Ministerial visit for Welsh converter Borble

Rhyl-based self-adhesive label converter Borble was visited by Welsh Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport Ieuan Wyn Jones on Thursday, June 11. The company installed its second Xeikon digital label press earlier this year – the UK’s first Xeikon 3300.

The Welsh Assembly Government supported these developments with a GBP 75,000 AIG/SIF grant for the new printing machine. The company currently employs 11 full-time staff and is now in its fifth year of operation.

Ieuan Wyn Jones said: ‘It is good to see a company which is investing in leading edge technology, training staff in new skills and serving other businesses in the Welsh economy. I understand the company has printed over 30,000 different designs including brand labels for food packaging, cheese producers, chemical manufacturers and the cosmetics industry.’

A new start-up business back in March 2005, Borble specializes in digital label and printed wallpaper border production (the name Borble came from an amalgamation of the words border and label, the markets that the company was designed to serve). The business has already grown past its 1.2 million turnover for 2008, and is running its two Xeikon presses on double-day shifts.

Borble director Barry Griffiths was delighted for his company to be the subject of a ministerial visit: ‘It was a great pleasure for us to be able to show off our business to Mr Wyn Jones and he found the visit very interesting. In addition to the production facilities we were able to show him our recently added web-based ordering system, which has grown significantly in recent months.’

The new web-to-print based system at Borble, which can be found http://www.labelsprint.com/, provides visitors with the ability to obtain a quote or place an order in three steps. The password protected customer area of the site allows users to archive and manage files so that only current designs are visible. Reprints of these labels can be ordered online quickly and easily.

Some 50 percent of Borble’s label business is from trade accounts. ‘Flexo printers just cannot match digital for cost when it comes to short run work,’ explained Barry Griffiths. ‘Because we have very little in the way of set-up costs we are always competitive where low quantities are required. Because no plates are required we can also very quickly produce a press-proof for a customer, using the exact colors and stock of the final job. Press-proofs are a tremendous advantage – the customer can see exactly how the job will look on the selected substrate.’ Other key markets for the company include chemical, food, cosmetics, industrial and promotional labels.

Pictured l-r: Borble’s operations director Gywn Williams and Ieuan Wyn Jones, Welsh Deputy First Minister

Click here for more stories about Borble on L&L.com.

Click here for more stories about Xeikon on L&L.com.