Thomson Print & Packaging continues to go from strength to strength after installing a BOBST NOVAFOLD 110 folder gluer as part of its strategy to bring folding carton production fully in-house.
Edinburgh-based Thomson Print & Packaging is a family-owned business that specializes in bespoke print and packaging, primarily serving Scotland’s whisky industry with printed and folded cartons as well as labels. Non-contact food packaging applications are also handled by the company.
In the case of whisky, packaging is often required for cask bottling of 200-300 pieces. This places the onus on short runs and fast turnaround. With printing, foil blocking, and some die-cutting services already offered, the NOVAFOLD 110 was a natural addition to the business as it evolves into a full-service folding carton manufacturer. Folding and gluing was previously outsourced to a local partner.
“Having never worked with glue or offered folding directly, this was an entirely new area for us,” explains Thomson Print & Packaging Production Director Michael Thomson. “That meant we needed a partner rather than a supplier, who would be able to provide us not only with the machine that suited our needs but would help inform and educate our team, train our operators, and ensure we are able to produce the quality of work required by our customers.
“We were clear from the outset that we weren’t going to buy a machine solely based on whoever came to us with the lowest cost solution; rather what we required was a manufacturer committed to supporting us and helping us grow. We found that in abundance with BOBST, and the company’s support staff, engineers, and service teams have been essential to our success so far.”
As well as being Thomson’s first investment in folding and gluing, the NOVAFOLD 110 was the company’s first investment in BOBST equipment. The machine was installed during the summer of 2024 and has quickly established itself as a reliable workhorse on the company’s expanded production floor.