Hawthornes Printers has spent 1.8m on new kit including the UKs first eight-colour Speedmaster SM 102-8P with fully automatic plate loading.
Executive chairman Chris Hawthorne said the new press would work with an older eight-colour 102 and would mean "we no longer have to turn down two big eight-colour jobs or four-back-four jobs".
It replaces a two-colour Heidelberg in October and should give the 8.4m turnover Nottingham firm up to 20% greater productivity than its current eight-colour.
The investment also included a Heidelberg Trendsetter CTP system and Prinergy workflow, a proofing upgrade to a DuPont digital Cromalin AQ, and a Stahl folder.
Half the firms 90 staff have joined its employee share ownership trust offering 16% of shares (PrintWeek 9 June).
They have taken up 4% of company equity so far, but Hawthorne would not say how much this was. Non-family directors hold 9%.
Story by Jez Abbot
Have your say in the Printweek Poll
Related stories
Latest comments
"Gosh! That’s a huge debt - especially HMRC! It’s a shock that HMRC allowed such an amount to be accumulated."
"Whatever happened to the good old fashioned cash job! At least the banks didn't take 2-3% of each sale. After 30 odd transactions that £100 quid you had has gone."
"It's amazing what can be found on the "web" nowadays!"
Up next...
Replacement 'will be operational later this year'
Walstead makes decision on Bicester 64pp
'Ridiculous decision'
Unite “prepared to fight” on proposed DS Smith site closure
Also helps mitigate volatile energy prices
