Member Article

Herbert Walkers Doubles Foiling Capacity with Six-figure Investment

Herbert Walkers, the specialist in print for packaging and greetings cards, has doubled its capacity for foil finishes with a six-figure investment in a new BOBST foiling machine. The move follows significant growth at the Yorkshire-based company and increased demand for foil finishes, particularly amongst the company’s packaging customers, which include Hotel Chocolat and others in the high-end gifting, cosmetics and drinks markets. The new BOBST VISIONFOIL 104 machine will be fully-operational as part of the company’s finishing department by mid-June. It will be capable of foiling 7,500 sheets per hour, complementing the capacity of Herbert Walkers’ three existing BOBST foiling machines. Aligned to Herbert Walkers’ investment in new equipment, the company has recruited an additional foiling machine operator and is currently seeking another. As part of a long-term strategy for the finishing department, the company is also investing in refurbishment of one of its existing foiling machines, which will extend the lifetime of the asset and underpin reliability, quality and capacity. Mike Lammas, managing director of Herbert Walkers, comments: “We have an enviable reputation for the quality of our foil finishes and this investment will enable us to build on that strength with increased capacity and consistent quality. The new equipment will also be faster for make readies and will enable us to optimize settings for repeat print runs “As we continue to expand our packaging client base, our investment in this new machine, alongside our focus on optimizing our existing assets and growing our team, will ensure we are prepared for increasingly sophisticated packaging design and continuing increases in demand.” Lee Alton BOBST Area Sales Manager said: “We have a long-established relationship with Herbert Walkers, having supported the company through a number of significant investments over the course of the past decade. The EXPERTFOLD 110 A2 with a capacity device capability was the first installation of its kind in the UK for folding carton. That was in 2010 and in 2017, we installed one of the very first NOVACUT 106 ER blanking machines. “Herbert Walkers positions itself as a leader and pioneer in packaging production and is committed to investing in machinery and equipment that makes zero-fault packaging a reality for them and their customers. BOBST is very proud to be part of Herbert Walkers’ success story and support them as they continue in the next phase of development for their already established finishing department.” Commenting on the VISIONFOIL 104 investment, Lee added: “Herbert Walkers management addressed the project justification perfectly, allowing all prospective parties to make an analysis of the existing products produced at the factory. This tried and tested method, used by BOBST and Herbert Walkers on previous investments and in line with the BOBST method of project justification, allowed us to meet the criteria for product performance and price.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emily Craig .