Everybody Needs Good Neighbours!
3 Jan 2008
Sharp Print, Westerham, Kent, a new start-up print business, has installed a six-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 74, purchased from the used equipment sector. The press was installed by used equipment specialist DPM, Westerham, Kent – the supplier located right next door to the print business!....
“It’s a real benefit working right next door to DPM’s highly qualified service team,” said Stuart Willis, managing director of Sharp Print, which started trading in November of 2005. “The press can be regularly maintained, and if we do have a breakdown, the engineer is just next door!”
The six-colour press is capable of producing 4/2 perfected B2 print, and is the cornerstone for the new company’s production. Sharp Print has rapidly ramped up its business to require it to run 15-hour days, five days a week. “We are usually in on Saturday’s as well,” added Stuart, “and expect to move to 24-hour production in the near future.”
Stuart has a background in repro, though has been working in sales and production management for some 15 years. “I had become a little disillusioned with working for other people, and was keen to start by own company. I have to say that it has gone better than I had ever expected.”
The company also run two Xerox digital machines – a 6060 and a 250. “The two technologies compliment each other very well,” said Stuart Willis. “For example, we are currently printing a series of seven brochures for a client on the litho press, each with a 20,000 run, but had to first produce a 200 run pre-print – an ideal run for the digital machines.”
“Purchasing the Heidelberg machine through the used machinery sector emphasises the ideal way for a new start-up company to invest in a press. Assuming that its purchased and installed by a reputable dealer, they get a good quality machine, with a very good specification, but at a realistic price,” said Mark Sheldrick, managing director of DPM. “There is always the temptation, if finance is made available, for new companies to go for the very latest model, with a price tag to match – then the higher repayments put real pressure on the company and its staff to perform. Used equipment represents a much more realistic option in my view.”
Used equipment supplier DPM handles machinery from all major press manufacturers, including Heidelberg, Komori, KBA, Roland and Mitsubishi. DPM’s company philosophy is based on quality, integrity and above all, honesty.
The aim of the company is to be recognised as the best supplier in the used machinery sector, and believe that this can only be achieved by conducting successful business over a long period of time and in all sectors of the market.
DPM’s experienced sales team have close contact with many companies worldwide meaning that they are often the first to hear of equipment when it becomes available. They use a purpose built computer system developed to search and locate equipment within minutes of receiving an enquiry. The system is updated hourly with new items and currently has over 20,000 products available worldwide.
For further information on the full range of equipment currently available from DPM visit the www.dpm.uk.com web site, or call 01959 56 99 00.