Reflex to be first UK Landa customer

Flexible packaging specialist Reflex has followed up on the deposit it paid at Drupa 2012 by placing an order for a Landa W10 web press at the exhibition this week.

The deal is the first official UK sale for one of the Landa Nanographic presses.

Reflex director Will Parker said the Mansfield group was the first to sign a letter of intent for the W5 narrow web press envisioned at the last Drupa, which has now been superseded by the 200m/min W10, which is twice as wide. 

“Four years on I was here first thing this morning to become a paid-up customer for the W10,” he said.

He declined to reveal the price of the press, but said he was “happy that the ROI is competitive”.

“We’ve worked very closely with Landa and have been involved heavily with steering the strategy on the W10 and Metallography,” he explained.

Reflex also hopes to be the first site for the Nano Metallography system.

Parker said the “disruptive nature” of Landa technology mirrored the group’s own business strategy. 

“It also answers so many of the issues that our customers are looking to solve. Shorter runs, increased flexibility and greater consumer engagement.”

Fast-growing Reflex made two acquisitions last year and make a major multimillion investment in eight Mark Andy presses, AVT, and Kodak equipment.

In the financial year to the end of February 2015 the group had sales of £58.3m, but this has increased considerably since and the firm is now on course for £100m turnover and employs 530 staff. 

Its product range includes labels, flexible packaging and shrink sleeves and the group puts a lot of effort into its environmental and ethical business standards.

“We’re going to filter rainwater off the roof for the ink,” he added.  

Parker described digital packaging as “truly industrial” with the W10.

“Four years on for all those that told me that Landa would never get there, they must be eating their words today,” he stated. 

The W10 has a web with of 1,050mm and Landa believes it is cost-effective compared with analogue printing methods for runs of up to 10,000 linear metres.

Parker said he expected the press to be installed at a to-be-decided location within the group’s flexibles division in the next 18 months.  

Landa is exhibiting in hall 9, stand A73 at the show.