Features

“The West has reached the age of ‘peak stuff’.” That remark by Steve Howard, chief sustainability officer at IKEA, has been much quoted and often misinterpreted.

Targets can be very helpful, of course, but directors too often encourage their people to commit to a number - say, annual revenue growth of 7% - even though the path to achieving it isn’t clear. This can lead companies to chase growth in too many directions.

SMP is working with a number of manufacturers to find water-based UV-curable inks for the billboard sector. It’s just one of a number of innovative moves being made by the company as Mark Turner, director of digital print, and sales director Nick Stagg explain.

In January we received news that the purchase of two Mimaki flatbeds from CMYUK had set SCG on a new path - that the new technical digital print capability had prompted the company to team up with photographic artist Richard Osbourne to provide bespoke glass installations for interiors. Can you remind us of the key points in that diversification?

…another opens. Fast on the heels of Fespa Digital comes Sign and Digital UK 2016. Here’s what you’ll find beyond the exhibition stands.

What’s having the greatest impact on your business at the moment?
Our recent purchase - the Dyss 7 cutter has increased our manufacturing capabilities.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Fespa Digital is returning to Amsterdam, the city where it all began. Will you be joining the party?

Towards the end of 2014 Callprint said it intended to double turnover to £25m in two years, and in particular was looking to acquire companies with large-format print and project management capability

Tim Andrews, managing director of award winning, large scale signage company Hollywood Monster, explains what he considers the perfect formula for finding, hiring and maintaining new style ‘sales’ people.

As more PSPs move into the textile print, Northern Flags is looking to grow business by going the other way – by moving into the more ‘traditional’ large-format print spaces.

“Working with ClimatePartner can help you to foster a more positive corporate image, reduce costs, and help to increase revenue. We can support you in all this, as well as showing you how to measure your impacts and look at practical ways to minimise your carbon emission in an open and transparent way.”

Textile printing has inkjet printer manufacturers excited, but how’s the technology squaring up to the demands of sign and display printers? Nessan Cleary investigates.