Latest Success Stories
Derbyshire Company’s Investment is a ‘Binding’ Success
29/04/2008
Heanor based Easibind International’s investment in cutting edge technology has led to the firm being selected as a UK centre of excellence.
Easibind has purchased a state of the art digital cutting bed – one of the first to be installed in the UK. With this latest technology, Easibind’s chief executive, Harry Skidmore, says the company has been able to introduce ‘endless creative possibilities’ for the various markets the company supports. He said: “Since we installed the system we have been selected as a UK Centre of Excellence for Hewlett Packard Digital Presses, KBA Waterless Presses, Human Eyes Lenticular Software and Esko Graphics Software and Digital Cutting Beds.
The Esko Graphics cutting bed system required an investment of over £60,000, part funded by a £10,000 grant from East Midlands New Technology Initiative (NTI) Creative Industries Network.
Easibind, which was established in 1977 and currently employs over 100 people at its purpose built site in Heanor, Derbyshire, provides a one-stop-shop for design, materials, print and finishing to customers. The company’s clients include Paperchase and Office Depot.
Harry Skidmore added: “We offer a free prototype service to many of our customers. The new cutting bed system takes this idea even further by providing production quality cutting, creasing and profiling. This system offers 100% accuracy which would normally take hours to set up and involve expensive cutting formes. Now we can produce personalised products in short runs, without the expense of set ups and cutting formes. For example, we can produce personalised cards, which are growing in popularity, for our web-based customers, to any shape and the detail is amazing!”
Easibind’s manufacturing and production operation is supported by some extremely talented product designers, recruited from local universities over the past five years. They design for leading companies, such as HSBC, RBS, NatWest and Jeyes, and have been winning national awards for their design and innovation.
Easibind is very enthusiastic about working with the NTI. Through its Knowledge Transfer Partnership with De Montfort University (DMU), the company has partnered with the university to install a 3D camera, which was also supported by the NTI. Using this camera, Easibind worked on a NTI/DMU project with curry spice company, Spice ‘N’ Tice, to produce groundbreaking 3D point of sale display.
Harry Skidmore commented, “We would recommend closer collaboration with businesses and universities. The NTI and the Knowledge Transfer Partnership initiatives are very useful in engaging employers, specifically, in the small and medium sized sector, with universities and higher education providers. We are developing new technologies, with confidence, and foresight, and looking to share our best practice, with universities, and with business partners.”
Caption: James Malbon, Graphics Design Consultant with the Esko Graphics Cutting Beds system