Speed and flexibility - the business-winning formula in Doncaster

Doncaster’s Apple Tree Print has rewritten its business model with the introduction of ‘core’ Perfecta and Horizon finishing processes from G.A.E – an investment that has helped win back old business and attract new.
 
The commercial printer, a division of Idigicon Ltd, set up the finishing department with a Perfecta 92 TVC touch screen controlled guillotine, a Horizon Booklet production system, a Horizon BQ-270JDF automated perfect binder and a Horizon EF-354 B3 folding machine.
 
Sean Asquith, production manager, explained “The idea behind the whole investment was to be more flexible, more profitable and bring work in house. Although we used to have some in-house equipment years ago, we get a very good service from our trade houses and got to the point where we were outsourcing all our finishing – maybe £100,000 worth of work was going out every year.”

But the motivation to adopt core finishing processes in-house was not purely financial:
 “Bringing it in house makes us more flexible.  We can ask our staff to work overtime but we can’t ask another operation’s staff to do the same. We can lift work when we want to and move things around now. We have also been able to bring a lot more work in because we can be more flexible on the price. It gives you room for manoeuvre to meet the tighter deadlines and tighter prices.”
The company chose GAE because its finishing house ran Horizon systems. Mr Asquith said “The finishing house still does a lot of work for us and continues to do a great job, that is why we chose GAE machinery as we knew what the equipment was capable of and the quality of the work it produced so we could be sure of what to expect”. We also knew it could finish the work we wanted it to finish.
 
Also, because we bought it all from GAE we got a better deal and it also meant all the training was provided by the same supplier.”
 
And the investment is not stopping there. Apple Tree Print will be relocating to new larger premises in the near future, once settled in, it is set to further add to its finishing capabilities.