Printagraph ramps up quality with Scotland’s first iGen 150
The 30-staff company in Aberdeen will run the press alongside its existing iGen4 and produce brochures, health-and-safety material and handbooks for companies in the oil and gas sectors. Managing director Andrew Hall said: “We wanted more speed, bigger sheet size and matt as opposed to conventional toner. We saw the quality last year at Drupa and will use the other iGen as back up. The print quality is great.” He said the new machine had almost doubled capacity of digital print. The recent purchase, which went in two months ago, runs at 150 pages per minute against the iGen4’s 90 pages. “It can offer significant improved quality for existing clients, enabling us to offer a more realistic alternative to offset litho because it’s hard to differentiate between this and litho jobs; the quality is that good.” Hall added: “The new large sheet size of 364x660mm means we can diversify our product portfolio and produce a greater range of high-value print. We recently won a best-of-the-best award from Xerox on the strength of print quality.”...
read moreOnline drives up advertising spend
According to the Q1 figures released by the body, total advertising spend grew by 2.4%. However, while the overall picture was rosy, driven by growth in online and TV advertising, newsbrands, magazines and direct mail fell by an estimated 7.9%, 11.6% and 1% respectively. Total ad spend in the first quarter reached £4.14bn, following on from the positive trend of last year when total spend returned to pre-2007 levels and topped the £17bn mark. The AA/Warc Expenditure Report predicted that the total 2013 advertising spend in 2013 will be 2.6% higher than 2012, rising to a 4.9% year-on-year increase in 2014. Tim Lefroy, Chief Executive of the Advertising Association said: “A pound spent on advertising returns six pounds to GDP. These figures don’t just reflect growing confidence, they represent an important investment in the recovery.” Q1 2013 actuals 2013 (forecast) TV 5.6 3.9 Radio -2.9 1.7 Out of home 0.1 -1.5 Newsbrands -7.9 -4.3 Magazines -11.6 -5.6 Cinema 1.6 -11.7 Internet – pure play* 11.1 10.4 Direct mail** -1.0 -0.3 *Internet data for Q1 2013 is a Warc estimate. Excludes TV VOD, digital adspend for newsbrands and magazine brands** Direct mail data for Q1 2013 is a Warc...
read moreOnline drives up advertising spend
According to the Q1 figures released by the body, total advertising spend grew by 2.4%. However, while the overall picture was rosy, driven by growth in online and TV advertising, newsbrands, magazines and direct mail fell by an estimated 7.9%, 11.6% and 1% respectively. Total ad spend in the first quarter reached £4.14bn, following on from the positive trend of last year when total spend returned to pre-2007 levels and topped the £17bn mark. The AA/Warc Expenditure Report predicted that the total 2013 advertising spend in 2013 will be 2.6% higher than 2012, rising to a 4.9% year-on-year increase in 2014. Tim Lefroy, Chief Executive of the Advertising Association said: “A pound spent on advertising returns six pounds to GDP. These figures don’t just reflect growing confidence, they represent an important investment in the recovery.” Q1 2013 actuals 2013 (forecast) TV 5.6 3.9 Radio -2.9 1.7 Out of home 0.1 -1.5 Newsbrands -7.9 -4.3 Magazines -11.6 -5.6 Cinema 1.6 -11.7 Internet – pure play* 11.1 10.4 Direct mail** -1.0 -0.3 *Internet data for Q1 2013 is a Warc estimate. Excludes TV VOD, digital adspend for newsbrands and magazine brands** Direct mail data for Q1 2013 is a Warc...
read moreDebut design competition from Benson Group
The winner will undertake two weeks of work experience at the Midlands-based company, which was praised by Leicester College last month for an outstanding contribution to training apprentices. The firm is working with long-standing client Willie’s Cacao and is challenging packaging students to design a cartonboard gift box for goodies for its Chocolate Club members. The pack will be delivered to the homes of club members on a monthly basis and will be targeted at people aged between 35 to 65. Entrants studying part- or full-time at art school, a college or university in the UK or overseas must register online by 30 August. The winner will work in the design studio at the group’s HQ in Bardon, Leicestershire. Marketing manager Nikki Clark said: “This represents a tremendous opportunity for students to promote their abilities and talents to a huge audience.” Clark, Willie’s Cacao owner Willie Harcourt-Cooze and Gwyn Davies, design director at creative agency BrandOpus, will judge the entries. Harcourt-Cooze said: “I want people to experience some of the awakening I did: the zing of fruit or nut flavours that are the product of genetics, soil and climate.” Benson Group creates packaging for Two Sisters Food Group, Reckitt Benckiser and Samworth Brothers and clocks up annual sales of £120m. In June Leicester College praised the company for training four apprentices, Becky Timson, Jamie Skipper Joe Jacklin and Daniel Cunningham in NVQ 3 qualifications. “Like other companies we have an ageing workforce in the print department, and the industry is limited on where you can learn new skills,” said human resources advisor Louise Webster. “We needed to develop internally, plan for retirements and put in place succession planning.” For competition entry information visit www.bensongroup.co.uk...
read moreDebut design competition from Benson Group
The winner will undertake two weeks of work experience at the Midlands-based company, which was praised by Leicester College last month for an outstanding contribution to training apprentices. The firm is working with long-standing client Willie’s Cacao and is challenging packaging students to design a cartonboard gift box for goodies for its Chocolate Club members. The pack will be delivered to the homes of club members on a monthly basis and will be targeted at people aged between 35 to 65. Entrants studying part- or full-time at art school, a college or university in the UK or overseas must register online by 30 August. The winner will work in the design studio at the group’s HQ in Bardon, Leicestershire. Marketing manager Nikki Clark said: “This represents a tremendous opportunity for students to promote their abilities and talents to a huge audience.” Clark, Willie’s Cacao owner Willie Harcourt-Cooze and Gwyn Davies, design director at creative agency BrandOpus, will judge the entries. Harcourt-Cooze said: “I want people to experience some of the awakening I did: the zing of fruit or nut flavours that are the product of genetics, soil and climate.” Benson Group creates packaging for Two Sisters Food Group, Reckitt Benckiser and Samworth Brothers and clocks up annual sales of £120m. In June Leicester College praised the company for training four apprentices, Becky Timson, Jamie Skipper Joe Jacklin and Daniel Cunningham in NVQ 3 qualifications. “Like other companies we have an ageing workforce in the print department, and the industry is limited on where you can learn new skills,” said human resources advisor Louise Webster. “We needed to develop internally, plan for retirements and put in place succession planning.” For competition entry information visit www.bensongroup.co.uk...
read moreMedia Print Group claims print management carbon first
This particular PaperlinX and World Land Trust certification has also been awarded to fourteen printers, including Healeys Print Group, Potts Print (UK) and 21 Colour. The scheme involves a firm inputting its primary energy consumption figures using an online calculator. These figures are then verified by the Edinburgh Centre of Carbon Management (ECCM) using evidence submitted by the printer. The ECCM also approves the methodology and conversion factor used by PaperLinX. “Unavoidable carbon emissions” are offset through The World Land Trust’s land purchase initiatives, where ecologically important forest areas under threat of clearance are purchased. The business is then licensed for 12 months to use a Carbon Balanced Publication logo on jobs using carbon balanced paper and which are registered online. Paul Bussingham, business development manager at Media Print Group said: “We want to be as strong as possible environmentally. We chose The World Land Trust because they are saving critically threatened forest.” He added: “In the future government legislation is going to drive most to carbon offset anyway. And while clients aren’t necessarily demanding this, it’s a nice add-on. We are always looking for an edge and this will give us that edge.” Jonathan Tame, carbon reduction and environment manager at PaperlinX, said: “This scheme is unique because the benefits are wider than carbon removal. It’s about preserving very high value areas of forest.” He added: “There are of course different market options for carbon offsetting now and I think choice is good- people can find the best option for them.”...
read moreMedia Print Group claims print management carbon first
This particular PaperlinX and World Land Trust certification has also been awarded to fourteen printers, including Healeys Print Group, Potts Print (UK) and 21 Colour. The scheme involves a firm inputting its primary energy consumption figures using an online calculator. These figures are then verified by the Edinburgh Centre of Carbon Management (ECCM) using evidence submitted by the printer. The ECCM also approves the methodology and conversion factor used by PaperLinX. “Unavoidable carbon emissions” are offset through The World Land Trust’s land purchase initiatives, where ecologically important forest areas under threat of clearance are purchased. The business is then licensed for 12 months to use a Carbon Balanced Publication logo on jobs using carbon balanced paper and which are registered online. Paul Bussingham, business development manager at Media Print Group said: “We want to be as strong as possible environmentally. We chose The World Land Trust because they are saving critically threatened forest.” He added: “In the future government legislation is going to drive most to carbon offset anyway. And while clients aren’t necessarily demanding this, it’s a nice add-on. We are always looking for an edge and this will give us that edge.” Jonathan Tame, carbon reduction and environment manager at PaperlinX, said: “This scheme is unique because the benefits are wider than carbon removal. It’s about preserving very high value areas of forest.” He added: “There are of course different market options for carbon offsetting now and I think choice is good- people can find the best option for them.”...
read moreDS Smith to consolidate Multigraphics sites
The packaging giant, which bought Multigraphics only five years ago in a move into the point-of-sale (POS) market, confirmed that it entered into consultation with staff at the Bradford site on 20 June. The 4,200sqm facility employs 60 people and specialises in retail display work such as POS, retail-ready packaging, floor graphics, outdoor media and banners. DS Smith Packaging said in a statement: “If agreed during the consultation process, the proposal will involve the consolidation of all display manufacturing into our Ely site, while maintaining a sales and administration team in Bradford. This may result in redundancies at the Bradford site.” The business moved to assure customers that “usual service and quality will be maintained”. Last month FTSE 250-listed DS Smith group posted a 51% profit increase to £165m on revenues of £3.7bn, up 86% year-on-year. The figures are the first annual results since it completed the £1.3bn acquisition of Swedish-owned SCA Packaging in July last year. Revenue from its UK operations, however, remained flat at £961m (2011: £960m). Commenting on DS Smith’s UK performance over the last 12 months chief executive Miles Roberts said: “While our core UK corrugated packaging business has delivered a robust performance, revenues for the overall UK division have been impacted by continuing weakness in the paper market, as a result of which, prices and demand have remained subdued. “Focus going forward would be to continue growing the packaging and recycling businesses, while reducing our exposure to paper manufacturing and disposing of non-core businesses and assets.”...
read moreDS Smith to consolidate Multigraphics sites
The packaging giant, which bought Multigraphics only five years ago in a move into the point-of-sale (POS) market, confirmed that it entered into consultation with staff at the Bradford site on 20 June. The 4,200sqm facility employs 60 people and specialises in retail display work such as POS, retail-ready packaging, floor graphics, outdoor media and banners. DS Smith Packaging said in a statement: “If agreed during the consultation process, the proposal will involve the consolidation of all display manufacturing into our Ely site, while maintaining a sales and administration team in Bradford. This may result in redundancies at the Bradford site.” The business moved to assure customers that “usual service and quality will be maintained”. Last month FTSE 250-listed DS Smith group posted a 51% profit increase to £165m on revenues of £3.7bn, up 86% year-on-year. The figures are the first annual results since it completed the £1.3bn acquisition of Swedish-owned SCA Packaging in July last year. Revenue from its UK operations, however, remained flat at £961m (2011: £960m). Commenting on DS Smith’s UK performance over the last 12 months chief executive Miles Roberts said: “While our core UK corrugated packaging business has delivered a robust performance, revenues for the overall UK division have been impacted by continuing weakness in the paper market, as a result of which, prices and demand have remained subdued. “Focus going forward would be to continue growing the packaging and recycling businesses, while reducing our exposure to paper manufacturing and disposing of non-core businesses and assets.”...
read moreAlpine Press bought out of administration by founder
Jason Baker and Philip Armstrong of FRP Advisory were appointed joint administrators on 25 June. The company was then marketed as a going concern, during which time a number of potential buyers expressed an interest, with several making offers. However, the offer by the firm’s founder Maurice Grainger was chosen as the strongest bid, resulting in him buying the company back on 4 July. “This has been a transformational restructuring for Alpine Press. The administration process has ensured that the business has emerged in a more robust position to continue servicing its customers’ needs under the ownership of a New Company overseen by the same, experienced management team,” said Baker. Grainger founded the company in the mid 1960s, growing it to a £5m business that employed 49 staff. The administrators laid off 14 staff, primarily across production and admin, shortly after their appointment. “When I founded this company, 47 years ago I didn’t think I would be in this situation today, but the margin has just got tighter and tighter,” said Grainger. The Kings Langsley-based commercial litho and digital printer recorded sales of £4.9m and pre-tax losses of £235,000 in 2011, although according to Grainger it had clawed back to break even in 2012. “I don’t think that many in the industry could deny that there has been a definite downturn since last November. But we have also been unfortunate in that in the past 18 months, we have picked up over £200,000 of bad debt,” said Grainger. The company was hit by one customer alone to the tune of £90,000. “We’ve had to take them [the bad debts] and pay for all the paper and all the sundries on them and to try and make that kind of money up has become more and more difficult,” said Grainger. “I’m sure that some people will look down their nose, thinking I’ve pre-packed or something. I haven’t. I don’t feel good about this at all, but at least I’ve saved 37 jobs. It’s been awful and I’m not in this position out of choice, but I’m hoping to keep these people employed.” Grainger plans to consolidate the business from its current two buildings into a single unit to reduce overheads. While he conceded that the market hasn’t got any easier, he said that he believed that by taking out some of the non-profitable work and realigning its cost base, then the underlying business is solid.He added that customers had generally been very supportive. “I haven’t not paid them [suppliers], and over my career I’ve spent nearly £30m in paper alone,” said Grainger, although he didn’t want to go into detail on the level of debt at the ‘old’ company. “It wasn’t too bad, well I say that, if you owe anybody then that’s very bad. I know that better than most.”...
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