Autumn Statement boost prompts investment at Vario Press

Vario Press has invested in a 600,000 Sakurai 575 press in a move inspired by the government's proposal, revealed in the Autumn Statement, to increase capital allowances to 250,000 from 1 January 2013.

The Berkshire-based printer’s managing director David Clarke disagreed with PrintWeek’s recent findings that the sector had been left uninspired by the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on 5 December.

He said that in light of the news, he had ordered the Sakurai five-colour plus coater press, to be operational in January.

He said: "It was fantastic news. Capital allowances were increased, and what do we buy? Big lumps of kit.

"We’ve made quite a big investment this year and so capital allowance increases was just what we wanted. It’s not doom and gloom at all, the Autumn budget, for printers, was fantastic."

Clarke intends to use the Sakurai litho press for short run work to avoid the costly click charge imposed by its two digital Indigo printers. The Sakurai will be aided by the Kodak Magnus 400 III platesetter that the company bought in September.

Clarke said: "A lot of printers chase quantity jobs, but we have gone after short-run work, which has more make readies and I think make readies make profits."

Building work at the Slough company’s base has delayed investments as its storage factory has had a new mezzanine floor and ceiling to update it for use as a press hall, where the new Sakurai will be kept, costing the business an additional £150,000.

This year’s turnover surged from £5.06m to £5.2m due to increased business from existing clients, and Clarke predicts that this figure will grow a further 10% next year.