MANCHESTER, UK—JM Heaford, an industry-leading supplier of mounting and proofing solutions for the tag and label, flexible packaging, corrugated and gravure markets, has exceeded its expectations for sales at Labelexpo Europe 2019 with a record number of orders taken at a show and more expected. Discussions at Labelexpo have already led to the sale of nine Heaford flexographic plate mounters, with the Heaford FTS once again proving to be popular.
According to Sally-Anne Heaford, managing director of JM Heaford, the Heaford stand at Labelexpo was consistently busy over the four days: “With Labelexpo being the main event for seeing latest technology in label production, many visitors were drawn to the stand by the Heaford Label AutoMounter,” she noted. “Mounting plates autonomously without an operator in sight, it was undoubtedly our star of the show and attracted a significant volume of new interest and we now have several project discussions ongoing.”
Another key highlight of the Heaford stand at Labelexpo Europe 2019 was the Heaford FTS plate mounter. Its reputation for fast Return on Investment has made the FTS an increasingly popular choice worldwide in recent years. Three models were exhibited—two for cylinder and one sleeve-dedicated—offering speed, easy operation and repeatable accuracy through semi-automation. Options on display included pre-register systems, precision plate cutter, rotary plate cutter, pivoting tape applicator and fixed/rear tape applicator options.
In total, seven FTS mounters were ordered at or immediately after Labelexpo. Heaford FTS models are scheduled for first ever installations in Morocco and Turkey, while an existing customer in Russia chose to install two additional machines. For Penta Adhesiv of Portugal, the choice of a new Heaford FTS 700 mounter was a vote of confidence in a trusted supplier to help advance production throughput for conventional flexo alongside its growing digital demand.
Amongst the eight companies who chose to order Heaford solutions at or immediately after Labelexpo, three are first-time Heaford customers, according to Graham Harrison, international sales manager at Heaford. “These new customers found us through word of mouth, and this is especially gratifying. So many of our machines just run and run, and we often don’t hear from the users unless we proactively contact them,” he commented. “The fact that word of mouth recommends us time and again means that the signature Heaford passion for build quality and applied design continues to meet the needs of our customers on a long-term basis. This was supported by the fact that we also enjoyed visits from many satisfied customers who dropped by the stand purely as a courtesy to say hello and share positive feedback.”
Bóna Labels of Nové Zámky, Slovakia, is one such new customer. A family firm specializing in printing self-adhesive labels for clients principally in cosmetics, food and beverages and the chemicals industry, chose to order Slovakia’s first ever Heaford EES plate mounter. This mounter is designed with the same emphasis on build quality, accuracy and longevity for which Heaford equipment is renowned and is intended to provide a reliable footing for companies to achieve fast and precise plate mounting speed. The EES minimizes press downtime by eliminating the unreliable practice of mounting “by eye.”
“With new orders from the Ukraine to Portugal, Russia to Morocco, Labelexpo Europe has once again drawn a broad spectrum of visitors with a vast array of production requirements,” commented David Muncaster, Heaford’s director of operations and business development. “Whether new customers or existing relationships, those we met at Labelexpo all had one thing in common—they were all looking for top technology that would help them adapt, grow and prosper while supporting their local industries.”
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