The latest company to switch its offset print production from Heidelberg to Hans Gronhi is Design Office, based in Crewe. The company has replaced two 52cm format Speedmaster presses – a five colour and a two colour – with a brand new Hans Gronhi GH525 five colour B3 press from Printers Superstore.
MD Kevin Edge: “Our old machines were past their prime, and costing a lot in service fees – over £10,000 last year – not counting the lost production due to downtime. We looked at the B3 offset market and Hans Gronhi provided the most viable option – they may not have all the extras offered by some manufacturers, but they have everything needed to produce marketable print. In the two months since the installation our GH525 has produced over two million documents, and not one has been below our high standard or caused any customer concerns.”
It wasn’t just the press mechanics or output quality which impressed Mr Edge. “These days, there aren’t really any bad presses,” he says, “so the real difference is in the packages on offer and the people offering them. With the Hans Gronhi machine, I get a warranty, and after that, if we need them we get parts and labour at a much lower rate than we’ve been used to. The economics of this machine are unbeatable in just about all areas – it’s not just the price - even the power consumption is low, we’re saving about £200 per month on our electricity bill since we installed it.”
He continues; “It’s also about people. We have established a good relationship with Printers Superstore who are clearly a company who look after their customers and take the long term view.”
Design Office is one of a new breed of printers who are far more than printers – the company offers a range of marketing solutions including design, a range of web services including new sites and social media, signage and display, photography, vehicle livery and more. The Design Office brand of “advantage marketing” has won them a diverse customer list which includes small local businesses, schools and colleges, and some major international corporations. “We supply nearly all our customers with a broad range of services,” says Mr Edge, “it’s about integrated marketing, delivering what they really need and achieving results they can measure.”
Success has led to Design Office recently recruiting new staff; the company now has 12 employees at its 10,000sq ft premises, with plans for further expansion. Turnover has risen to £750,000 per year. As well as its 52cm offset machines the company’s in-house capability includes digital print, large format print, and it has comprehensive design, pre-press and post-press equipment. Its success has been recognized locally – the company won the 'Contribution to the Community' Award at the South Cheshire Chamber Business Awards 2012. The company also has ISO 9001 and 14001 accreditation.