Formara in profile

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FINISHING SHOT Taking the advantage THE FINISHING SPECIAL – A look at adding value to print P.10

ALL ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY – Finishing at Howard Hunt Direct P.15

A THOROUGHLY MODERN PRINTER – Keeping it relevant – Formara P.26

THE PLATEMAKING DILEMMA – Processless? Chemistry free? Low chemistry? Which is best? P.19

Vol.22 Issue.03 June 2009

Print & Paper Monthly

Case Study

A thoroughly modern printer Winston Churchill once said, ‘To improve is to change, and to be perfect is to change often’ and Formara is a prime example of a printer with a healthy approach to a changing world. Mark Rushton reports. ith a staff of 46 and a turnover of £3 million,

W

Keeping in the loop

Formara, based in Southend on Sea, Essex, is a

The company decided that it had to adapt to the changing

classic SME printer having to cope in a world that

face of print, and it had to embrace a few changes of its

changes almost on a daily basis. Formed in the early 70s, the

own, starting with getting to grips with the electronic era.

company started out producing work for two big Essex based

Mr Wilce continued, ‘We realised that we not only produced

customers, Ford and Marconi, hence the name ‘Formara’ – an

a lot of print for our customers, we also knew a lot about

amalgamation of the two company names. These were the

their products and the way they organised their information.

heady days when volumes and margins were high, and to be in

So as they began to go over to electronic versions of their

print was a hugely profitable occupation.

technical manuals and brochures, we remained firmly in the

Phil Wilce, partner and sales director at the company said: ‘Initially Formara started out with a couple of Multiliths and was predominantly a jobbing printer turning out a lot of black and

loop and continued to help them run the document side of their business.’

The company now has a dedicated team of eight

white work, producing, for instance, manuals for Ford

‘document’ experts who specialise on the web and electronic

tractor’s technical division. These types of jobs were

side alongside the already extensive knowledge of print. ‘Our

a short to medium sized printer’s dream, with

team now produces a lot of web work, which includes

regular runs of a few hundred copies of 1000

electronic catalogues, language management and translations

page manuals.

and we still print a lot of technical and marketing information

‘In the 80s the company progressed

for the UK. We have always managed the technical side of

into printing a lot of black and white

things, developing the data bases and services and managing

work for the government, as well

the whole process from receipt of the English version to delivery of the complete package in all the different languages and formats. They are still PDF files, but as well as sending it to pre-press or a digital printing machine, we are now sending it to a website.

‘We take time to understand our customers’ business, their

as advancing

products and their markets. This positions us to advise on the

further into the automobile sector

most appropriate way to deliver their information to their

and at one time had six perfectors

customers. Essentially we become an extension to their

running on electrostatic plates

company, providing a specialist input to their information

producing loose leaf,

communication that achieves high levels of speed, efficiency

saddlestitched and perfect bound

and accuracy using the most appropriate delivery channels.

work – and there was tonnes of it – this really was an excellent era to be in a printing business.’

This was all before the advent of

Formara has embraced change in the machine room with the same commitment and energy as it has applied to the

the compact disk, and the company

electronic side of the business, and is now the perfect all

did extremely well through the 90s

rounder in terms of being able to deliver everything a

and into the early 2000s, capitalising

demanding customer needs, whether black and white or full

on perfecting technology, but

colour, digital or litho.

keeping mostly in the black and

Phil Wilce at Formara.

What about print?

Mr Wilce said, ‘From the late 90s, we identified that the print

white area. Mr Wilce said, ‘From

market was changing dramatically and that to be a real player

1998 onwards, we saw the writing

we had to get into colour.’ The first two colour litho press was

on the wall and identified that a lot

installed in 1999 and then a four colour press came in 2001.

of our black and white work was

The pressroom now contains the full raft of presses, including a

going electronic but also that the

Shinohara 52 four colour and two colour perfector, an Oliver

market was demanding more and

B2 two colour perfector and two Ryobi 3200 perfectors.

more colour.’

Mr Wilce added, ‘The move into colour printing has been a

good one for us, although initially it was a big step. We chose

faring better in these tough economic times. Our break-even

the Shinohara four colour press because it was perfect for

point between the two processes tends to be a higher run

what we needed at the time; the level of investment was

length to most printers, because we are a B3 company. So at

manageable, it ran at a reasonable speed, and it produced

the moment on black and white we will print digitally up to

good quality work. We have been delighted with it, and it is

the 900 to 1000 run mark, and on colour the break-even is

now the busiest machine in the whole building.’

around 350 to 400 copies.

The company has also been an early adopter of digital,

‘But we have noticed a big change in the way customers

recognising the impact the process is making. It installed firstly

operate now, they are not interested in what process their job

Kodak photocopiers, then switched to Canon IR150VP and IR110

is produced by, the quality is now unquestionable in digital –

high volume monochrome machines. In 2007 the company

all they are looking for is efficiency. So as far as we are

installed its latest digital press, the Kodak Nexpress M700.

concerned, the determining factors on any job are simply the

On the finishing front, it prides itself on being able to cope

run length and delivery time. The other factor is that we are

with anything a customer might throw at it, being able to

increasingly getting demands for variable data printing, and

finish almost every job in-house, as well as posting out from a

we see this as a clear growth area in the future.’

purpose built mailing facility.

Is continuous change still on the agenda for Formara? Mr Wilce concluded, ‘There is still plenty more change on the

Digital versus litho

horizon. We will continue to invest in all processes across the

So, with all that choice of output, how is the digital versus

board, including litho. But one of our main interests at the

litho comparison working out on the front line? ‘It is very

moment is in the field of web to print. We already have the

interesting,’ said Mr Wilce, ‘we actually find that it is much

software in place, Kodak’s Insite, and we have created a

easier to fill our litho colour press with work, and at the

brand, Print4London.com, which we see as a real opportunity

moment our figures tell us that the litho side of our business is

to capitalise on automated web ordering.’

June 2009 • www.paperandprint.com