Upstart Finishing Houses Doubles Turnover as Others Fail

Derbyshire binder, DW Print Finishing, is on course to more than double annual turnover in its fifth trading year following successive investments in the latest automated on-demand finishing systems from G.A.E.

The latest package, which includes additional VAC PowerCollating towers and extended delivery for the  Horizon StitchLiner, installed two years ago, and an MKU-54 mobile knife unit to endorse fold brochures , catalogues and booklets on-line, reflects DW’s unconventional approach to the role of the finishing house – an approach that has seen the Dronfield company flourish while larger, established operations struggle.

“It’s not all about the big volumes and high extent work – there’s over-capacity in that sector and the margins are rock bottom,” explains owner Darren White. “We concentrate on offering a quick-response, reliable, high quality service to the ‘regular’ printer with the assurance they won’t find themselves knocked to the back of the queue when a blue-chip clicks their fingers.”

Accordingly DW has built its reputation on the kind of systems that many printers without the good fortune of a DW to rely on find themselves forced to bring in-house. The Horizon StitchLiner integrated saddlestitching/3-knife trimming line was complemented by a 4-clamp BQ-460 perfect binder last year: “Since we brought in the perfect binding the increase in collating has more than doubled, so the two extra towers will allow us to cut the work in half,” explains Darren White. “And, it’s important that these systems are quicker and easier to set up as well as accurate; we are doing more and more digital work and for that you have to be much more careful because there aren’t so many overs. The same is true for litho now that margins are squeezed. Operators may not have to be so skilled but they do need to be able to run a variety of machines. We have got a lot of machines and there are times when some may be stood still - we have to accept that. That is our way of surviving.”

And the addition of endorsed folding further illustrates why DW is ‘going from strength to strength in the tough finishing sector: “Since the Royal Mail’s Pricing In Proportion charges everyone wants the finished product smaller and now we are able to offer this to our customers to help them benefit their end customer by considering this as an option. It’s our job to anticipate, not just respond.”

As for GAE he says: “The support is there. When you have a good relationship with someone you don’t want to move away. Their equipment services both litho and digital and that is the market we are trying to crack.”