Woodford Web in publishing push
“There used to be four big web printers, now there are two. As options have narrowed there is the potential for the market to tighten,” Tame said. “There is a very real danger in this environment that small- to medium-sized publishers could struggle to find security of supply or be priced out of the market in the next two-to-three years.” Tame has launched a sales push into the publishing sector, having reviewed the facilities at the Witham-based company since joining the business earlier this year. He described it as “in every way shape and form a magazine production plant.” Woodford runs a 48pp KBA Compacta C618 web, two G14s, and a 14-station Kolbus perfect binder. It also has two Muller Martini stitching lines. The firm has also been working with Mellow Colour on colour management control and has just achieved an 86% pass on the Compacta. “We can print to ISO standard up there with the very best,” Tame stated. The £13.2m turnover company employs around 60 staff, and recently agreed new flexible working arrangements that will allow it to flex its available capacity to better effect. It has also taken on Mark Pitman as new business development manager focused on publishing clients. Pitman previously worked at Headley Brothers, BGP and Cooper Clegg....
read moreWyndeham extends Spectator deal, adds mailing
It prolongs a long-standing relationship with the weekly politics and current affairs title, which has an ABC of 63,343. Andrew Neil, chairman at Spectator publisher Press Holdings Media Group, praised Wyndeham for its “great service” and ability to evolve to changing print media requirements. The stitched title is printed on Norske Skog Norcote Super paper, and has a tight production schedule. “The schedule is very demanding. We receive files at 1pm and the first collection is at 6pm,” said Heron managing director David Emeny. The Spectator has a mix of subscriber and newsstand sales, and is one of the titles set to benefit from Wyndeham’s £300,000 investment in two mailing lines. The spend encompasses a new Sitma line that has selective inserting and the ability to inkjet in three positions, along with a refurbished Buhrs system to provide additional capacity and backup. “It’s the sort of added-value service that it makes sense to invest in,” Emeny added. “The Sitma is all-singing, all-dancing and we’ve brought all our outwork back in-house.” Heron’s mailing was previously carried out by Finco in Witham. Heron has Tupe’d over a number of staff from the company to run the new lines. The Sitma is already up and running, and the Buhrs is just about to go into production. The company took out two surplus stitching lines to make room for the new kit....
read moreWoodford Web in publishing push
“There used to be four big web printers, now there are two. As options have narrowed there is the potential for the market to tighten,” Tame said. “There is a very real danger in this environment that small- to medium-sized publishers could struggle to find security of supply or be priced out of the market in the next two-to-three years.” Tame has launched a sales push into the publishing sector, having reviewed the facilities at the Witham-based company since joining the business earlier this year. He described it as “in every way shape and form a magazine production plant.” Woodford runs a 48pp KBA Compacta C618 web, two G14s, and a 14-station Kolbus perfect binder. It also has two Muller Martini stitching lines. The firm has also been working with Mellow Colour on colour management control and has just achieved an 86% pass on the Compacta. “We can print to ISO standard up there with the very best,” Tame stated. The £13.2m turnover company employs around 60 staff, and recently agreed new flexible working arrangements that will allow it to flex its available capacity to better effect. It has also taken on Mark Pitman as new business development manager focused on publishing clients. Pitman previously worked at Headley Brothers, BGP and Cooper Clegg....
read moreMedica Packaging invests in Horizon digital folder
The machine was purchased through UK Horizon distributor Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) and was installed at the beginning of July. This is the first AF-406T6A purchased by Medica; it joins a raft of similar kit in the patient information leaflet (PIL) folding area of the firm’s post-press department. The new machine will be used for folding leaflets accompanying healthcare products for Medica’s UK and international clients, including pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline. According to IFS, the automated AF-406T6A offers highly flexible processing thanks to its six-by-six buckle-fold configuration, which employs six buckles on the first station and six on the second that can be used in combination. Medica operations manager Tim Standing said: “The machine could accommodate the wide variety of sizes, going from standard to miniature, with a super quick changeover time when moving from job to job. We found other suppliers of digital equipment struggled to compete in this area. The flexibility offered by this configuration will allow us to offer new and exciting folding options to our customer and prospects.” According to IFS, small-circumference rollers made from a combination of steel and polyurethane offer consistent precision folding of complex smaller formats at speed. Folds as small as 20mm can be achieved. The automation capabilities of the machine ensure short makeready times and reduced paper waste and energy consumption. Standing added: “We believe this folding technology will be the future within the pharmaceutical leaflet sector.” In its press hall, Medica operates a range of sheetfed and reel-fed conventional presses. Standing added: “We haven’t made the move from conventional to digital as far as our presses are concerned, but it might be something that we look at in the future.”...
read moreMedica Packaging invests in Horizon digital folder
The machine was purchased through UK Horizon distributor Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) and was installed at the beginning of July. This is the first AF-406T6A purchased by Medica; it joins a raft of similar kit in the patient information leaflet (PIL) folding area of the firm’s post-press department. The new machine will be used for folding leaflets accompanying healthcare products for Medica’s UK and international clients, including pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline. According to IFS, the automated AF-406T6A offers highly flexible processing thanks to its six-by-six buckle-fold configuration, which employs six buckles on the first station and six on the second that can be used in combination. Medica operations manager Tim Standing said: “The machine could accommodate the wide variety of sizes, going from standard to miniature, with a super quick changeover time when moving from job to job. We found other suppliers of digital equipment struggled to compete in this area. The flexibility offered by this configuration will allow us to offer new and exciting folding options to our customer and prospects.” According to IFS, small-circumference rollers made from a combination of steel and polyurethane offer consistent precision folding of complex smaller formats at speed. Folds as small as 20mm can be achieved. The automation capabilities of the machine ensure short makeready times and reduced paper waste and energy consumption. Standing added: “We believe this folding technology will be the future within the pharmaceutical leaflet sector.” In its press hall, Medica operates a range of sheetfed and reel-fed conventional presses. Standing added: “We haven’t made the move from conventional to digital as far as our presses are concerned, but it might be something that we look at in the future.”...
read moreGrowth at Vpress triggers recruitment drive
The developer of Coreprint web-to-print technologiy took on Tom Parkes as sales co-ordinator reporting to e-commerce director Kelvin Bell. Customer support executive Tim Newman reports to Steve Faulkner, recently promoted from account manager to support manager. “Our growth has been 40% in profits and staff numbers in the last year,” said marketing manager Emma Mortiboy. “Our USP is client support; we develop everything in the UK and need to ensure we have the right people to help clients. If profits grow, the team grows.” She said the 15-staff company may take on another four staff, while another office move “was on the cards”. Vpress relocated within Cheltenham only last year and may need more space for training and support, said Mortiboy, “we will see how things pan out in the summer”. Faulkner said: “As support manager I will be heading up the recently restructured support team, ensuring a quick and efficient response to existing and potential clients. Mostly the support team will deal with the more technical aspects of the system and enquiries of a more technical nature.” Bell said Parkes, who has a sales background, would be seen out and about at events and exhibitions across the country. Newman is experienced in software and working with help-desk teams and clued up on technology issues. Privately owned Vpress has developed Coreprint for over a decade and offers in-house programming, project management, and support services. Coreprint helps online procurement of print or non-print related products involving personalisation, direct mail, QR triggers and merchandising....
read moreGrowth at Vpress triggers recruitment drive
The developer of Coreprint web-to-print technologiy took on Tom Parkes as sales co-ordinator reporting to e-commerce director Kelvin Bell. Customer support executive Tim Newman reports to Steve Faulkner, recently promoted from account manager to support manager. “Our growth has been 40% in profits and staff numbers in the last year,” said marketing manager Emma Mortiboy. “Our USP is client support; we develop everything in the UK and need to ensure we have the right people to help clients. If profits grow, the team grows.” She said the 15-staff company may take on another four staff, while another office move “was on the cards”. Vpress relocated within Cheltenham only last year and may need more space for training and support, said Mortiboy, “we will see how things pan out in the summer”. Faulkner said: “As support manager I will be heading up the recently restructured support team, ensuring a quick and efficient response to existing and potential clients. Mostly the support team will deal with the more technical aspects of the system and enquiries of a more technical nature.” Bell said Parkes, who has a sales background, would be seen out and about at events and exhibitions across the country. Newman is experienced in software and working with help-desk teams and clued up on technology issues. Privately owned Vpress has developed Coreprint for over a decade and offers in-house programming, project management, and support services. Coreprint helps online procurement of print or non-print related products involving personalisation, direct mail, QR triggers and merchandising....
read moreFormer Xerox manager sets up new venture
Cross Media Consultancy (www.crossmediaconsultancy.co.uk) has been set up by former Xerox manager David Baldaro. He worked at Xerox for more than 13 years, and spent the last eight working as UK, Ireland and Middle East sales and channel manager at its XMPie business. Cross Media Consultancy offers a range of services, including advice on sales and business strategy, training, and effective ways to implement third-party solutions. Baldaro said there was a broad spectrum of print companies who had the potential to offer cross-media services, but didn’t necessarily have the right business strategy to back up their ambitions. “I can advise customers who don’t have experience and want to step into the marketplace, as well as people who may already have cross-media technology but need to learn how to make the most of it,” he said. “Sometimes people are understandably hesitant to make a commitment until they’ve got the business to justify it,” he added. “If companies want to test the market without huge financial risk I can help them put together a campaign, host it and deliver it for them.” Phil Gaskin has taken over Baldaro’s responsibilities at XMPie....
read moreGovernment’s Royal Mail float heightens strike threat
Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday (11 July), Cable said: “The sale would initiate the final stage of the governments postal sector reforms, the overarching objectives of these is to secure universal postal service, the six-day-a-week service at uniform and affordable prices to all 29m addresses in the UK.” Cable added that the government would retain flexibility in terms of the size of the stake to be sold “as this would be influenced by market conditions and investor demand”. However, he confirmed that a “majority stake” would be sold. According to Cable the IPO would include a “retail offer” enabling individuals to buy shares, however private institutions will most likely buy the majority of the share issue – although the government has in effect ruled out selling the business as a whole. Royal Mail employees will also be allocated 10% of the Royal Mail’s shares for free, with discounted options to buy more. The share issue is likely to take place in the autumn and, according to reports, will value the business at between £2bn and £3bn. Cable reassured Royal Mail employees that a change in ownership would not trigger a change in their terms and conditions. He added that for at least three years the Royal Mail was committed to: a predominantly full-time workforce, no change to the company structure in relation to its current services and no outsourcing of services. General secretary Billy Hayes of the CWU, which represents around 100,000 of the 150,000 Royal Mail staff, said: “For the secretary of state to describe this decision as logical is unbelievable. “Royal Mail is profitable, has modernised and can be successful in public ownership. The logical step is for the government to consider the union’s proposal to keep the company in public ownership whilst putting in place a not-for-dividend structure that allows profits to be put back in to improving the service.” “CWU will continue to fight the sale and without worthwhile and legally binding assurances on terms and conditions, strike action is inevitable,” added Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary. In the union’s consultative ballot last month, 96% of respondents said they were against privatisation.The union has also published an open letter to Michael Fallon, minister for business and enterprise highlighting the reasons behind its opposition to privatisation. Defending the privatisation, Cable said: “A share sale will not only provide commercial discipline, it will give the Royal Mail future access to private capital enabling the company to continue modernising and to take advantage of commercial opportunities such as the growth of online shopping, building on its success in parcels and logistics.” Separately, the Royal Mail has unveiled a £70m plan to add barcodes to letters so that DM firms and large users can track their mail through the postal network. The scheme will begin a phased launch next year, with 47 companies, organisations and mailing houses the first to trial the system. It will be rolled out to all business users in the following two years. Stephen Agar, Royal Mail’s managing director of consumer and network access, said: “The introduction of this new barcode technology to letters will enable businesses to track the progress of bulk mail consignments through the postal network, helping them to improve their own efficiency and customer service.”...
read moreFormer Xerox manager sets up new venture
Cross Media Consultancy (www.crossmediaconsultancy.co.uk) has been set up by former Xerox manager David Baldaro. He worked at Xerox for more than 13 years, and spent the last eight working as UK, Ireland and Middle East sales and channel manager at its XMPie business. Cross Media Consultancy offers a range of services, including advice on sales and business strategy, training, and effective ways to implement third-party solutions. Baldaro said there was a broad spectrum of print companies who had the potential to offer cross-media services, but didn’t necessarily have the right business strategy to back up their ambitions. “I can advise customers who don’t have experience and want to step into the marketplace, as well as people who may already have cross-media technology but need to learn how to make the most of it,” he said. “Sometimes people are understandably hesitant to make a commitment until they’ve got the business to justify it,” he added. “If companies want to test the market without huge financial risk I can help them put together a campaign, host it and deliver it for them.” Phil Gaskin has taken over Baldaro’s responsibilities at XMPie....
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