Bootyman has completed a move to share premises with Oriel Printing across the city of Hull.
The two came together under single ownership in March following conversations over the years. “We share a similar culture and have produced work for each other,” says Richard Simms, managing director of Oriel.
“We started talking and realised it would make sense to move in alongside each other.”
Robert Johnson and Tania Maciver, as owners of Bootyman, have acquired the shares of Oriel, but currently there is no direct ownership between the two businesses. That may follow.
There is, however, a greater sharing of facilities adding to the services that both can offer. Oriel is a trade printer running two XL106s, one a seven-colour double-coater UV press installed two years ago to handle printing on plastics. It also has a Scodix for digital embellishment.
Bootyman is a packaging printer specialising in cartons and labels, particularly for the local fish and frozen food sectors. “Bootyman is known for its speed to react to the requirements of a fast moving food market where the need is to supply cartons and sleeves at short notice,” says Simms. The larger presses can take some of the core regular work increasing capacity for fast response work.
The combination provides access to die cutting, foiling and gluing that Oriel did not previously have under its roof.
In its previous presses it ran two six-colour B2 Komoris. These are not making the move. Instead the business has installed an SRA1 Komori GL637C coating press giving it a larger print area on a press only a fraction larger than a B2 machine.
The companies will also be able to share people across the facilities, says Simms. “Now we have the businesses next to each other we can both benefit from efficiencies, a single energy bill for example, that will become apparent once we have fully settled down.”
There are plans for an extension as a materials store. The new press has been specified with skeleton cylinders to make it easier to run carton boards as well as thin papers for wet labels.
Separately both operations had BRCGS certification at AA grade. After just a few weeks the same level of certification has been achieved jointly for the adjacent plants.
There is not change in personnel with Simms running Oriel and Gavin Green in charge of operations at Bootyman.
“Working with my opposite number, Gavin Green, has been an absolute pleasure, we’re certainly on the same page, and together we will drive growth and achieve great things,” says Simms. Both businesses are positioned to take advantage of the additional equipment and opportunities that are now at hand.
