Formerly based in Heathfields, the operation bought Berforts South West in May last year and set about consolidating operations onto the acquisition’s Hastings premises through the back half of the year.
Having established itself on the new site, Scantech spent £335,000 on a used Speedmaster CD 74 from Harrogate-based supplier White Horse Machinery in order to keep up capacity to fulfil work for the combined operation’s portfolio of clients. It arrived in late July.
Commercial director Craig Stephens said: “We spent a considerable amount of time looking at various options including Komori. Our choice had to fit with work we have now and various new contracts starting over the next six months. A large deciding factor was the service support from Heidelberg and availability of parts.
“Benefits for clients include faster turnarounds and the machine also makes quality control under our ISO 9001 certification easier to audit. Since 1991, we have retained clients through quality and service. Investing carefully in quality pressroom equipment is what helps the core of our business deliver the result clients expect from us.
“Our plan for the rest of the year focuses on consolidation, settling the new press in, realignment of shifts to maximise production and keeping focus on existing clients and new opportunities.”
He concluded: “We like a challenge at Scantech and we now have a great team pushing the business forward with many exciting opportunities ahead.”
The CD 74, a five-colour plus coater system running at 16,000sph, will serve a variety of packaging and high-end, five-colour financial applications for Scantech. It features JDF controls to work with with Agfa Apogee pre-press software and newly installed Tharstern MIS.
Stephens said that the business was in the middle of a two-year plan to get the full business into shape following the acquisition and it is currently “on target”.
Former Berforts owner and one-time BPIF president Gerald White remains with Scantech as a non-executive director, fulfiling a consulting role especially focused on the company's project development team.
Alongside the Speedmaster, the 1,200sqm site is host to a team of 46 staff running a Komori Lithrone A37 with HUV technology alongside a variety of kit for digital sheetfed and web printing, mailing, large-format, die-cutting and bespoke transactional services.
Scantech’s turnover is currently £4.8m.
