Equipment

Firstan, the Cambridgeshire-based packaging printer, has installed its fifth Mitsubishi press in an investment of £1.5m.

The new press is a Diamond D3000LX six-colour with coater and extended delivery, plus a full range of features to speed up makeready and control ink adjustments and colour quality.

It is also the first Firstan press to run completely without alcohol, using reverse osmosis systems and Technotrans filtration to keep the quality of the fount consistent.

Firstan sales director Jeff Oakley told Packaging News: "With the current financial turmoil in the marketplace we have been inundated with people looking for long-term secure supply of printed cartons and our latest investment gives us extra capacity to meet this demand."

Oakley is one of the firm's three owners with managing director Andrew Hartwig and his brother Paul, who is production director.

Paul Hartwig said he was hoping to increase the firm's turnover from £15m to £20m this year.

"We're always on the lookout for acquisitions and now would be a good time to make one," he said. "We've identified one or two and we hope to join forces with them in the next 12-18 months."

Firstan, which employs 130 people at Bar Hill outside Cambridge, specialises in fast turnaround packaging for the pharmaceutical, healthcare and food markets and offers a full range of services including design, printing, finishing and logistics.

The firm has invested £10m with Mitsubishi since 1994.