News

Commercial printer Grena­ways Office Supplies has become the latest UK company to look to China for a kit upgrade, investing in a two-colour Sanxin YK522.

According to the Stoke-on-Trent-based company’s managing director David Urwin, the machine is equivalent in price to a decade old Ryobi or Heidelberg.

Following the investment, Grenaways is making plans to upgrade its platesetter so it can effectively turn the machine into a four-colour press. The machine was supplied by Sanxin’s UK distributor, Printers Superstore.

Urwin said: “We haven’t bought a new press for 10 years and you forget how much things change and how far prices move on. I was quite shocked when I heard the prices for new machines now.

“When you hear about Chinese machines, everyone has a preconception of them as mass-produced cheap products. But you can’t fault the build. We wanted to go brand new. It may not be as quick as some machines, but it isn’t far off and we made quite a saving.”

Currently, Grenaways is using a five-year old platesetter, which does not allow it to run four colours on the YK522. Urwin added that a new system would be added in the next six months.

Grenaways, which currently employs around 12 staff, prints letterheads, business forms and brochures. It has also recently started offering direct mail.