CMYUK appoints Helen Beresford Jay as new marketing manager
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Wide-format press manufacturer, swissQprint, has announced its 150th UK install with the recent purchase of a new Kudu flatbed by Oxfordshire-based print provider, Fine Print Services
Wide-format print press manufacturer, swissQprint, has reached a major milestone with the installation of its 150th system in the UK.
The latest UK customer of swissQprint is Oxfordshire-based Fine Print Services, which has invested in a new Kudu flatbed printer to support the next stage of its wide-format development plan.
According to Erskine Stewart, managing director of swissQprint UK, the 150th sale represents a clear signal of how the market is evolving, with more companies investing in wide-format to strengthen profitability within their print operations.
Stewart says: “Reaching 150 installations in the UK is a significant milestone for us. It reflects the trust customers place not only in swissQprint technology, but also in the local support and long-term partnerships we’ve built with print businesses across the country. We’re proud that so many have chosen swissQprint as part of that strategy.”
SwissQprint has tripled its UK install base in the last six and half years, aided in large part by the opening of a dedicated swissQprint UK branch in 2019.
The boost in purchased units has also been helped by a growing trend of both commercial and packaging print providers adding wide-format capabilities to complement their traditional output.
Wide-format production can open up a broader mix of previously outsourced work for these printers, from retail and point-of-sale (POS) to mock-ups, branded items, and short-run packaging components, without disrupting the companies’ core offset output.
Fine Print Services exemplifies this market shift – traditionally a long-established litho print business, the company has steadily expanded into wide-format production as customer requirements have evolved.
Fine Print Services initially purchased a swissQprint Impala flatbed printer in 2015, before upgrading to the Kudu to increase wide-format output and support customers with a broader range of print from one supplier.
Installed in June, the Kudu gives the business access to swissQprint’s latest flatbed Generation 5 technology, which offers improved print head resolution and enhanced productivity in comparison to previous generations.
Dan Bakewell, owner of Fine Print Services, adds: “Our new Kudu gives us the productivity, quality, and flexibility we now need to deliver the consistency our customers expect from Fine Print Services.”
A full breakdown of swissQprint's fifth generation Nyala 5 flatbed can be found in Michael Walker’s Under the Hood special for SignLink magazine, which is now available on our website.
A Company Spotlight article about swissQprint UK from sister magazine, Print Monthly, is also available online, detailing swissQprint UK's launch, its relationship to its parent company, and its goals for the future.
SwissQprint has also officially opened its brand-new North American headquarters in West Dundee, Illinois, with an exclusive VIP grand opening yesterday [June 23rd] followed by a public open house event today [June 24th].
The grand opening serves a double purpose for the Swiss wide-format printer manufacturer, providing a significant upgrade over the previous site in Elgin, Illinois, while celebrating ten years of the swissQprint America subsidiary serving the United States and Canada.
the new premises, first announced last year, includes a 4,700sq ft showroom and an over 2,100sq ft technical zone, providing the US team with a 130% increase in total space over their former Elgin base.
