Case Studies
COVERING THE ESSENTIALS
CP Bourg's versatile cover feeder/scoring system convinces Berwick book producer
Martins The Printers Ltd of Berwick Upon Tweed has recently completed a £300,000 upgrade of its finishing department with the installation of a single clamp C.P.Bourg BB3002 perfect binder from TCS (Terry Cooper Services). According to MD Chris Hardie, the BB3002 won out over its potential rivals for two main reasons.
"First of all, we thought the BB3002 had a better cover handling capability," he says. "We need to be as versatile as possible, and with the BB3002 we can produce a the widest variety of cover types including various kinds of flaps, using a wide range of stocks. The other main factor is the ability of the BB3002 to economically produce extremely low runs, as low as a single proof copy. This is done via some very sophisticated automation, and without waste – you don't have to produce any test copies, you can be sure that the first book is perfect."
Martins The Printers has been producing books for over a hundred years, with clients ranging from small independent publishers to the biggest and best-known in the industry, mainly based in the publishing hub of South East England. Chris Hardie has been at the helm for the past 16 years, and has kept the company on course by adapting to meet market demands. "We have recently added digital printing to complement our litho production in order to enhance our short run capability," he says. "We're doing well in our chosen niche, which is short to medium run quality book production, though we can handle all kinds of multi-page documents."
Mr Hardie also praises the control system on the BB3002. "It's not just about automation, it's about how the automation is activated, and the touch screen control is excellent, I have run it myself and it couldn't be simpler. The quality of book produced is reliably good, as is the level service from TCS, this is our first experience buying from them and they have been impressive."
Martins The Printers has a 40,000sq ft works in a picturesque spot overlooking the North Sea. It has 50 staff and a turnover which has risen by around 10% in the past year. It can handle all processes from origination to finishing in-house, and its presses include an 8-colour B1 machine. Mr Hardie summarises: "The company's philosophy is to work in close partnership with our customers, giving total commitment and excellent service. We also continually develop our capabilities, capacity and service levels to suit the evolving needs of our partners."
Pictured: Chris Hardie (Left) with Sales Director David Martin (Right) alongside the BB3002