2023-03-14T00:00:00

Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford Makes £5.5m Investment in State-of-the-art Colour Printer

As an award-winning site that specialises in adding value to packaging by boosting brands’ visual presence in the market, Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford is constantly raising the bar when it comes to quality and innovation in printed packaging.

Take packaging printing to the next level

As part of their investment into high-quality print techniques is an exciting new addition for 2023 to their state-of-the-art equipment, welcomed with their customers in mind. The £5.5m investment for the best-in-class Gopfert HBL 2.1m is set to significantly boost print capability along with material handling for their conversion production areas, leading to a number of tangible benefits for their valued customers.

Leaders in the field

Smurfit Kappa’s packaging professionals in Chelmsford have established themselves as a high-quality post-print supplier to the retail and eCommerce sectors within the UK. It was only fitting to match their extensive print knowledge and experience with a best-in-class print machine with superior capacity and capabilities.

The advanced machine technology being installed at Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford will complement the highly skilled and motivated team, setting these passionate packaging perfectionists apart from the competition in the UK.

Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford Leaders in the Field 

Enhanced quality and reliability

The Gopfert HBL has been selected for its proven high-quality printing prowess and machine reliability. Its highly productive, state-of-the-art quality control systems, auto print registration and colour control features enable high-quality repeatability ‘job to job’. Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford is delighted that this superb new addition to their site will also guarantee a reduced environmental footprint.

The machine will allow the team to achieve a high quality, cost-effective, and shorter lead time, making it an ideal option for any high-quality print requirements. It will also allow for an increase in customer supply collaboration in the group’s print division, as well as offer both reliability and repeatability throughout the process.

“We’re delighted that this exciting new investment will cement Chelmsford as a market leader in HQPP (High Quality Post Print) by delivering a no-fuss, seamless offering to our customers. With its additional capacity, we have no doubt it will broaden the sectors in which Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford can add value,” says Vic Marland, General Manager.

A host of brilliant benefits for our customers

Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford is passionate about giving its customers a competitive advantage in the fast-moving world of retail by providing brands with high-definition printed packaging.

The new Gopfert HBL will play a major role in enhancing customers’ on-shelf branding consistency. The seven print units will enable customers to have increased design options leading to maximising consumer on-shelf appeal due to the high-quality eye-catching graphics and colour vibrancy the machine and the plants’ additional printers can deliver on.

Another significant benefit to customers will be lower inventories due to shorter lead times, flexible order quantities, localised service and all production taking place under one roof. This ensures speed to market. Ultimately customers’ products are on the shelf in record time and being snapped up by eager consumers!

Looking into the future

The introduction of the Gopfert HBL represents a significant investment for Chelmsford and its future – and this feeds directly into the broader strategy for Smurfit Kappa UK, especially in the Southeast of England.

“We’re thrilled with how this state-of-the-art new machine is going to introduce transformational change in our new print capacity and capability. It’ll allow us to increase our sales volume within a fast-growing and volatile retail and eCommerce market. This will allow us to take full advantage of market growth and build on our strategy for creating a robust and sustainable business for the future,” comments Dominic Price, Sales Director.

The latest investment enhances the service that Smurfit Kappa Chelmsford can offer its customers and solidifies its position as a leader in the packaging industry.