Solopress becomes first UK customer to use Konica Minolta’s new Motioncutter 23 digital high speed laser system

With pre-pandemic turnover of over £30m, Solopress is a Southend-on-Sea based expert trade print and B2B printer, selling around £1m of bespoke labels and stickers a year. The company was enjoying growth in demand and was looking to expand its production capabilities, by investing in a suitable professional laser cutting solution. Beforehand the company had used pre-kiss cut and fixed sized labels to print on, but this had proven to be time-consuming to prepare and limited production flexibility and efficiency, making it more of a challenge to react quickly to customer demands.
 
Solopress was convinced by the practical and cost-saving benefits of the Motioncutter 23, as Managing Director Simon Cooper commented, “Having seen the impressive results and the potential for big material cost savings, we felt the Motioncutter 23 was a no-brainer for us. We estimate that the CapEx costs of the machine will be offset within just 18 months, whilst the operational benefits will be realised right away. Having had a productive year in 2021 we were keen to invest this back into the business right away, so we were delighted that Konica Minolta was able to deliver on its promises so quickly.”
 
The bespoke abilities of the Motioncutter 23 have reduced Solopress’s stock management needs and associated costs, whilst enabling it to rapidly cater for virtually any shape, size, or quantity of bespoke stickers/labels. By stocking a selection of popular print materials (including coated/uncoated papers and clear/white polypropylenes), Solopress can now rapidly deliver virtually any product to customers with rapid turnaround.
 
This flexibility is ideal for a range of clients, as Grahame Megilley, Industrial Print Business Development Manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) added, “Solopress can supply high quality labels/stickers to a broad range of customers, from printers and resellers to graphic design businesses and (significantly) smaller microbusinesses and home-based businesses that produce very bespoke individual products that require short runs of labels/stickers – something which is often lacking in the market but in high demand post-pandemic. For example, it is the perfect solution for the needs of artisan food and drink producers that need highly bespoke labels, often with very short lead-times.”
 
Sold exclusively in the UK and Europe through Konica Minolta, the Motioncutter 23 now provides Solopress with a highly automated solution featuring barcode job recognition, camera positioning, and software-controlled waste separation. Simon Cooper commented, “We can now reduce our stock whilst at the same time delivering our customers more options and choice. This really is the perfect solution for our ever-evolving business.” 
 
About Solopress
Established in 1999, Solopress is one of the top five trade print and B2B printers in the UK, with pre-pandemic turnover of over £30m. The company has an impressive track-record of investing in new and cutting-edge technology including being the first UK company to invest in a Konica Minolta MGI JETvarnish 3DS in 2019. It was acquired by OnlinePrinters Gmbh in Germany in 2017, which has three production sites with a combined floor space of 39,300 sqm, serving over 1million customers across 30 EU countries.
 
For more information on Solopress please visit: www.solopress.com