International Paper extends distribution contract with Warren Board
Under the extended agreement, the Leicestershire-based firm will continue to offer IP’s SBS brand Everest, which it has stocked and distributed for around 15 years. It will also expand its range to include the US-manufactured Carolina, which comprises one and two-sided coated solid bleached sulphate boards targeted at markets including greetings cards, book covers, DM, catalogues and luxury packaging. Warren Board Sales managing director Kieran Ferguson said: “We already have a firm relationship with International Paper and helped them develop their Everest brand into Europe. The company now wants to develop Carolina in the same way so we will work with the brand and effectively be a stepping stone to it gaining a presence in Europe.” Other new brands offered by Warren Board under the new deal include high quality folding box-board products Arktika and Alaska, which are produced at IP’s Polish mill in Kwidzyn and aimed at the pharmaceutical, confectionary and cosmetics markets. Ferguson added that there would most likely be further speciality board developments. International Paper’s commercial director for coated paperboard and recycled specialities, Michael Krüger, said: “The strengthening of this partnership will help International Paper develop its coated board presence in the UK and Irish graphical and converting sectors and provide a more comprehensive service and value proposition to these markets.”...
read moreCoatings Direct consolidates and aims to add services
Managing director Jon Olley said the move was the result of changes in the company’s client base, including company closures and the fact that a number of firms have taken laminating in-house by putting their own kit in. “The client base doesn’t warrant having two factories anymore,” he explained. “We can consolidate our laminating and varnishing services at Harleston. The two facilities were only 30 miles apart anyway, so this is a sensible and cost-effective way forward.” The company will close its smaller Bury St Edmunds site as a result, with the loss of eight jobs. Sales and transport manager Marvin Coe will transfer to Harleston. The 1,160sqm Harleston facility employs 20 people under factory manager Dean Ames. Olley also plans to expand the range of services offered at Harleston and is in the midst of evaluating the digital spot UV coating systems from Autobond, Scodix, MGI and Komfi. “That will be something completely new as a trade service,” he added. “Our finance director Mone Sharma is looking at the financial return on investment and we’re talking to major customers about this offering.” Coatings Direct’s clients include major book and magazine printers. It had sales of just under £3m last year....
read moreInternational Paper extends distribution contract with Warren Board
Under the extended agreement, the Leicestershire-based firm will continue to offer IP’s SBS brand Everest, which it has stocked and distributed for around 15 years. It will also expand its range to include the US-manufactured Carolina, which comprises one and two-sided coated solid bleached sulphate boards targeted at markets including greetings cards, book covers, DM, catalogues and luxury packaging. Warren Board Sales managing director Kieran Ferguson said: “We already have a firm relationship with International Paper and helped them develop their Everest brand into Europe. The company now wants to develop Carolina in the same way so we will work with the brand and effectively be a stepping stone to it gaining a presence in Europe.” Other new brands offered by Warren Board under the new deal include high quality folding box-board products Arktika and Alaska, which are produced at IP’s Polish mill in Kwidzyn and aimed at the pharmaceutical, confectionary and cosmetics markets. Ferguson added that there would most likely be further speciality board developments. International Paper’s commercial director for coated paperboard and recycled specialities, Michael Krüger, said: “The strengthening of this partnership will help International Paper develop its coated board presence in the UK and Irish graphical and converting sectors and provide a more comprehensive service and value proposition to these markets.”...
read morePrinters strike at Bootle packaging firm
The Bootle site, part of US-owned packaging group Crown Holdings, employs around 150 staff and produces metal cans and packaging for UK firms such as Cadbury, Jacobs and Jeyes. Around 28 employees, who make up the firm’s print unit, and a further eight from other divisions, are taking strike action after a 7% pay increase for all print staff that was agreed and confirmed in writing by management last year failed to materialise. The deal, which also involved a new seasonal shift pattern, was due to coincide with the arrival of a new four-colour printing press. However following its recent installation staff were told that only those directly responsible for operating the press – around eight – would be entitled to the rise, according to Unite regional officer Phil Morgan. He said: “The increase was clearly part of the agreement, there was no ambiguity at all. We received it in writing and they have now come back at the point the press is being commissioned saying it will only apply to the operators.” Morgan said that a planned site move to a neighbouring facility has also not materialised. Union members have observed an overtime ban for the past month and took part in the first of three planned stoppage days, on Friday 28 June. A further two are planned for tomorrow (5 July) and next Friday (12 July). Morgan said: “We haven’t heard anything from them at all since this started. We are open to negotiation but they haven’t indicated to us that they are open to that. In our final meeting when we indicated this was the likely route we would go down, it didn’t change anything.” No-one was available to comment at the company....
read morePrinters strike at Bootle packaging firm
The Bootle site, part of US-owned packaging group Crown Holdings, employs around 150 staff and produces metal cans and packaging for UK firms such as Cadbury, Jacobs and Jeyes. Around 28 employees, who make up the firm’s print unit, and a further eight from other divisions, are taking strike action after a 7% pay increase for all print staff that was agreed and confirmed in writing by management last year failed to materialise. The deal, which also involved a new seasonal shift pattern, was due to coincide with the arrival of a new four-colour printing press. However following its recent installation staff were told that only those directly responsible for operating the press – around eight – would be entitled to the rise, according to Unite regional officer Phil Morgan. He said: “The increase was clearly part of the agreement, there was no ambiguity at all. We received it in writing and they have now come back at the point the press is being commissioned saying it will only apply to the operators.” Morgan said that a planned site move to a neighbouring facility has also not materialised. Union members have observed an overtime ban for the past month and took part in the first of three planned stoppage days, on Friday 28 June. A further two are planned for tomorrow (5 July) and next Friday (12 July). Morgan said: “We haven’t heard anything from them at all since this started. We are open to negotiation but they haven’t indicated to us that they are open to that. In our final meeting when we indicated this was the likely route we would go down, it didn’t change anything.” No-one was available to comment at the company....
read morePrintWeek Awards entry deadline extended
The PrintWeek Awards are the industry’s flagship awards programme, judged by leading print buyers – giving them an unrivalled reputation as the only awards that matter. With 24 categories ranging from business performance awards like Company of the Year, SME of the Year, Environmental Company of the Year and Cross-media company of the year, to quality awards in 18 different disciplines, the chances are that there’s a category that represents the ideal showcase for your business. For details on the categories and how to enter, visit printweekawards.com But what’s the value of winning a PrintWeek Award? Sure, you get a great night out with top-notch entertainment, but where’s the return on investment? “I think winning an award just reinforces to our clients or prospects that they don’t have to just take our word for it on how good we are, it’s industry recognised,” said Noel Warner, chief executive of last year’s Cross-media Company of the Year Inc Direct. “When we position the PrintWeek Awards to our clients, we explain that they’re the Oscars of the industry. Just to be shortlisted is fantastic, but to win an award is like winning best film – especially when we show them the calibre of buyers that are on the judging panels,” he added. This was echoed by Chris Cooper, managing director of Hampton Printing (Bristol), last year’s Brochure Printer of the Year: “From our point of view we’re well known for quality, but it goes down extremely well with clients to win an award like this. It encourages clients to be loyal to a degree, but it’s also a reward for the team here and further boosts staff morale.” The final word on the value of winning a PrintWeek Award goes to David Laybourne, managing director of last year’s Company of the Year Real Digital International. “It felt like we had come of age and that even our rivals had to take notice and admit that we had made it and were a good business. You don’t get that sort of recognition in any other way – I was honestly taken aback by how genuinely pleased the whole Real Digital team was about the award – and I was incredibly proud of all 133 of them. “I know it sounds glib, but I’m proud to be part of a business like this, because I would hate to be part of one where no one cares.” So if you haven’t entered the PrintWeek Awards yet, the only question is: how much do you care about your business? For more information on entering, visit printweekawards.com or contact event manager Ed Wyre on 020 7501 6742....
read morePrintWeek Awards entry deadline extended
The PrintWeek Awards are the industry’s flagship awards programme, judged by leading print buyers – giving them an unrivalled reputation as the only awards that matter. With 24 categories ranging from business performance awards like Company of the Year, SME of the Year, Environmental Company of the Year and Cross-media company of the year, to quality awards in 18 different disciplines, the chances are that there’s a category that represents the ideal showcase for your business. For details on the categories and how to enter, visit printweekawards.com But what’s the value of winning a PrintWeek Award? Sure, you get a great night out with top-notch entertainment, but where’s the return on investment? “I think winning an award just reinforces to our clients or prospects that they don’t have to just take our word for it on how good we are, it’s industry recognised,” said Noel Warner, chief executive of last year’s Cross-media Company of the Year Inc Direct. “When we position the PrintWeek Awards to our clients, we explain that they’re the Oscars of the industry. Just to be shortlisted is fantastic, but to win an award is like winning best film – especially when we show them the calibre of buyers that are on the judging panels,” he added. This was echoed by Chris Cooper, managing director of Hampton Printing (Bristol), last year’s Brochure Printer of the Year: “From our point of view we’re well known for quality, but it goes down extremely well with clients to win an award like this. It encourages clients to be loyal to a degree, but it’s also a reward for the team here and further boosts staff morale.” The final word on the value of winning a PrintWeek Award goes to David Laybourne, managing director of last year’s Company of the Year Real Digital International. “It felt like we had come of age and that even our rivals had to take notice and admit that we had made it and were a good business. You don’t get that sort of recognition in any other way – I was honestly taken aback by how genuinely pleased the whole Real Digital team was about the award – and I was incredibly proud of all 133 of them. “I know it sounds glib, but I’m proud to be part of a business like this, because I would hate to be part of one where no one cares.” So if you haven’t entered the PrintWeek Awards yet, the only question is: how much do you care about your business? For more information on entering, visit printweekawards.com or contact event manager Ed Wyre on 020 7501 6742....
read moreAB Print Group boosts finishing arm and eyes growth
“Previously we’d always sent perfect binding out, but as the type of work we produce has expanded we’re now trying to keep as much in house as possible,” said director Alan Williamson. “We can see a growth in perfect binding applications, particularly for short run, higher pagination digitally printed work. Others don’t have perfect binding so we want it. The Eurobind 600 is an affordable and cost-effective model,” he added. The company offers litho, digital and screen printing and the £3.5m turnover, 43 staff firm’s KH66 folder will run alongside a continuous-feed MBO folder. The group will take delivery of the binder, which will run hot glue, and folder in early Autumn. The Batley, West Yorkshire-based trade and commercial printer is adding a mezzanine floor to its factory this year, which will add around 500sqm. The firm’s Inca Spyder wide-format printer and Zünd digital cutter will move from the production floor to the new mezzanine. “Once we’ve worked out how much room we’ve got on the production floor we might look at further investments, but at the moment we’re struggling on space. It’s exciting times for us though,” said Williamson....
read moreDoor drops up 3.5%
The latest Annual Door Drop Industry Report, carried out by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), shows that door drop volumes across the UK grew from 6.9bn in 2011 to 7.2bn last year. Meanwhile expenditure on door drop media, which includes leaflets, catalogues, newsletters and product samples, was up £10m to £266m. The figures represents the first year-on-year growth since 2012 although an overall decline of almost 40% since 2005 when nearly 12bn items of door drops were delivered to UK households. The report cited improved household targeting for the decline. The Leaflet Company chief executive and chair of the DMA Door Drops Committee Mark Young said there were a number of factors for the return of growth. “While some larger users of the medium have reduced volumes the overall growth has come from new and lapsed users coming into the channel and realising its` potential. “As a result of this and the continuing decline of coverage with free newspapers the price point has increased slightly with alternative methods of coverage, the major benefactors being the Royal Mail,” he added. Meanwhile the report also showed that waste reduction targets mean that the average weight of door drop material has decreased by 17% from 19g in 2005 to 16g last year....
read moreDoor drops up 3.5%
The latest Annual Door Drop Industry Report, carried out by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), shows that door drop volumes across the UK grew from 6.9bn in 2011 to 7.2bn last year. Meanwhile expenditure on door drop media, which includes leaflets, catalogues, newsletters and product samples, was up £10m to £266m. The figures represents the first year-on-year growth since 2012 although an overall decline of almost 40% since 2005 when nearly 12bn items of door drops were delivered to UK households. The report cited improved household targeting for the decline. The Leaflet Company chief executive and chair of the DMA Door Drops Committee Mark Young said there were a number of factors for the return of growth. “While some larger users of the medium have reduced volumes the overall growth has come from new and lapsed users coming into the channel and realising its` potential. “As a result of this and the continuing decline of coverage with free newspapers the price point has increased slightly with alternative methods of coverage, the major benefactors being the Royal Mail,” he added. Meanwhile the report also showed that waste reduction targets mean that the average weight of door drop material has decreased by 17% from 19g in 2005 to 16g last year....
read more