{"id":2804,"date":"2024-08-22T07:46:38","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T07:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/print3.in\/?p=2804"},"modified":"2024-09-27T07:05:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T07:05:59","slug":"midland-regional-printers-grows-label-business-with-mark-andy-digital-pro-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.print3.in\/?p=2804","title":{"rendered":"Midland Regional Printers Grows Label Business with Mark Andy Digital Pro 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Midland Regional Printers (MRP) points to its Mark Andy Digital Pro 3 toner-based press as key to its growing label business and broadened its product portfolio.\u00a0 Nottingham based, and still family owned and managed, MRP is one of the UK\u2019s leading suppliers of bespoke folding carton and label packaging.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

The company dates back to 1969 when Stephen Tew and John Newbold started to supply general print to local businesses.\u00a0 From an initial staff of three in a 2000 sq\/ft workshop, MRP, as it is now known, has grown to employ 65 in a 50,000 sq\/ft facility in the Basford area of Nottingham where, unlike many printing companies, it still handles 95% of processes in-house.<\/p>\n

A great believer in the \u2018one stop shop\u2019 principle, Stephen Tew explained:\u00a0\u201c<\/i>We take the time to understand each client\u2019s unique requirements and the specifications of the individual product.\u00a0<\/i> Our skilled and experienced staff can provide as much or as little guidance as they need: from simply printing existing designs, to offering advice and creating concepts. It\u2019s a very personal service, too, with our clients involved at every stage to discuss progress and see for themselves how their packaging and labels are taking shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although today\u2019s turnover is 75% folding carton packaging, the label side of the business has always been a passion of the Tew family, as Stephen\u2019s daughter Kate, who is Sales & Marketing Director points out:\u00a0\u201c<\/i>I started here preparing artwork for the label division and really loved it.\u00a0 In volume terms it is the smaller side of the business but our clients like the fact that we can deliver cartons and labels that are perfectly matched to preserve their brand image.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Kate\u2019s brother Michael, who is MRP\u2019s Technical Director, took up the story:\u00a0\u201c<\/i>We have two legacy 10\u201d flexo presses that have been reliable and productive, but we knew that we needed to be able<\/p>\n

to offer more in the current print market, so began to look at what digital technology was available.\u00a0 Inkjet failed to impress us on quality grounds, and we were looking for a single-pass solution that offered a degree of inline finishing and converting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Midland<\/p>\n

The solution proved to be a Mark Andy Digital Pro 3 machine that offered toner-based print quality with inline converting.\u00a0 Combining 1200dpi CMYK with flexo white, the DPro 3 also offers varnishing, laminating, cold foiling, die cutting, stripping and slitting in one pass on a 330mm web width at speeds up to 23m\/min.\u00a0 It can handle stocks from pressure sensitive to BOPP, PET, PP, unsupported paper, tags, PVC and vinyl and requires no coating or priming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really like the smooth, almost litho-like print quality that makes it easy to match with the cartons coming off our sheet fed press, and the fact that it has a small footprint, has no clean-room requirement, and is energy-efficient \u2013 it all chimes well with our facility here, where space is at a premium and stacked-down WIP is costly,\u201d<\/i>\u00a0he added.<\/p>\n

According to Kate Tew, the Digital Pro 3 has not only brought outwork back in-house where control of cost and quality is better, but also opened new opportunities that were previously unknown.\u00a0\u00a0\u201c<\/i>It\u2019s such a versatile machine and offers us the flexibility to switch work between offset and digital because the colour quality match is so good \u2013 and in today\u2019s ultra-competitive print market, where JIT is the expected norm, it\u2019s given us faster turnaround times.\u201d<\/p>\n

One new product opportunity that the Digital Pro 3 has brought to MRP is the ability to do \u2018peel and reveal\u2019 labels that are a highly saleable commodity.\u00a0 It has also been useful in allowing MRP to do sampling for customers who are keen to trial new techniques and finishes before committing to full-scale commercial production.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cFor instance, we can run off a variety varnishes for high gloss, matt, or tactile finishes on a wide selection of substrates \u2013 and do it quickly and cost-effectively on the DPro 3, so it acts as a sales tool as well as a production machine,\u201d<\/i>\u00a0she added.<\/p>\n

Reducing waste and preserving the environment is very much at the heart of MRP\u2019s business ethic.\u00a0 Working with independent consultancy Eight Versa, the company has calculated its overall carbon footprint and obtained certification verified by Natural Carbon Solutions.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cNow that we understand our carbon footprint, we are working on identifying areas of high impact and taking action to reduce it.\u00a0 Our assessment includes Greenhouse Gas, Electricity, and all other emissions including investments, upstream and downstream responsibilities, waste, and end-of-life considerations for all our products,\u201d<\/i>\u00a0she added, citing the fact that all MRP\u2019s self-adhesive label waste is delivered to cement kilns and used as a replacement for fossil fuel in blast furnaces.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s efforts were acknowledged and rewarded earlier this year when it won the \u2018Environmentally Sustainable Company \u2013 Business Award\u2019 sponsored annually by Digital Labels & Packaging magazine.\u00a0 The Awards ceremony was held at The Oval cricket ground in London, where Kate and Michael were presented with the trophy by former Surrey and England cricketer, Mark Butcher.\u00a0 In addition to its \u2018green credentials\u2019, MRP is proud of its work with local charities in Nottingham.\u00a0\u00a0\u201c<\/i>We see it all as an investment in our future that will offer benefits for our staff and the local community \u2013 we believe it\u2019s important to put something back,\u201d<\/i>\u00a0he concluded.<\/p>\n