Buxton Press invests in Friedheim as expansion continues

Buxton Press has installed a further Friedheim MBO K800 folding machine and Palamides Alpha 700plus stacker as part of its 20m investment programme.

The Derbyshire company said the machines will be installed in June as it is expanding the folding capability of its finishing department to provide a solid infrastructure for the significant press hall extension this year.

The latest investments come as Buxton reports that its binding and stitching capacity had doubled since last year’s expansion.

The sheetfed magazine printer spent over £1m on two MBO K800 Combi folding machines, two Palamides stackers, a Wohlenberg City perfect binding line and Sprinter gathering machine with 3-knife trimmer last summer and has since signed a £7m for two 8-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 perfectors at Drupa – its largest-ever order.

Buxton managing director Kirk Galloway said: "We are already seeing the benefits of the new generation of equipment through significant improvements in productivity which is also positively contributing to reduce our operating cost base – a vital asset in the very competitive market sector of magazine printing."

He said the introduction of the latest technologies will not only reduce operating costs but also smooth workflow processes – with the aid of its Fuji XMF remote workflow system, the largest and fastest in Europe – and improve overall operating efficiencies to benefit productivity and profitability.

Galloway added: "In spite of the very tough trading conditions, both capacity and turnover at Buxton has increased by double digits over each of the last two years and we are currently experiencing our best trade ever.

"Our latest investments will help us to consolidate our position as the leading sheetfed printer in our market sector and help secure the future of our business, for ourselves and our customers."