Large Format Review - Business News

Spotlight on... Alan Caddick, Sign & Digital’s Marathon man...

Alan Caddick, Marketing Manager for Sign & Digital UK, has set himself a really tough challenge.  Not only is he responsible for drumming up visitor numbers at Sign & Digital UK 2011, he has also set himself the task of running the London Marathon on 17th April in aid of The Neuro Foundation – just three days after the show finishes...

Alan Caddick is the Marketing Manager for Sign & Digital UK.  In this role, his main objective can be best summed up as bringing visitors to the show.  He works closely with magazines, show supporters and exhibitors to gain maximum coverage for the event.  However, to add to his impressive workload this year, Alan has decided to run the London Marathon on 17th April 2011 – just three days after Sign & Digital UK closes.

Sign & Digital UK 2011 is the UK’s premier visual communications event and takes place at Birmingham NEC between the 12th and 14th April this year and will attract visitors and exhibitors from throughout Europe.

On signing up for the Marathon, Alan explains, “Having never really run before in my life, I came up with this really daft idea that I should run the London Marathon.  Why?  Because I am running for a really great cause, The Neuro Foundation* – formerly The Neurofibromatosis Association – which is a charity really close to my heart.  One of my friends suffers from this condition and I am running for her and to support the great work this charity undertakes.”

Alan is looking to raise £2000 by running the Marathon, but explains that combining his work commitments with Marathon training has been a bit of a struggle. “In all honesty, the timing is not great.  While I am up at Sign & Digital UK 2011, I will be clocking up the miles around the NEC and eating hotel food - not exactly ideal training.  I am also due at the Excel arena in London that same week as standard pre-Marathon procedure to collect my runners tag and to complete a medical.

 “At present, I really don’t have much of a life – when I finish work, I rush home, miss dinner and go running.  Once that’s out of the way, I eat something light and then go straight to bed.  Running 18 miles after work on a cold, wet, dark night is not all that fun.”

He adds, “Nonetheless, training is going well.  Although it can be difficult at times, I remember the reason why I am doing this and that’s all the motivation I need.”

Having started training nearly ten months ago, Alan is now finding himself getting more and more enthusiastic about running and the closer the Marathon gets, the more serious he has become about his training, equipment, diet and rest.

Alan summarises, “I would love to run the Marathon in under 4 hours, but as this is my first attempt, I think my focus should be on finishing the event rather than worrying about times.  Plus, I am in no way built for long distance running – my legs are too short!”

To donate to Alan Caddick’s Marathon charity, please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/runCaddickrun

*Neurofibromatosis (commonly abbreviated to NF) is a genetically-inherited disorder in which the nerve tissues grow tumours that may be benign or may cause serious damage by compressing nerves and other tissues.  There are approximately 25,000 people in the UK suffering from the condition and at present, there is no cure.  The Neuro Foundation’s vision is to improve the lives of those affected by NF by providing first class information, support and advice, facilitating and promoting innovative research and being an advocate for those affected by NF.  For more information on NF, please visit: www.nfauk.org

Highly-motivated Managing Director of Clarity Software Richard Gamlin has set himself a new target to hit at the end of March. He’s taking on The Alps and its 114 mile, five day Haute Route between the two historic mountain centres of Chamonix and Zermatt, covering up to 14,000m of ascent and descent in the process.

This will be one of the toughest challenges he has ever faced, calling upon skiing and mountaineering techniques to negotiate through multiple snow conditions, ascend cliff faces on crampons and descend into the abyss on abseil.

Intensive Training

The physically demanding experience will mean an almost military level of fitness is required to get through the five days, and Gamlin has been training hard. He is expecting to shed up to an astonishing 6,000 calories per day around the 4,000m high peaks.

“Over the last few weeks I have been road cycling up to 50 miles at a time with a backpack to get my heart rate up as high as possible,” he conveyed. “My lung capacity will be severely tested up there, so I’m pushing myself beyond any limit I’ve previously managed to attain. I think I’m ready, but there’s only one way to find out.”

Anything is Possible

As many ambitious professionals will testify, motivation and dedication are key components in driving success in business. If Gamlin can complete his objective then he hopes it will inspire those around him to set new levels of expectation, both personally and within the workplace.

 

The company behind Intec Printing Solutions is now trading under the same name as its successful brand.

This is the result of the international success enjoyed by the Intec Printing Solutions brand, which is based in Hamworthy, near Poole, Dorset.

“Outside the United Kingdom we have become known as Intec Printing Solutions and it is largely only in the UK that we are referred to as Info-Tec Distribution Ltd,” explains Managing Director Ian Melville.
“Therefore, as the Intec Printing Solutions brand and name is recognised around the world we have decided to standardise our trading name, style and brand to be Intec Printing Solutions in the UK, as well.  This means that all payments can now be made to Intec Printing Solutions and that Info-Tec Distribution Ltd is merely the holding company.

“Over the next couple of weeks all letterheads and company literature are changing to reflect this as well as the signage on the company’s offices with the official change taking place on April 1.”

Info-Tec Distribution Ltd was established in 1989 as a distribution company to the print and graphics industry in the UK and Ireland. Then in 2008 it launched the Intec range of heavy stock colour laser printers.

All the signs are good for a West Midlands company which has invested £1/2 million in new equipment and is recruiting 10 new workers as it diversifies into new markets in the UK.

Birmingham-based sign-makers and graphics company Hollywood Monster has increased turnover to £5 million after winning major contracts with commercial and residential property developers, Premier League football clubs, major retailers, shopping centres, theatrical events, exhibitions and others.

The success in securing new contracts has led to a recruitment drive to increase the workforce by 25% at the company’s modern 30,000 sq ft headquarters in Tyseley. 

According to Hollywood Monster's Managing Director, Tim Andrews, "A major factor in Hollywood Monster’s ability to deliver some of the country’s largest and most creative signage solutions is its continuous investment in cutting edge printing technology."

The company has invested heavily in equipment enabling it to produce enormous banners and advertising hoardings at high-profile sites including sports stadiums, festivals, rock and pop concerts, shopping centres and property developments.

Tim said, “We’ve worked hard to diversify and break into new market sectors. All that effort and investment is now beginning to pay dividends. We are winning contracts in new sectors that are providing us with exciting opportunities to develop and grow our business.

“Thanks to our continuous investment in our equipment and staff we are in a strong position to manage and implement projects of all sizes. More and more customers are recognising and appreciating the quality of our work and Hollywood Monster has gained a great reputation for delivering projects on budget and on time.

“It’s great to be in a position where we are winning more work which means we need to recruit new members to our team, providing work for talented and skilled people. We’re in the process of recruiting 10 new staff in a variety of positions.”

The company recently demonstrated its determination to stay well ahead of competitors by investing in new technology such as a Zund G3 Router, a new digital printer as well as a metal and plastic fabrication facility to enable the company to extend its service offering.  

[Photo: At the company’s Birmingham headquarters are (from left) procurement and purchasing manager Daren Hollins, sales director Simon McKenzie, commercial manager Nick Fellows, managing director Tim Andrews.]

Madico Graphic Films, a leading UK supplier of specialist pressure-sensitive coated film products for durable label applications and screen/digital solutions, has announced a major re-brand, which will see the company formalise its association with Lintec Corporation, one of Japan’s foremost materials manufacturers and a primary supplier to the company. The move will permit the company to extend its reach into new geographic and market areas, while also ensuring a faster route to market for new products. For customers, this is expected to result in greater choice, improved technical support and expedited delivery times.

Madico Graphic Films transition to Lintec Graphic Films enhances an already successful fourteen-year association with Lintec Corporation, Japan’s market leading manufacturer of pressure-sensitive adhesive products and speciality papers for a diverse array of applications and sectors. The move also marks the first time the company has permitted the use of its name by an external company during its seventy-six year history.

This established relationship, together with Lintec’s world-class technological and development expertise will, according to Managing Director Andy Voss, substantially reinforce the power of his company’s offering to both new and existing customers. “As a company, Lintec Corporation’s continual focus on innovation and commitment to R&D reflect its unceasing strive to meet a wide range of industry needs – an ethos that is perfectly aligned to our own core objectives”, he explains. “Other than the multitude of noticeable advantages this exercise will afford our customers, the deployment of the re-brand itself will be seamless."

Fundamentally, Lintec Graphic Films will benefit from the full support and extensive resources of Lintec Corporation in order to drive product development for customers’ specific application requirements. This will include an increased focus on creative ideas sharing and closer participation from the solutions planning/R+D stage, through to manufacturing.

In addition, the range of products offered by Lintec Graphic Films will increase, as the company is granted access to a much wider portfolio. As well as spanning labelling and digital printing substrates, this will include solutions from Lintec Corporation’s other business units, such as the company’s industrial division. For customers, this will extend an already comprehensive product stable with even more niche products that fulfil lucrative, specification-driven applications.

Commenting on Madico Graphic Films re-naming to Lintec Graphic Films, Sumio Morimoto, General Manager Printing and Variable Information Products Operations at Lintec Corporation, says “Madico Graphic Films has an exceptional reputation for combining innovation, flexibility and responsiveness, to meet the specific application needs of its customers. We now look forward to an even closer relationship with Andy and his team and anticipate that our collective strengths will make for a unique and superior proposition within the marketplace”

Lintec Graphic Films will continue to operate from Maidenhead in the UK and will retain the existing management structure, headed up by Managing Director, Andy Voss.

 

Epson wishes to express its deepest condolences to those affected by the earthquake that struck the Tohoku area of Japan on March 11.

 

Shortly after the earthquake, Epson established a Disaster Headquarters headed by President Minoru Usui at its Head Office in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture. The purpose of the Headquarters is to gather information about damage suffered by the Group, and to determine appropriate countermeasures.

As a result of the earthquake, Epson suffered damage to its Sakata Plant and also to Group companies in the Tohoku areas. The details are as follows:

1. Epson employees: No casualties reported at this stage

2. Major Epson facilities affected

Epson Atmix Corporation (Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture)

Operations have been suspended as the plant was subjected to a tsunami of approximately one meter. As yet we do not know when operations will be resumed.

Akita Epson Corporation (Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture)

Operations have been suspended due to a power cut caused by the earthquake. Damage to the buildings and production facilities were minimal. While carefully confirming plant safety and electricity power supply, we plan to steadily resume operations from March 14.

Seiko Epson Corporation Sakata Plant and Tohoku Epson Corporation (Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture)

Operations have been suspended due to a power cut caused by the earthquake. Although there was no damage to the buildings, we are still confirming the state of the production facilities. As yet we do not know when operations will be resumed.

Epson Toyocom Corporation Fukushima Plant (Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture)

Operations have been suspended due to the earthquake, and both buildings and production facilities appear to have sustained damage. We have temporarily terminated operations as the plant is approximately 16 km from the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station, and therefore within the evacuation area. As yet we do not know when operations will be resumed.

 

 

Epson today announced it would donate 100 million yen to provide assistance to the victims of the earthquake, and stated its hopes for a recovery at the earliest possible stage.