IML chooses Mark Andy for special substrate labels and tags

IML, based in Sheffield, UK, has invested in a 6-color Mark Andy P5, the middle version of the Performance Series.

‘Its print head efficiency completely outstripped the competition, which makes for rapid changeovers, and its web tension control on our unusual substrates means that we can ramp production speed up and down without any loss of register quality,’ explained Shaun Higgins, managing director at IML. 

Installed with six flexo units and UV curing on all six of the stations, IML said it was most impressed by the automatic register. According to Higgins, it has improved margins considerably on its own.

The company is a long-term Mark Andy user, but Higgins insisted the new investment was not a ‘same again’ choice. ‘The work we do is very specialized and has changed over the years, which is why our previous press, not a Mark Andy, was nevertheless the right press for the job we needed doing. This time around, the requirements were different, and the Mark Andy was a clear winner against the other premium brands,’ he added.

The company believes it has a unique package to offer, ranging from its specialist knowledge and skills with bespoke substrates, to an industrial approach to cost management combined with hands-on local support. Sales in 2011 are predicted to rise by 20 percent over last year’s figure. According to Higgins, it has been the niche service providers who have been hit less hard by the global recession.

‘It’s all about quality and the ability to be more than a “me too” supplier. In our markets, performance outweighs unit cost, but we still have to be competitive. The key is identifying a niche and then equipping yourself with the people and machinery to capitalize on the opportunities. Our staff are all long term skilled people, and the new Mark Andy has given us a cutting edge in the market,’ concluded Higgins.

Pictured l-r: Shaun Higgins, managing director, and Jim Woodcock, production operative

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