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REVIEW NEWS

Me & My: Kongsberg C64 Edge

Based a few kilometres of mine, left after four years talking about a great experi-
north of Norwich, and hand- to pursue a future in restau- ence, rather than just ‘how
ily close to the newish north- rants. CIM was always a cheap can we do it?’”
ern semi-ring road, CIM signmaker, with the thought CIM stands for Creative
Signs & Graphics has been we would go into wide-for-
offering signage services mat and possibly marketing, Image Management.
across East Anglia for nearly but marketing never became However, says Baker, it
a quarter of a century. Its lat- “was always abbreviated as
est £1m investment was our thing. it was a mouthful when
spread over 18 months and “We started with our answering the phone!“
saw it expand into an adja- small team of three and grew Today,” he says, “we
cent unit on the modern organically with the demand mainly work for Norfolk-
Rackheath industrial estate, Baker : “The Kongsberg was the right size, great technology” – we are always one person based companies in the East
giving it enough space to add away from the right number,
a modern and highly pro- gated cardboard designs, acquiring cutting-edge tech- so it’s ever-growing! We set Anglia region, but we do
ductive Kongsberg C64 packaging, displays, signage, nology; it’s a commitment to up to offer great service, fair have some further afield and
Edge 3.2m digital cutting labels, and decals. It’s run- enhancing our service,” says price but also to ensure cus- travel anywhere as trusted
table. ning alongside the compa- managing director Mark tomers knew the options partners for many of our
The company currently ny’s SwissQprint Nyala 4 Baker. “The speed and preci- and opportunities to spend customers.”
has 25 staff and a turnover of 3.2m flatbed/roll inkjet sion contribute to reduced what was right for them- For its first 8 years, CIM
£2m. It serves a range of printer, installed in 2022. lead times.” occupied a small window-
industries, including retail, The Kongsberg replaced a CIM was founded in selves. less starter unit, in 2008 it
hospitality, leisure, tourism, 10-year-old Blackman & 2000, he explains. “We “We championed listen-
construction and education. White finishing table, started as three old friends, ing, giving advice and commissioned a purpose-
The new Kongsberg is although that has been kept one unfortunately passed options – a posh phrase may built unit with plenty of
being used for projects as a backup. “Our invest- away after a heart attack and be ‘consultants’, but we natural light, when it also
including creative 3D corru- ment is not merely about the other, still a great friend wanted people to leave us got its first flatbed printer.

Me & My: EFI Vutek FabriVu 340i+

Venture Banners is a plus two Vivid Easymount and traditional pop-up sys-
large-format trade services laminators, two Miller tems to flags, complete exhi-
company based on the Park Weldmaster T300 systems, a
Drive Industrial Estate in 16m FIAB high-frequency bition graphic solutions,
Braintree, Essex, where it welder, three laser-guided stretch fabric displays, café
employs 51 people in and crowd barrier graphics
recently expanded premises, eyeletters and numerous
including seven extra staff sewing machines for fabric and much more.
recruited this year. finishing. “We have a very broad
Marking its 15th anniver- “Venture Banners is a mix of customers. For exam-
sary, in February this year it trade-only large- format ple, they include design stu-
installed a 3.4m-wide EFI print supplier with a mission
Vutek FabriVu 340i+ dye- to help printers build lucra- dios and creative agencies
sublimation inkjet printer, Scott: “You’ve got to have two to build in the redundant capacity” tive revenue streams with who sell print as an added
the latest version of the earlier 340 printers that ers are two 3.2m EFI Vutek large format,” says Scott value service, small high
FabriVu direct-to-fabric share a separate external h5 UV-LED flatbed-roll Conway, who co-founded
family, as well as its fourth heated calendering system. hybrids and two 3.2m street print shops that don’t
Zünd cutting table, a G3 3XL the company together with have their own wide format
model. It replaced an older Mtex GS3250r roll-fed UV-LED Wayne Bodimeade – both facilities, and other large
The new FabriVu 340i+ printer, meaning that all of models. are still hands-on directors.
has integral heated fixation the company’s printers are Finishing is handled by “We produce everything format print businesses that
for the inks and it joined two now made by EFI. The oth- the four Zünd cutting tables, from standard roller banners need extra capacity.”

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