GenesisNews: 2009 Top Ten

Having already featured some of our own favourite stories of the year, it is now time for us to showcase the stories that you, our visitors, found most compelling. These are effectively the news items that you have voted for with your clicks as being the stories that you wanted to find out about:

1. Parrot Print Installs Third Ryobi Press

There was something about this B3 landscape press installation that caught peoples interest. It was the most read story on GenesisNews for 2009, and must therefore win some sort of award!

2. Ryobi DI Elected Winner by Kall Kwik Horsham

The compelling story of a Kall Kwik franchise that has created strong ties with political party UKIP. Ryobi’s UK distributor, Apex Digital Graphics, was delighted to find the perfect application for its DI solution.

3. Benson Group Make UK Packaging Awards Shortlist

Unfortunately the appearance on the shortlist this year didn’t lead to Benson Group retaining its Packaging Company of the Year Award, but this release was certainly well read.

4. Apex Launches Five Colour Ryobi GE Press

Towards the end of 2009 Ryobi announced the introduction of the 525GE press. A full independent review of the machine can be found here.

5. StudioRIP to Exhibit at PRINT 09

At least one UK exhibitor caused a stir at PRINT 09 in Chicago. Whilst the show might not have received rave reviews with regard to attendance, the StudioRIP team were delighted with the show.

6. LED-UV Makes B2 Debut for Ryobi at PRINT 09

A second PRINT 09 mention in 6^th place, as Ryobi expands its LED-UV concept up to B2 format. This introduction has certainly caught the print sectors imagination.

7. Reflections Optix: A 3D Print Revolution

In a year when printers have been desperate for new innovations, finishing specialist Reflections introduced Optix, a new and exciting 3D print solution. See the new Reflections web site for more samples.

8. New Premises for Marlowe Graphic Services

Whilst many businesses were feeling the pinch in 2009, the pre-press specialists at Marlowe Graphic Services enjoyed a good year in service, with customers keen to hang on to their pre-press systems rather than spend on new.

9. Reflections: Feel the Fabric

More finishing excellence at number 9, with Reflections bringing new and exciting laminated solutions to the world of print. The story was well covered by the trade press.

10. Hine Labels Open House Featuring Xeikon 3000

Following its purchase of the UK’s first Xeikon 3000 digital label printing system, Hine Labels, Rotherham, showed off its new investment with an open house.

ENDS

Cartonboard Gets Festive at Benson Group!

Benson Group, the UK’s leading privately owned carton printer, with headquarters in Bardon, Leicestershire, has illustrated just how festive cartonboard can be with the creation of a Christmas tree for the St Peter’s Church, Swepstone, Christmas Tree Festival of 2009.

The tree was designed by Benson Group’s own in-house constructional design specialist Nikki Clark and design student Suzy Shelley, and it stands some 7 feet high.

Inspiration for the entry came from the company’s Managing Director Mark Kerridge, who lives in the St Peter’s Church parish. “The Christmas Tree Festival was organised to attract visitors to the church and to raise funds for the upkeep of the building. When the call for entries came, I thought it might be an interesting challenge for our design department to come up with something made from cartonboard ,” said Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Broup.

The Benson Group tree was one of some 30 entries, with the event being officially opened by local MP David Taylor on December 5^th.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

ENDS

The cardboard tree story now features on the Packaging News web site.

For information on one of Benson Group’s recent press investments click here for a short video.

GenesisNews: Best of 2009 Part 2, July to December

Get Touchy Feely with Fabric Lamination

Whilst 2009 might not be a year that many will want to celebrate from a business perspective, there has been good news during the course of the year. As we near the end of 2009, it is surely a good time to focus on some of those stories that we enjoyed publishing on GenesisNews. This batch is from the second half of the year: (click the headline of any story for the full version)

July 2009: Portfolios Show Guide a Touching Success

Portfolios, a combined exhibition and seminar staged by the owners of The Creative Handbook and Creative Review, which took place in June, utilised the recently launched “Fabric” lamination product from Reflections for the cover of its show guide and product catalogue.

August 2009: Low-Chemistry Plates for Arlon Printers

Arlon Printers Ltd, Hemel Hempstead, has made a significant environmental statement by becoming one of the first UK printers to adopt the new Brillia HD PRO-V low-chemistry plate from Fujifilm. The plates are being used in conjunction with a Screen Plate Rite 2055vi platesetter, and both plates and computer-to-plate device have been purchased through Apex Digital Graphics.

August 2009: Able-Labels Further Enabled with StudioRIP

Able-Labels, Earls Barton, Northampton, leaders in the production of printed self-adhesive address labels and other personalised goods since 1954, has announced details regarding the purchase of StudioRIP to enhance the company’s pre-press department.

September 2009: Reflections Optix: A 3D Revolution

Reflections has announced the release of Optix, a print based product that provides a new and innovative three-dimensional optical illusion. The technology was originally developed in America, but after a recent deal with the patent holder, Reflections are proud to announce they have exclusive rights to develop and produce Optix in UK and Europe.

October 2009: Europe’s First Komori Lithrone SX40 for Benson Group

Europe’s first Komori Lithrone SX40 sheet fed press has been installed at Benson Group’s Integrated Packaging site in Gateshead. The 18,000 sheets per hour, 40 inch press is equipped with six print units and a coating unit capable of adding UV or water-based finishes.

November 2009: StudioRIP Announces New Activity in North America

StudioRIP, the UK-based independent software RIP provider, has announced details regarding the its newly formed relationship with Newtec Systems Inc, based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. The company is to act as a distributor for the StudioRIP software in both Canada and USA.

December 2009: Integrity Print Expands into Digital Labels with Xeikon

Specialist trade print business, Integrity Print, Midsomer Norton, has announced details of an investment that will expand the company’s presence into the digital label market. The Xeikon 3300 digital label press, complete with in-line finishing, will be working alongside the company’s existing flexographic narrow-web presses.

ENDS

GenesisNews and the Best of PrintWeek 2009

Bill Hine and his Xeikon 3000

One key area for the promotion of Genesis Marketing news items is the UK’s leading printing industry publication, PrintWeek, in conjunction with its web site www.printweek.com. Here we review just a handful of the 80-plus GenesisNews stories included within the pages of PrintWeek during 2009:

January: Benson Group in Profile following a visit to the company’s head office in Bardon, Leicestershire by PrintWeek journalist Helen Morris.

January: The SRA1 format Ryobi 920 featured as a “Product of the Week”. Full details of the story can be found by clicking here.

March: Hine Labels Xeikon label press purchase was included as a news item on the digital page. Click here for the full story.

June: Reflections own glue manufacturing plant, Solutions, featured with a story detailing its first glue exports. Catch up on Solutions here.

August: “Me & My” feature on the Ryobi 755 + Coater at Leicestershire County Council. Check out this B2-format press and how it completely changed the business of this in-plant here.

August: Another “Me and My” feature on the Xeikon 3000 digital label press, as in use in this case at CS Labels in the West Midlands.

September: UK-based independent RIP supplier StudioRIP at Print 09. One of the few success stories of the show.

October: Packaging specialist Benson Group Buys Europe’s First Komori LSX40 for one of its North East based production plants. Find out more.

December: A Product of the Week feature on the recently introduced Ryobi 525GE offset litho press. The small footprint of this machine makes it ideal for printers where space is at a premium. Click here to read more.

ENDS

GenesisNews: Best of 2009 Part 1, January to June

Feel the Fabric: See April's Entry

Whilst 2009 might not be a year that many will want to celebrate from a business perspective, there has been some good news during the course of the year. As we near the end of 2009, it is surely a good time to focus on some of those stories that we enjoyed publishing on GenesisNews. This selection is from the first six months of the year:

January 2009: Hosted Rental Service for DigiQuote and JobControl Software

TimeHarvest Limited, the award-winning software development company specialising in digital print, announced a solution to three pressing needs amongst digital printing companies: firstly, to preserve cashflow; secondly, to provide increased data security; and finally, for sales staff to be able to roam whilst still having full access to office based systems. The solution? To make TimeHarvest products available via a Hosted Rental Service. Full story . . .

February 2009: Benson Group Moves into Pharma Labels Sector

Folding carton specialist Benson Group announced details of its first move into the labels sector with the purchase of a Gallus EM340S printing press with a Scantech VisionTrack rewind and inspection machine for its pharmaceutical-focused Medica Packaging business in Crewe, Cheshire. The seven-colour Gallus EM340S UV-Flexographic press, is capable of a wide range of label production formats, including reverse printing, printing on adhesive, edge slit, in-line die cutting, as well as printing onto a wide range of substrates. Full story . . .

March 2009: UK First for Xeikon at Hine Labels

Hine Labels Ltd, Rotherham, Yorkshire, announced details of a decision to upgrade its existing Xeikon label press to a new Xeikon 3000 machine. The installation was the first Xeikon 3000 digital label press in the UK. Xeikon 3000 has been designed as a counterpart to the Xeikon 3300 label press, and contains many of the same features as its “bigger brother”. Full story . . .

March 2009: “ISO 12647 Proficient Printer” Standard for Benson Box

Benson Group, headquartered in Bardon, Leicestershire, announced details of its newly acquired “ISO 12647 Proficient Printer” status, as awarded by colour specialists Mellow Colour, for its Benson Box carton printing operation. Benson Box, Bardon, specialises in the production of folding cartons for the food industry. Work on the colour standard was also underway at the three other Benson Group sites at Gateshead, Newcastle, and Crewe, the group’s 100% pharmaceutical plant. Full story . . .

April 2009: New Ryobi as X1 Growth Continues

X1, the Slough-based print and graphic design company, announced the installation of a new Ryobi 524GX press, as well as the purchase and consolidation of Jackson Print, a Hayes-based printing company, into the business. The incorporation of the order book and staff of Jackson Print took place in February 2009. Full story . . .

April 2009: Reflections Invited you to Feel the Fabric

Reflections, the largest speciality print finisher in the south of England, announced the launch of a new fabric-surfaced substrate for printers and graphic designers who are seeking something different and exciting for a special promotional campaign. The substrate combines a card backing and a laminated fabric surface. Full story . . .

May 2009: MGS: Pre-Press Growth in a Recession

Marlowe Graphic Services Ltd (MGS), Leighton Buzzard, the UK’s leading independent pre-press service and maintenance company, recorded significant growth in its business during the early recessionary months fo 2009. Darren Eliot, Managing Director of MGS, said: “We have been delighted with the additional business that has been coming our way in recent months.” Full story . . .

June 2009: Ryobi DI Elected Winner by Kall Kwik Horsham

Kall Kwik Horsham declared its recent purchase of a Ryobi 3404X-DI press to be a real winner following a significant vote in its favour from political party UKIP. A local UK Independence Party (UKIP) representative recently approached the high street based franchise to produce some posters. After a swift and cost effective job was produced, further discussions took place with party leaders, and an agreement was reached for Kall Kwik Horsham to produce the political group’s publicity material for the whole of the UK during the recent local and European elections. An ongoing relationship is now being forged on the back of the performance of the Ryobi press. Full story . . .

ENDS

Commendations All Round for Benson Group

Benson Group, the UK’s leading privately owned carton printer, has been recognised again at both of this year’s major industry awards ceremonies. The company was commended at both the PrintWeek and the more recent UK Packaging Awards, hosted by Packaging News, to illustrate again the consistency of performance at the company.

At the UK Packaging Awards, Benson Group, last year’s winner of the Packaging Company of the Year award, was highly commended in recognition of the printed carton supplier’s sustained good performance. “Both in customer satisfaction and financially, Benson’s success is thoroughly deserved,” said one judge.

October’s PrintWeek 2009 Awards focused on Benson Group’s consistency, as this was the third time in four years that the company had been commended in the Company of the Year category. The awards brochure cited unparalleled success at the company since 2002, and recognised the business as the largest independent carton manufacturer in the UK.

“Whilst it is always nice to win awards, we do also appreciate being commended for our overall success and professionalism,” said Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group. “The consistency that we have shown over the years at the major awards events is, we believe, second to none. To be commended three years in four in the award that recognises the best print company in the country is a tremendous accolade for a packaging company. Even just to make the final of this award, as we have done for six consecutive years, brackets you with the print industry’s elite: the top few companies of 10,000 or so potential winners.

“Having won the Packaging Company of the Year in 2008 we have again shown great consistency in being highly commended this year. These awards are for the whole of the team that we have assembled here at Benson Group, and everybody involved with the company should feel a sense of pride in these achievements.”

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

ENDS

100 Million for Benson’s Two Year Old Heidelberg

Counter showing the 100 million mark just past!

Benson Group, the UK’s leading privately owned carton printer, has announced details of a landmark performance from its first Heidelberg XL 105, with the press passing the 100 million sheet count after just 25 months of production.

To put this figure into perspective, a recently replaced CD102 from Benson’s Bardon plant had produced a very efficient 245 million sheets in 15 years. That equates to just over 16 million sheets per year – an amount produced by the XL 105 in just four months.

“We are delighted with the stunning productivity and reliability of the XL 105, and are looking forward to similar excellence from our recently installed second machine,” said Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Broup.

“These numbers just emphasise the advances made in offset press technology in recent years, particularly with regard to makeready. In the competitive world of packaging, we need such advances in order to remain at the forefront of our sector, and to ensure that we can handle the ever growing demands in terms of both quality and turnaround times required by our customers.”

This latest news follows the recent installation of the second Heidelberg XL 105 at Benson Group’s flagship Bardon, Leicestershire, site.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

ENDS

Europe’s First Komori Lithrone SX40 for Benson Group

S. Mochida, Senior MD & COO, Komori Corporation, with M. Kerridge, MD, Benson Group

Europe’s first Komori Lithrone SX40 sheet fed press has been installed at Benson Group’s Integrated Packaging site in Gateshead. The 18,000 sheets per hour, 40 inch press is equipped with six print units and a coating unit capable of adding UV or water-based finishes. The new press will be used to produce food packaging product for Benson Group, the UK’s Packaging Company of the Year, and is expected to produce some 40 million sheets in its first year of production.

In addition to the £1.9 million LSX40 installation, Benson Group’s six existing North-East based Komori presses are all being upgraded with Komori’s K-Station, the Komori Management System (KMS), and Print Density Control (PDC) spectrophotometer. The upgrades are expected to increase the throughput of these existing presses – all six-colour with coater (one with double coater) – by as much as 5 million sheets per year, per press. These existing presses are split equally between Benson Group’s Gateshead and Newcastle factories.

Commenting on the new addition, and the need for the enhancements to existing machinery, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “Expanding the printing capacity of our North East facilities was an essential ingredient for our continued growth plan. We examined all of the leading press suppliers’ products at Drupa last year, and were certainly impressed by the developments that had been made, especially in terms of makeready. Whilst we have added new Heidelberg equipment to our Bardon site, we felt that it made sense to stay with Komori for the North East. The new LSX 40 is an extremely impressive product. This new print capability coupled with the upgrades to our existing machinery provides a significant expansion of printing capacity within the group should ensure that we are able to cope with the additional carton business that we expect to win over the coming year.”

“To have secured the first European installation of the flagship Lithrone LSX 40 within the Benson Group is very pleasing,” said Steve Turner, General Sales Manager, Sheetfed presses, Komori UK. “This powerful press is packed with features such as the new Fully Automatic Plate Mounting System, PDCS II closed loop colour management system and the unique Komori KHS-AI Advanced Intelligence, self-learning pre-inking system which ensures the job is ready for production after very few makeready sheets.

“These features combine to create a press which offers the fastest ever Komori makeready, fastest running speed, and importantly, as there is so little waste substrate the environmental impact is much reduced, especially as it can also run alcohol free.

“The Benson Group is already a major user of Komori Lithrone LS40 technology.  As the business continues to grow and prosper, this latest generation LSX machine will enable this dynamic company to greatly increase its production capacity in the North East.”

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

For further information on Komori UK call 0113 224 6342.

ENDS

Starpack 2009 Award for Benson Group

Benson Group, based in Bardon, Leicestershire, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, has been recognised with a 2009 Starpack Award within the Technical Developments section for its work on a carton for supermarket chain Morrisons.

The winning packaging product was created for a Morrisons Berry Pannacotta from the supermarket’s “The Best” range. The carton exhibits a matt and hi-gloss effect, which is produced from a single pass on the press.

The technical development incorporates a high-surfactant loaded primer which is printed onto the board, leaving out (reversing out) those areas to that are to appear gloss. A special hi-gloss coater varnish is then applied all over the sheet. This reacts with the primer to give a matt effect, but stays gloss where there is no primer.

The key benefit of this technique is that the hi-gloss varnish would normally be applied via a flexo plate, limiting the detail that can be incorporated. Utilising this new technique the detail is affected via the litho plate, ie, the reversed out areas of that plate. That means that the finest of detail can be utilised within the pack design.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

ENDS

LED-UV Makes B2 Debut for Ryobi at PRINT 09

Ryobi's LED-UV Curing in B2-Format

Ryobi’s innovative LED-UV curing system, which made its debut in B3-format at Drupa last year, was shown at PRINT 09 in a B2-format for the first time.

The Japanese press manufacturer’s stand featured the new Ryobi 1050, a fully automated B1-format offset press making its North American debut at PRINT 09, and a B2+ format Ryobi 750 series in a six unit configuration.

The Ryobi 1050-6, a fully automated eight-up, six-colour press, was supported by the first appearance of the B2+ format Ryobi 756 with LED-UV curing unit. Both presses were demonstrated in a live print production environment.

The 750 series is available in up to 10 colours; the 1050 series is currently available in up to eight-colour models and features an optional closed-circuit camera to continuously monitor print quality. Both the 1050 and 750 series presses run up to 16,000 sheets per hour.

These two presses can run a wide range of substrates from super-lightweight papers to board and film, making them ideal for printers involved in the packaging world, or those seeking to add that capability. Ryobi’s new LED-UV curing system, which offers significant savings on power consumption and speeds drying time, was making its first appearance at a major show in B2 format, following a preview of the technology at Drupa last year.

Ryobi 750 series
Ryobi has seen strong worldwide demand for its popular Ryobi 750 series of six-up presses. The Ryobi 756 prints substrates from lightweight stocks and film to board stock.

The LED-UV curing unit on the Ryobi 756 is the first curing unit that replaces conventional UV lamps with long-life UV light-emitting diodes (LED), cutting power consumption by at least 70%. Dry times are shortened, speeding job completion. The LED-UV unit is also available for the two-up Ryobi 520 series press and the eight-up Ryobi 920 series press.

The system eliminates ozone emissions, has a lamp life 12 times longer than conventional lamps, and uses ink with no volatile organic compound solvents (VOC’s).

This breakthrough technology is viewed by many as the most significant advancement in UV technology for 30 years. Light emitting diodes (LED’s) are extremely efficient. Instead of using electricity to heat up a metal filament, LED’s produce light by channeling an electric current through a semiconductor material. The result: close to 100% of the electricity is converted into light with virtually no waste heat generation.

Ryobi 1050 Series
The Ryobi 1050 Series features a double diameter impression cylinder and a double diameter transfer drum. There is also an optional movable shell-type skeleton transfer drum that accommodates various print stocks and thicknesses. The press is ideal for packaging and other high-value speciality printing.

The six-colour 1050-6 model at PRINT 09 featured an inline aqueous coater and infrared/hot air knife dryers, which speed delivery times. High-value-added printing is made possible by optional UV curing units, enabling chemical embossed and lenticular printing, and production on film, metallized paper and other non-absorptive materials. The 1050 series press is designed for highly accurate sheet feeding.

Other standard or optional technologies on the Ryobi 1050 series press include the centralized settings covering make-ready, paper changing, cleaning, registration, dampening volume control and more. The inline Ryobi Printing Quality Control System monitors and controls ink density with a closed-circuit camera, allowing efficient colour adjustment and reducing waste. Other options include fully automatic plate changing and automatic cleaning.

Apex Digital Graphics – The Solutions Provider

Apex Digital Graphics Limited is a specialist in the supply and service of pre-press and press equipment. Apex is the official UK distributor of Ryobi presses, the Screen Micra 55 metal plate system, the ECRM range of polyester platemaking units, and a range of B2-format computer-to-plate products. The company offer national service coverage, and a one-stop shop for print consumables featuring next day delivery. Apex Digital Graphics can be contacted on 01442 235 236 or via the www.apexdigital.co.uk web site.

ENDS

More Awards Nominations for Benson Group

Benson Group is delighted to announce to its customers that the quality and consistent performance of the company has again been recognised with two more awards nominations for the PrintWeek Awards 2009.

Following its double victory at the UK Packaging Awards of 2008, Benson Group has made the shortlist for the equally prestigious PrintWeek awards. The company has been nominated for an unprecedented sixth time in the shortlist for the Printing Company of the Year, and has also reached the final of the Packaging Printer of the Year. Benson Group is one of five finalists in the Printing category and one of just three that survived the scrutiny of the judges for the Packaging award.

The Bardon, Leicestershire, company has picked up a host of awards in the last year, including Packaging Printer of the Year, the Cartonboard Packaging Award, and the Customer Service Company of the Year at The Sunday Times sponsored Profit Track 100 awards.

The winners will be announced at a prestigious evening event on October 19^th at the Grosvenor House hotel in London’s Park Lane, where the great and good of UK print will assemble to celebrate the best of the industry.

Commenting on the latest awards announcement, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “We are especially delighted to be considered to be one of the top five printing companies in the country – especially as it is our sixth consecutive year in the final of the Printing Company of the Year category. This helps to emphasise the consistency that we believe that we offer to the purchasers of our packaging products.”

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

ENDS

Benson Group Make UK Packaging Awards Shortlist

Following its double victory at the UK Packaging Awards of 2008, Benson Group has again made the shortlist for this year’s Packaging News event. The current holder of the Packaging Company of the Year title, Benson Group is featured on the shortlist for 2009.

The Bardon, Leicestershire company has picked up a host of awards in recent months, including Packaging Printer of the Year, the Cartonboard Packaging Award, and the Customer Service Company of the Year at The Sunday Times sponsored Profit Track 100 awards.

Winners of the Packaging News UK Packaging Awards for 2009 will be announced on November 4th at an evening event to celebrate the very best in packaging products at the Grosvenor House hotel in London’s Park Lane.

Commenting on the latest awards announcement, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “It is always a great pleasure for the company to be recognised by awards judges for providing top quality packaging products to both the food and pharmaceutical markets. We are immensely proud to have collected a number of awards during the last year, and are delighted to be included once again in the shortlist for the Packaging Company of the Year for 2009.”

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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Benson Group Returns to Heidelberg for 2nd XL 105

Exactly two years after returning to Heidelberg from a rival supplier, Benson Group, the current UK Packaging Company of the Year, is installing a second Speedmaster XL 105 at its Bardon plant. The press will be commissioned by the end of July.

The new six-colour with coating unit will again run alcohol free and is selected as a direct result of the performance of the first press.

Benson Group Managing Director, Mark Kerridge says: “Two years ago we bought the XL 105 because we wanted to look at new technology and use it in anger. It has proved very successful, running most commonly at 18,000sph, with an impressive make-ready time and taking the quality benchmark to a new and reliably good level.”

As a result of public interest in environmental issues many of Benson Group’s customers are concerned to engage in the green debate. The Bardon plant is very environmentally aware and this has resulted in the move to zero alcohol, the use of spectrophotometric measurement and print colour management to reduce waste sheets, and a focus on recycling and re-using of all resources generally.

Benson Group, which acquired certain trading assets of Cameron Linn at the turn of the year, is a £93m group. The Bardon plant outputs 750 million cartons a year for the food sector, whilst the group also maintains a strong interest in pharmaceutical carton production.

“Demand is still relatively good. People are eating in more (out less) and the pharmaceutical sector is still retaining good volumes,” says Mr Kerridge. “We have noticed some change in product mix with a move from luxury to standard and economy products. But brand is still important and four process colours plus two specials is still a well used combination. There has been a lot of rebranding and repositioning for greater shelf appeal as a result of the downturn.”

Both XL 105 presses at Bardon are fitted with Axis Control. “We like the ease and speed of use of AxisControl. It is very suitable to our production requirements. The key issue is that we have accurate colour measurement as we work to the ISO 12647-2 standard,” says Mr Kerridge.

The press also has coating, like the first, and it will offer UV, IR and aqueous options to its customers.

“We have invested significantly over the past seven years and have grown organically and by acquisition. We will continue to look at more options in future,” says Mr Kerridge.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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Third Xeikon Label Press for CS Labels

Xeikon 3000 Digital Label Press

CS Labels Limited, Willenhall, West Midlands, has announced the installation of its third Xeikon label press. The latest purchase is a Xeikon 3000, which has replaced one of the company’s two Xeikon 330 digital label presses. The install comes just thirteen months after CS Labels purchased its last 330 machine, and less than two-and-a-half years since the company made its initial digital investment.

Simon Smith, Managing Director of CS Labels, said: “We have demonstrated consistent growth in digital label production since our initial investment, and this latest purchase helps to ensure that we are still at the forefront of production techniques. It also demonstrates our desire to continually invest in the very best label production equipment. The Xeikon 3000 images to a higher resolution at 1200 dots per inch and produces even more reliable, consistent colour quality over a wider colour gamut. Once again, it allows us to offer something more to our customers.”

Xeikon 3000 offers an increased imaging width of 322mm, against the 307mm imaging width of the Xeikon 330 machine. All machines are based on a 330mm substrate width.

“Our business has changed shape significantly since our initial move into digital labels. We are now producing some 60% of our turnover through the Xeikon machines. Our flexo and screen printing equipment is still important to CS Labels and to our customers, but digital has certainly taken over as our main production system.”

The Xeikon 3000 web-based press has a top speed of 31.5 feet of label production per minute, and a monthly duty cycle of 1,500,000 feet. The five colour engine provides for the four standard process colours plus a choice of spot colour, special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, or an opaque white for the “no label” look on transparent material. The press is capable of handling an unrivalled range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

Existing post press equipment at CS Labels is suitable for varnishing, laminating, cutting, slitting, matrix stripping and re-reeling the finished printed product. The company is due to install a second GM finishing unit in order to handle the increased throughput of the Xeikon 3000. “We were able to run the two Xeikon 330’s with one finishing system off-line, but it really was running at full capacity. There were times when it did cause us a bottleneck in production. With the increased throughput of the Xeikon 3000 we definitely need two finishing systems,” added Simon Smith.

For job preparation, both Xeikon presses are equipped with the truly open, scalable and modular X-800 Digital Front-End (DFE), combining extensive pre-press functionality including a high-speed RIP with impressive variable data printing processing. In addition, the X-800 DFE is designed to deliver the highest print quality level, a practical die marker function and precise step-and-repeat functionality. The system is also equipped to handle complex operations such as sequential numbering and barcodes.

With regard to the markets for digitally produced labels, Simon Smith said: “We have an ever increasing amount of trade work coming in both from other printers and print brokers. We also have a loyal direct customer base which we are also keen to keep expanding on.”

Commenting on the new CS Labels purchase, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “CS Labels continues to demonstrate how a traditional label printing company can adapt to the digital world, and can continue to grow its business by purchasing the right equipment to suit the current market.”

CS Labels enjoys a central location at Willenhall, near Wolverhampton, where it has been based for six years. For more information on the company, visit the new www.cslabels.co.uk web site.

For further information on Punch Graphix and Xeikon e-mail infouk@punchgraphix.com or visit the www.xeikon.com web site.

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Benson Group to Sponsor Student Starpack Awards

Benson Group, based in Bardon, Leicestershire, The Sunday Times ProfitTrack 100 Customer Service Company of the Year 2009, has agreed a sponsorship package for two categories of the Starpack Awards 2010. Benson Group takes over as a sponsor of both the student and school categories from ProCarton.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “We are always keen to be involved in the education and training of people who show an interest in the world of packaging. By promoting these two Starpack Awards categories we are illustrating our enthusiasm at both the school and college levels of education, and hopefully helping to create awareness and interest in the packaging industry in the minds of young people.”

Student Starpack

Packaging is an exciting industry. In an increasingly competitive consumer market there is a growing demand for packaging designers: people who are capable of designing packs that are not only graphically attractive, but which also meet the functional requirements to preserve and protect the contents and can be produced cost-effectively with due regard to environmental issues.

Entries for Student Starpack are invited from students on a wide range of courses, some with a graphics emphasis and others concerned with structural and product design, as well as those from a materials and technology courses. Involvement in the awards has previously led to a number of employment opportunities for successful entrants.

Schools Starpack

The Schools Starpack Award has been designed to encourage students to take up a career in the exciting world of consumer packaging design. The selection of briefs that will be provided offer excellent opportunities for Key Stage 3, 4 and AS level pupils, via either individual or joint activity. Participation in the awards can also help to provide extension activities for after-school clubs.

Full entry details will be posted on the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site as soon as they become available.

About the Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008 and The Sunday Times ProfitTrack 100 Customer Service Company of the Year 2009, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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Benson Group Triumphs at Profit Track 100 Awards Dinner

Andrew Benson receives the award

Following its inclusion in The Sunday Times “Profit Track 100” listing back in April of this year, Benson Group celebrated again this week when the Bardon, Leicestershire company was named the Customer Service Company of the Year at the Profit Track 100 awards night.

The invitation-only awards event for the owners and directors of companies featured in the latest Profit Track 100 table took place on June 16^th at The Dorchester in London. The annual Profit Track 100 league table, now in its tenth year, ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits over the last three years of companies’ latest available audited accounts. This year’s listing featured just one packaging company, with Benson Group entering the list at number 78.

Speakers included Charles Dunstone, chief executive officer of Carphone Warehouse, which featured on the very first Profit Track 100 ten years ago, and Rt Hon Ken Clarke QC MP, the Shadow Business Secretary.

The awards dinner honoured companies on the latest league table, who each received a personalised certificate. Sponsors also presented a number of special awards ranging from the award for best management team to the value creation award.

Commenting on the presentation of the award, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: “Whilst it was a great pleasure for us to receive independent recognition from such a well respected source as The Sunday Times of our successful growth during the last three years by appearing in the Profit Track 100 league table, the award came as a complete surprise. It is of course very much down to our customer service team, but we also have to recognise the hard work put in by everyone involved in Benson Group. Owners, managers, and shop floor staff all make vital contributions every single day to the success of the company.”

Whilst astute acquisitions have helped to boost the overall figures for the group, it is the strong focus on efficiency that has created the true success.

Executive Chairman, Andrew Benson, added: “What a most enjoyable evening! I am especially pleased that our strong focus on customer service has been recognised by such a valued and independent source as The Sunday Times.”

In the three years under review for the latest listing, profits at Benson Group had risen from £1.173 million to £4.355 million, giving an annual profit growth of 54.71%. The company, founded back in 1920, currently employs some 880 personnel across four production sites. The Sunday Times summarised Benson Group’s activity as supplying 5 million pieces of sustainable packaging a day.

This latest success for Benson Group follows hard-on-the-heels of the company’s triumph at the UK Packaging Awards in November of last year, where it won both Packaging Company of the Year and the Cartonboard Packaging Award in a fabulous double.

About Benson Group

Benson Group, the Packaging Company of the Year for 2008, is the UK’s leading privately owned printed carton supplier, producing packaging product for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company’s two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million. The company recently announced details of the acquisition of various trading assets of Glasgow-based packaging company Cameron Linn.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

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Hine Labels: Digital and Flexo Quality Match

Hine Labels Ltd, Rotherham, Yorkshire, in conjunction with Punch Graphix UK, held an open house event on Wednesday, May 20^th featuring the UK’s first Xeikon 3000 digital label press.

Under the banner “Digital and Flexo, a Perfect Match” the event focused on the compatibility of digital with traditional flexo printing. Tests produced during the open day demonstrated the ability of Hine Labels to produce identical print quality from both processes, which Bill Hine, Managing Director of Hine Labels, sees as critical in order for digital to take an ever more significant proportion of the label printing market.

“Our business comes mainly from trade customers. They generally don’t have a preference with regard to the printing process that we use. What they want is high quality, colour consistent labels in the shortest possible production time. However, we have to face the fact that run lengths are decreasing across many of our markets, and this is what tends to determine which print process we use for a given job. The further enhancements in both image quality and production speed for the Xeikon 3000 meant that it was the next logical step for us, and, in our market, this press provides the ideal digital companion to our flexo printing equipment,” said Bill Hine.

Hine Labels utilise EskoArtwork’s Backstage software to process artwork for both digital and flexo production, as well as an Esko CDI platemaker for flexo plate creation. The system allows customer files to be prepared in advance of selecting which process will produce the final job. “This means that we do not have to make a decision whether a job will be printed digitally or via flexo until the last minute,” said Bill Hine. “Certainly the quality that we can achieve with our Xeikon 3000 is a very good match to the labels produced via the flexographic process, so the decision as to how to produce a given job is down to other factors, such as run length or how quickly the customer needs the job, or a part of the job.”

Xeikon 3000 produces images at 1200 dots per inch, with four bits per spot, to ensure the highest possible colour quality, and offers an increased imaging width of 322mm, against the 307mm imaging width of the Xeikon 330 machine. All machines are based on a 330mm substrate width. Xeikon 3000 web-based press has a top speed of 31.5 feet of label production per minute, and a monthly duty cycle of 1,500,000 feet. The five colour engine provides for the four standard process colours plus a choice of spot colour, special security toner for anti-counterfeiting applications, or an opaque white for the “no label” look on transparent material. The press is capable of handling an unrivalled range of substrates including self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, unsupported films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard. The environmentally friendly dry toner electrophotography imaging process enables the use of conventional substrates without the need for coating or pre-treatment.

Commenting on the Hine Labels event, Greg Neesham, Sales Director for Punch Graphix UK, said: “We were especially pleased to be able to show off Hine Labels new Xeikon 3000 to a wider audience. Visitor numbers on the day were excellent, and many label producers were particularly excited to see the match we were able to show them between digital and flexo label printing. Digital systems have made huge advances in recent years, and most traditional label printers now realise that they need to have some digital offering for their markets.”

For further information on Punch Graphix and Xeikon e-mail infouk@punchgraphix.com or visit the www.xeikon.com web site. For more details on Hine Labels call 01709 369 222.

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