Offset Printing
Thomson Clan come together to seal deal on SM 52 at Ipex
Thursday 27. May 2010 - Scottish label and packaging printer Thomson Print & Packaging has returned to Heidelberg for its first coating press, a Speedmaster SM 52-5+L, to meet increased demand for special finishes. Managing director Jim Thomson came to Ipex to seal the deal, accompanied by his two sons Barry and Michael.
The new press, which will be delivered to the Edinburgh plant in June, replaces a four-colour with ir drier and will run alongside an existing five-colour. Mr Thomson estimates that the coater will be used 90% of the time for its work producing labels, packaging and marketing literature for the drinks market.
The company looked at competitive machines but felt the SM 52 had the coater and the flexibility it wanted. Runs from 500 to 500,000 plus are handled.
It is making its debut with spectral measurement with the latest AxisControl 2.0 device, reassurance for its customers that the brand is protected and the colour consistent and repeatable. It is a tool which Thomson Print & Packaging believes will give it savings in make ready times and start up waste.
This is a truly family company. Jims wife Veronica is commercial director and now with the two sons in the business the succession is secure. Barry and Michael, both would-be rock stars, proved willing recruits to the printing trade. Barry joined 18 months ago after leaving college with a HND in music and Michael more recently left university with a diploma in computer science .
When Jim Thomson took over the business 12 years ago there were only two clients and one represented 98% of the business. Both are retained but many more added to give the business greater stability and security. In that time it has never lost a client, a record it puts down to being selective about the clients they work for, primarily private distilleries, and being very service focused.