Deanprint has brought to an end an investment phase that has been underway since a management buyout took control of the Cheadle Heath business in 2008.
Among the first purchases was a Tharstern MIS. Now the latest has been a pair of Wohlenberg guillotines. This followed installation of a Smyth sewing machine earlier this year and that came a year after installation of a Wohlenberg Quickbinder and Kolbus DA260 case maker.
“We are where we want to be now,” says operations director Kevin Lee, “at least for a little while.” The company is also celebrating its 125th year in business this year, welcoming Stockport MP Anne Coffey to cut the cake to mark the occasion in February. There has been a staff dinner and the book of company’s history, published 25 years ago, will be updated this year.
“We have been upgrading the equipment that is nearing the end of its life,” says Lee, “and replacing it with equipment that is suited to the short makereadies that are prevalent today. And it provides the opportunity for growth.”
The company’s line up of five Polar guillotines fell into this category. “As a result we looked at what was currently on the market and decided that the Baumann-Wohlenberg cutters offered better value for money in terms of their productivity and number of programs and applications available,” he says.
Friedheim International, which had previous supplied the Quickbinder and Trim-Tec three-side trimmer, provided the guillotines. This was a factor in the decision as service and support come from the single company.
The purchase of the Smyth sewer was slightly different as it has replaced two Martini (now Muller Martini) sewing machines, the youngest of which dates from 1963. “The Magnum is the only machine today that will do the same as the old technology. The old machines were so flexible and nobody else can offer that size of book,” Lee adds. It was supplied by Perfect Bindery Services which handles Smyth in the UK.
The Smyth also includes a folding unit, taking a sheet of 900x610mm and folding in four before sewing. Previously folding a sheet of this size had been a manual task. “It is the only one of its kind in the world,” says Lee. “This is going to give us a lot more capacity for oversized work.”
It is this kind of out of the norm work that the business specialises in with hand made slip cases and covers alongside those produced on the Kolbus DA260. It also produces school diaries and appointment books as the staple fare using a vast array of machinery and the skills of its 45 staff. This is around 20 down on the numbers at the point go the MBO before the company began to sharpen its focus and to modernise.
“We have been able to increase turnover with the same workforce thanks to these pieces of kit,” Lee says. “The MIS was one of the initial upgrades. At the time they were still doing estimates here on pieces of paper with a pencil and rubber.”
Dean print has added a pair of Wohlenberg guillotines to the Quickbinder that it installed at the end of 2013. There has also been investment in a Smyth sewing machine.
