Mark Andy Installs First LED Press in Benelux at Dutch Graphic Group

Dutch Graphic Group (formerly Graphic & Mail) has installed the first Mark Andy Performance Series press in the Benelux to be fitted with ProLED curing. The 330mm (13 inch) P5 press is a six-color machine with delam/relam capability and single die station. It replaces two presses, and according to company owner Nino Venezia, “has given us a 50% bigger format and four times the production speed.”
 
Established in 2000 by Venezia and his wife Anita, the company is based in Venlo, The Netherlands, close to the AGR wholesale auction market for fresh fruit and vegetables. This generates a huge demand for labels that Dutch Graphic Group supplies in run lengths from 2,000 to three million and more.
 
The press is currently on double-day shift, with an evening shift available for busy periods – though such is the improvement in output of the Mark Andy that existing work is run off in quick time. From a small start, the company has grown to employ 15 staff across two production sites. Traditionally serving customers within a 25km radius, the emphasis is now on international growth, with many of the leading supermarket chains as contract customers.
 
“We have enjoyed a 30% annual growth rate in each of the past five years based on our philosophy of a good price for high quality and fast response,” said Venezia. “We know we’re not the cheapest, but our retained customer portfolio indicates that we are the most reliable, so the volume of repeat business is high.”
 
Currently producing mostly thermo labels on paper-based substrates, Dutch Graphic Group is noticing a big swing towards PP material, with one of its major customers switching as much as 20% of its volume in one year. With three customers buying more than €2 million worth of labels each year, and one buying more than €6 million, the logistics of feeding the new Mark Andy has proved more of an issue than learning how to maximize its performance. Although the P5 allows DGG to be geared up for short run work, Venezia says that 80% of his business is of run lengths of more than one million labels – rare in today’s market.
 
Dealing mostly with food-grade packaging, Venezia is working closely with substrate and consumable suppliers to keep ahead of the changing legislation on substance migration in printed packaging. “This was one of the reasons we specified LED lamps in the UV curing system. They have instant off/on, consume less power, have a longer lamp life, and crucially generate no ozone. LED has to be the way forward, especially with sensitive products like food,” he said.