London show notched up 22,000 visitors – more than half of whom spent more than one day at the Excel, bringing total ‘visits’ to 37,460. The number of “senior decision-makers” at the event was described as “unprecedented” by Fespa, with just over 71% having input into purchasing decisions and half of those having “ultimate purchasing responsibility”. Unsurprisingly, the largest single visitor group came from the UK, circa 8,500 delegates. However, with around 13,500 coming from outside the UK, including 3,300 from outside Europe, this year’s event was described as the most “globally diverse” in the show’s history. Neil Felton, Fespa managing director, said he was especially pleased with the number of “long-haul attendees”. “The exhibitors I’ve spoken to have been absolutely delighted with the breadth of international visitors,” he said. Attendance figures from Australasia and North America alone were up 66% and 45% respectively on the last flagship Fespa in Munich in 2010. Visitors from sub-Saharan Africa also more than doubled on Munich, which Fespa said “reinforced the rationale” for launching Fespa Africa next year. Felton also highlighted the popularity of the show’s educational content, which, along with an even greater focus on applications, is something he said he planned to build on for Fespa Digital in Munich next May. “Both the main seminar theatres were 80% full on average at London, which was great. We can always improve, but I think we got the balance right and the feedback has been that our educational content is what makes us stand out,” he said. “We have an obligation to visitors to explore what print can really do for print service providers, buyers and creatives, and the best way to do that is through the show features and highlighting applications.”...