Midland Regional Printers (MRP) is pointing to its Mark Andy Digital Pro 3 toner-based press as key to its growing label business and broadened product portfolio. Nottingham based and still family owned and managed, MRP is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of bespoke folding carton and label packaging.

The company dates back to 1969 when Stephen Tew and John Newbold started to supply general print to local businesses.  From an initial staff of three in a 2,000 square-foot workshop, MRP, as it is now known, has grown to employ 65 in a 50,000 square-foot facility in the Basford area of Nottingham where, unlike many printing companies, it still handles 95% of processes in-house.

A great believer in the “one stop shop” principle, Stephen Tew says, “We take the time to understand each client’s unique requirements and the specifications of the individual product. Our skilled and experienced staff can provide as much or as little guidance as they need – from simply printing existing designs, to offering advice and creating concepts. It’s a very personal service, too, with our clients involved at every stage to discuss progress and see for themselves how their packaging and labels are taking shape.”

Although today’s turnover is 75% folding carton packaging, the label side of the business has always been a passion of the Tew family, as Stephen’s daughter Kate, who is sales and marketing director, says, “I started here preparing artwork for the label division and really loved it. In volume terms it is the smaller side of the business but our clients like the fact that we can deliver cartons and labels that are perfectly matched to preserve their brand image.”

Kate’s brother, Michael, who is MRP’s technical director, adds, “We have two legacy 10” flexo presses that have been reliable and productive, but we knew that we needed to be able to offer more in the current print market, so we began to look at what digital technology was available. Inkjet failed to impress us on quality grounds, and we were looking for a single-pass solution that offered a degree of inline finishing and converting.”

The solution proved to be a Mark Andy Digital Pro 3 machine that offered toner-based print quality with inline converting. Combining 1200 dpi CMYK with flexo white, the DPro 3 offers varnishing, laminating, cold foiling, diecutting, stripping and slitting in one pass on a 330mm web width at speeds up to 23 m/m. It can handle stocks from pressure sensitive to BOPP, PET, PP, unsupported paper, tags, PVC and vinyl and requires no coating or priming.

“We really like the smooth, almost litho-like print quality that makes it easy to match with the cartons coming off our sheet fed press, and the fact that it has a small footprint, has no clean-room requirement, and is energy-efficient – it all chimes well with our facility here, where space is at a premium and stacked-down WIP is costly,” notes Michael.

According to Kate Tew, the Digital Pro 3 has not only brought outwork back in-house where control of cost and quality is better but also opened new opportunities that were previously unknown. “It’s such a versatile machine and offers us the flexibility to switch work between offset and digital because the color quality match is so good – and in today’s ultra-competitive print market, where JIT is the expected norm, it’s given us faster turnaround times.”

One new product opportunity that the Digital Pro 3 has brought to MRP is the ability to do “peel and reveal” labels that are a highly saleable commodity. It has also been useful in allowing MRP to do sampling for customers who are eager to trial new techniques and finishes before committing to full-scale commercial production. “For instance, we can run off a variety varnishes for high gloss, matte, or tactile finishes on a wide selection of substrates – and do it quickly and cost-effectively on the DPro 3, so it acts as a sales tool as well as a production machine,” she adds.

Reducing waste and preserving the environment is very much at the heart of MRP’s business ethic. Working with independent consultancy Eight Versa, the company has calculated its overall carbon footprint and obtained certification verified by Natural Carbon Solutions. “Now that we understand our carbon footprint, we are working on identifying areas of high impact and taking action to reduce it. Our assessment includes greenhouse gas, electricity, and all other emissions, including investments, upstream and downstream responsibilities, waste, and end-of-life considerations for all our products,” she says, citing the fact that all MRP’s self-adhesive label waste is delivered to cement kilns and used as a replacement for fossil fuel in blast furnaces.