Onlineprinters is spending big, investing €5 million in new presses and ancillary equipment, but not yet in equipment at Solopress, the Southend on Sea company it bought earlier this year.
It is, however, pushing on with converting a factory unit to accommodate a further production hall at Solopress. “Investment is planned, but currently we can’t disclose more details,” says marketing head Patrick Piecha.
In the meantime the main Neustadt an der Aisch factory in Germany has installed another eight-colour perfecting Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106. This includes the full array of technology and has the top speed of 18,000sph. It includes simultaneous plate change, Inpress spent colour control and Prinect Press Center XL2 to fit Heidelberg’s Push to Stop philosophy.
The installation means that Onlineprinters now operates 121 B1 printing units across the Germany factory. The UK plant has B2 presses. It responds to growth in demand for online print and for swift response. CEO Michael Fries says: “There are two powerful trends in the purchasing of printed business supplies: The need for short print runs and the request for fast delivery. This applies to flyers, brochures and exhibition supplies alike. We are catering to this demand. A lot of our products are already available with the same day print and express delivery option.”
The same developments led to the acquisition of Solopress as UK customers are particularly demanding in terms of response times. More than 80% of Solopress orders are shipped overnight.
Back in Germany, the company has also acquired an HP Indigo 12000 to support the express delivery service. It joins two Indigo 10000s and three 7000 series machines. The remainder of the €5 million investment came from finishing systems to support the fast turnaround ethos and in support infrastructure. On the finishing side this included a Muller Martini Primera MC saddle stitcher.
The new Heidelberg Speedmaster XL106-8-P joins other presses from the same manufacturer in the Neustadt and der Aisch company. It now boasts 121 B1 units from Heidelberg, and with the additional of an Indigo 12000, three of that company’s B2 digital presses.
