UK print specialist, Bluetree Group, has made further equipment investments to boost its output with the purchase of a RENZ Inline 500 Classic punching and binding machine. The RENZ Inline 500 was acquired predominantly for outputting personalised products such as photobooks, calendars, and wire-bound books.
According to Plockmatic Group, which purchased RENZ in July, the 500 Classic will be producing around 35,000 calendars a week at Bluetree’s Rotheram-based facility, which has an estimated £60m turnover and employs 320 staff, of whom 250 work in production.
The latest kit purchase is part of a wider investment programme from Bluetree which is aiming to maximise its production capabilities. Last month, Bluetree became the first UK company to install the IGS Cobalt SP800 printer from International Graphic Supplies (IGS), which it purchased to expand its production capabilities for packaging and point-of-sale (POS).
In June, the company also installed a Titanium 330-R label cutter and a Cobalt SP800 single-pass printer, again from IGS. On top of this, Bluetree also a PLASTGrommet Hybrid TexWiz in August to increase its wide-format output. Bluetree had initial discussions with RENZ UK at Hunkeler Innovationdays in February. After visiting the RENZ headquarters in Germany, the deal – which includes round-the-clock service and support – was finalised in August.
Speaking about the purchase, Mark Young, managing director of Bluetree Group, says: “We did look at competitors, but RENZ offered by far the best solution and we felt it is best to stick with the people we know well. “Our investment plan was built around the fact we are now approaching our busiest three months of the year – and the RENZ Inline 500 Classic will be crucial to our success. The machine has been running really well.”
Young also highlights Plockmatic’s purchase of RENZ, adding: “The acquisition of RENZ by Plockmatic Group has further cemented our great, long-standing relationship. It provides reassurance thanks to a great support network behind the companies.”
Plockmatic and RENZ demonstrated a range of solutions side-by-side at the recent Print Show exhibition at the NEC Birmingham. Plockmatic’s lineup of Morgana equipment included the Digifold Ultra folder and creaser, LED Digicoater, and the BM5000 Series booklet maker, with RENZ showcasing binding systems including the MOBI 500, AP 300 Compact, and 5000 SE punch.
Speaking to Print Monthly at the event, Ed Hudson, general manager of Morgana Systems, spoke about the success that they had at The Print Show, saying: “The response from the show has been with people’s chequebooks: we’ve over-exceeded our targets in terms of selling equipment on the stand, and that means genuinely cold-selling the equipment as opposed to things being teed up.
“That’s really refreshing and exciting, and we’ve significantly more than paid for our presence here. Shows like this are an integral part of our overall marketing mix and it’s important we continue to do them, to show our wares to a diverse audience.”
News Courtesy : Digitalprinter