Precision Proco has designated its vast Dagenham site as a Book Super Centre. This is not, however, a challenge to Clays, CPI Books or other established manufacturers working for well established publishers. Precision Proco is about offering to produce books in limited quantities, including print on demand, for agencies, designers and individuals who want to tell their story.
The site has a long tradition in book production having started with photobooks and moving into personalised books bought as gifts. These might be perfect bound, case bound or layflat. The compact now is to build on that heritage through Where The Trade Buys and an extension of its capabilities to include thread sewn and open spine layflat books with options in head and tail bands, ribbons and dust jackets to enhance the finished book.
The acquisition of Clifton Bookbinders at the start of the year brought in additional equipment, more importantly, added to the pool or expertise that can be called on.
Further value add finishing options can include varnishing, die cutting and tactile varnish and foils through the Scodix Ultra on site.
Investment at the end of last year increased its capacity for layflat book production through installation of a MitaBlock Pro, which uses a conventional hot melt adhesive for faster production than a cold melt more frequently used in open flat binding. This applies to hard cover and softcover products.
The focus on books comes as demand from individuals is increasing, either because they have written a lock down novel, gathered together family recipes or wanted a smarter way to present photographs.
Precision Proco group CEO Gary Peeling says: “The book printing side of the business is a high growth area for us and we have seen it perform strongly in recent years. It made perfect sense for us to invest and to enhance this offering to put us in an ever stronger position going forward.”
The company had invested in a previous generation of the Mita technology in 2015 along with Horizon perfect binders and trimmers. The acquisition of the Photobox factory last year has allowed the group to distribute work more effectively, enabling the Dagenham factory to become the focus for book production.
