The deal will involve producing in-store and ticketing material across the client’s 187-store network including food, funeral care and department shops. APS Group will also produce membership, head office and communications collateral. A spokeswoman said APS Group would print at its base in Cheadle Heath, Cheshire, and, at the request of the client, would also use small local printers that have worked with the Co-op for several years. “Volumes will vary, from items like pull-up banners bought in single numbers to poster kits and leaflets in runs up to 500,000,” she said. “APS Group will also offer logistics, fulfilment and distribution as well as on-site account management.” The group’s in-house print production facilities include high-end sheet-fed presses for anything from small-run stationery to large corporate brochures. APS Group also produces personalised direct marketing, web-to-print and digital work on a variety of substrates. APS Group account manager Joanne Watts said the contract was new and her company looked forward to improving efficiency across the company’s print output. This would include auditing the needs of each store and making each point-of-sale delivery store specific. “This will eliminate waste and ensure each store has exactly what it needs,” said Watts who did not reveal the value of the contract. “It is great to work with clients that share our own corporate social responsibility principles.” She said as part of the tendering process Midlands Co-operative Society wanted cost effectiveness and quality. APS Group had a strong record in retail, with clients including Superdrug, and used the latest data automation processes in ticketing and POS work. The society’s procurement manager John McGlade said: “We wanted to work with a trusted provider of data solutions that could maintain quality and improve efficiency and processes. APS Group stood out as being the complete package.” Midlands Co-operative Society has more than 7,000 staff across 12 counties. The business racks up nearly £25m of profits on gross sales of £670m and opened 15 food stores and two funeral homes last year. Further expansion in food stores is underway this year. Earlier this year APS Group won a three-year contract to manage all printed materials for the RSPCA, after seeing off 10 rival bidders in a competitive tender that saw animal charity outsource its print needs. APS Group employs over 600 staff across 20 sites worldwide and makes a turnover of £58m from customers in markets including retail, financial services, the automotive industry, charity, pharmaceutical and the public sector. It also has bases in Scotland, Holland and France....

The deal will involve producing in-store and ticketing material across the client’s 187-store network including food, funeral care and department shops. APS Group will also produce membership, head office and communications collateral. A spokeswoman said APS Group would print at its base in Cheadle Heath, Cheshire, and, at the request of the client, would also use small local printers that have worked with the Co-op for several years. “Volumes will vary, from items like pull-up banners bought in single numbers to poster kits and leaflets in runs up to 500,000,” she said. “APS Group will also offer logistics, fulfilment and distribution as well as on-site account management.” The group’s in-house print production facilities include high-end sheet-fed presses for anything from small-run stationery to large corporate brochures. APS Group also produces personalised direct marketing, web-to-print and digital work on a variety of substrates. APS Group account manager Joanne Watts said the contract was new and her company looked forward to improving efficiency across the company’s print output. This would include auditing the needs of each store and making each point-of-sale delivery store specific. “This will eliminate waste and ensure each store has exactly what it needs,” said Watts who did not reveal the value of the contract. “It is great to work with clients that share our own corporate social responsibility principles.” She said as part of the tendering process Midlands Co-operative Society wanted cost effectiveness and quality. APS Group had a strong record in retail, with clients including Superdrug, and used the latest data automation processes in ticketing and POS work. The society’s procurement manager John McGlade said: “We wanted to work with a trusted provider of data solutions that could maintain quality and improve efficiency and processes. APS Group stood out as being the complete package.” Midlands Co-operative Society has more than 7,000 staff across 12 counties. The business racks up nearly £25m of profits on gross sales of £670m and opened 15 food stores and two funeral homes last year. Further expansion in food stores is underway this year. Earlier this year APS Group won a three-year contract to manage all printed materials for the RSPCA, after seeing off 10 rival bidders in a competitive tender that saw animal charity outsource its print needs. APS Group employs over 600 staff across 20 sites worldwide and makes a turnover of £58m from customers in markets including retail, financial services, the automotive industry, charity, pharmaceutical and the public sector. It also has bases in Scotland, Holland and France....

The two Japanese manufacturers announced that they were considering an alliance at the beginning of the year. The new business, to be called Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology, will have a 60:40 ownership split with Ryobi having the majority stake. It will have 450 employees and be headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan, with operations set to commence on 1 January 2014. The expected turnover of Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology in 2014 will be in the region of ¥30bn (£200m), with a pre tax profit of ¥1.5bn. The move was brought about with the intention of improving competitiveness for the two firms by exploiting the synergies between their operations, in the face of shrinking demand for conventional printing presses and the damaging fall-out of the economic downturn. In a statement confirming the plans for the joint venture, Ryobi and Mitsubishi also sounded an optimistic note about the future potential for the merged operation, and said: “The commercial printing industry presently anticipates demand for printing machinery to strengthen in the emerging economies. Simultaneously demand for higher specification products is expected to grow further within the mature economies.” Sales and service arrangements will differ from country-to-country, and Apex Digital Graphics managing director Bob Usher moved quickly to reassure Ryobi customers here in the UK, where Ryobi has a large installed base of SRA3 format presses, in particular. “Ryobi has informed us that there is no intention to change its current sales and service structure in the UK for the foreseeable future,” Usher said. Murray Lock, managing director at Mitsubishi distributor M Partners said: “Now the deal has actually been agreed, we’ll keep everyone informed as and when we know more.” Tweet...

The two Japanese manufacturers announced that they were considering an alliance at the beginning of the year. The new business, to be called Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology, will have a 60:40 ownership split with Ryobi having the majority stake. It will have 450 employees and be headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan, with operations set to commence on 1 January 2014. The expected turnover of Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology in 2014 will be in the region of ¥30bn (£200m), with a pre tax profit of ¥1.5bn. The move was brought about with the intention of improving competitiveness for the two firms by exploiting the synergies between their operations, in the face of shrinking demand for conventional printing presses and the damaging fall-out of the economic downturn. In a statement confirming the plans for the joint venture, Ryobi and Mitsubishi also sounded an optimistic note about the future potential for the merged operation, and said: “The commercial printing industry presently anticipates demand for printing machinery to strengthen in the emerging economies. Simultaneously demand for higher specification products is expected to grow further within the mature economies.” Sales and service arrangements will differ from country-to-country, and Apex Digital Graphics managing director Bob Usher moved quickly to reassure Ryobi customers here in the UK, where Ryobi has a large installed base of SRA3 format presses, in particular. “Ryobi has informed us that there is no intention to change its current sales and service structure in the UK for the foreseeable future,” Usher said. Murray Lock, managing director at Mitsubishi distributor M Partners said: “Now the deal has actually been agreed, we’ll keep everyone informed as and when we know more.” Tweet...

The feel-good factor was spreading across all parts of the UK and most sectors in Q2 this year, the FSB found in its quarterly Small Business Index survey. An FSB spokeswoman said: “Despite recent output contractions in manufacturing, small firms in that sector are more optimistic about their prospects, suggesting that conditions are improving. “The chancellor is due to deliver the spending review later in June and the FSB believes he must use this opportunity to build upon these positive figures with initiatives for growth to keep confidence levels high for both businesses and their customers. “Following another quarter’s results which show four in 10 firms that applied for finance were refused, the FSB wants to see the spending review set a clear plan to improve competition in the banking sector and to help advise small firms on alternative finance providers.” The increase in confidence levels broadly echoed growing optimism in print, according to the BPIF, which also called on the government to step up its focus on stimulating the business sector. Chief executive Kathy Woodward said: “It is pleasing to see a general increase in confidence and anecdotal evidence shows printing companies are experiencing better trading. But there is still a high level of caution particularly as there does not seem any significant improvement in the retail sector. “It is important government continues to focus on stimulating the business sector. The BPIF and other trade associations have written to the chancellor to caution cuts in the coming departmental budgets that will detract from stimulating investment in both skills and technology. “The government must work to ensure that our energy and trade policies place the UK on at least an even playing field with competitors in Europe and the Far East. Initiatives around financing arrangements still have a long way to go.” Other FSB findings included more firms expecting their turnover to rise in the coming three months while more aimed to grow their business in the coming year. Meanwhile more firms expected to increase staffing levels in the next quarter, and more small firms reported rising exports. FSB national chairman John Allan said: “After five consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth, confidence is moving in the right direction. Small firms want to employ more people and grow their business. They want to export and expect turnover levels to increase. “This is all good news but we must not be complacent. The chancellor must use the spending review to build on this optimism. While there are positive signs, inflation and not being able to access finance will affect how quickly, and how much, small firms can grow and create jobs. “We know inflation is likely to remain high for the...