Harrogate’s Platinum Print has broken new ground in the UK with the installation of a new £750,000 four-colour Komori Lithrone S429 with Komori’s innovative H-UV drying technology. The press is the first H-UV Komori press to be up-and-running in the UK.
Mark Plummer, newly appointed as managing director at Platinum after 23 years at the company, is excited about the production and sales benefits which the Komori H-UV system will bring.
Mark said: We already run a Lithrone 528 with coater. The Spica 529 that is only 4 years old is moving out to make way for this second Lithrone.
Over the last eighteen months we have seen growth not only in our digital volumes but also in the demand for litho work where we need to speed turnround and increase capacity. We have a record of leading from the front with technology and there’s no doubt that the Komori H-UV system will keep us ahead of the competition and offer us and our customers new opportunities.
A new target which the H-UV technology will create for Platinum’s sales and design teams is the potential of printing on plastics, vinyls and foil. Adds Mark: “There’s substantial potential for us in this direction – perhaps including jobs associated with our expanding display division.” This is one of seven sub-divisions at Platinum – which also sees it dealing in mailing, web-to-print, cross-media and promotion. Its client base is spread throughout Yorkshire and includes Engage Mutual, the iconic Betty’s/Taylors confectionary and tea shop chain, multi-dealership vehicle company JCT600, Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club and Yorkshire Wildlife.
Mark is proud of Platinum’s green credentials, having steered the company through ISO 14001, the introduction of processless plates, investing in energy efficient LED lighting, introducing an electric delivery van and encouraging a growing number of customers to use recycled materials.
Mark said: The industry has been slow to make environmentally conscious changes, but we have sought to put ourselves in the vanguard of change.
The H-UV will also add further to our green credentials with its reduced electrical requirements, lower emissions, elimination of spray powder on the shopfloor and reduced noise levels.
Platinum Print was founded 25 years ago in a garage in Harrogate by owner, David Wyvill and his wife, Marina, the company’s financial director. The company now operates from an 18,000 sq. ft. factory on the outskirts of Harrogate, employs 28 staff and turns over £3.2million annually. In the last twelve months it recorded an 8% increase in turnover and it is targeting a 15% increase in the next year. Marina remains as financial director and Mark Plummer’s move to managing director will enable David to concentrate on developing new digital solutions for the business, especially for its web2print brand – which the company views as offering rich potential in the coming years.
