Bishops underwrites ambition for 2020
Bishops Printers, has declared their ambition for 2020 after an unprecedented
£5.1 million round of investment.
Portsmouth, 3rd February 2020; The latest installation of two new Muller Martini 8 station stitching lines brings to a close an incredible 13 months for the 35 year old family-run business, that started with the purchase of two Heidelberg Speedmaster XL75 presses (one 10-colour, one 8 colour) with AutoPlate Change and Inpress Control, followed by the arrival of a 7-colour HP Indigo 12000 for their growing digital print division.
Commenting on the unusually high level of investment in what is recognised as a challenging business environment, Managing Director Gareth Roberts reflected, “When you’re directly responsible for the livelihoods of 270 people and your decisions impact on a much wider network of valued suppliers and loyal customers, decisions like these do weigh heavily. Committing to an annual investment programme has never been easy for us to do, but I believe strongly in keeping the business relevant and responsive to market changes, and we can’t do that by standing still.”
“Müller Martini are very pleased to be part of the Bishops Printers on-going success”, said UK Sales Manager David McGinlay. “The new lines are amongst the most advance Saddle Stitchers in the world and will prove to be game changers, when in full swing. Net output was one of the key factors in Bishops’ decision along with short make ready times. Two-up production will double the improved output even further and with the addition of loop stitching they now have the power, agility and extra flexibility to further strengthen Bishops Printers’ position in these ever changing markets.”
Already named Heidelberg’s number one B2 sheet fed print operation in Europe (based on capacity) last year Bishops Printers produced 287.9 million printed sheets, 63.5 million stitched books, 5.4 million perfect bound books and posted out 10.8 million direct mail items through their own mailing house.
Impressive as these numbers are, Roberts is quick to point out that Bishops’ average order value is surprisingly low - close to £700, and that their largest client contributes just 5% of total revenue. “We may be built for speed, but we’re also built for agility, which means we’re as happy producing lots of small orders for local businesses and independent publishers as we are for well-known titles and brands".
HP Indigo UK&I Country Manager, Peter Jolly comments, “With run lengths reducing, but volume increasing, the installation of the HP Indigo 12000 B2 Digital press has enabled Bishops to become even more responsive, no matter what the size of order. In addition to satisfying shorter print runs, with offset quality, the HP Indigo 12000 also enables Bishops to offer greater variable data printing for personalised print products.”
With the last of their new investments being installed in early February, 2020 is already shaping up to be a record breaking year for the £26 million turnover business.
About Bishops Printers
The Portsmouth based commercial B2 printer is a family run business that has been supporting companies across the south of England for almost 35 years. An important local employer, they have expanded their in-house design, print and direct mail services to employ 270 staff and provide a hugely varied client-base with round-the-clock digital and litho print, 363 days of the year. Housing 3 stitching lines, 2 perfect binders, 15 folders, die cutters and a hand finishing team under its 85,000 sq ft roof, Bishops Printers has the most well-equipped finishing department of any commercial printer in the South of England.
