Hedgerow expands and adds new Komori

The Hedgerow Print team at the firm's new site
The Hedgerow Print team at the firm's new site

Hedgerow Print has installed a new Komori press as part of an expansion that involved more than doubling the size of its premises.

The Devon-based business has moved into a larger, 930sqm unit on the same industrial estate in Crediton, having previously operated across two smaller units.

As part of the £1.5m investment the business has also installed a new four-colour B2 Komori GL429 with H-UV drying. The new press arrived in May.

The business stuck with Komori after making its then-largest investment six years ago, when it put in a used five-colour LS529 H-UV.

Managing director Gary Radford (pictured below with the new Lithrone) said the business had been impressed with the latest Komori models. “Any niggles we had with our old press had been addressed and we did not feel the need to look beyond them,” he said.

Radford said the firm’s new factory and setup had transformed its operations.

“We are much more efficient now, white paper in at one end, printing, finishing and then jobs out of the door.

“It flows a lot better, in fact I can’t quite believe how we managed before!”

The firm runs an Agfa Avalon CTP system and is using Agfa PressTune software to meet its quality standards.

Print runs vary from the low hundreds to 150,000, with a “sweet spot” of 5,000-20,000 copies.

The business prints for a wide range of regular commercial clients.

Radford said there had been a definite uptick in activity in recent months.

“With the new press we are really rattling through the work. Things do seem to be very busy, and that’s encouraging after everything that happened last year.

“All the customers we deal with are busy, in fact I’ve just been taking an order and the customer wants double the quantity they had last time – and long may that continue.”

As well as the two Komori presses, 14-employee Hedgerow runs two Heidelberg Speedmaster 52 presses, two Konica Minolta 6100 digital devices, large-format digital kit, and finishing equipment.