Page 64 - Print 21 Magazine March-April 2019

Business
When Pinnacle Print Group was looking to upgrade its B2 press it opted to move away from offset and install an HP Indigo 12000 Digital Press, reports Wayne Robinson.
Reaching the Pinnacle
including an Horizon BQ-270 perfect binder, plus an AFC-566 folder.
Carlus says the new binding equipment makes Pinnacle more responsive when it comes to proofing and dispatch. He says, “It is saving a lot of time driving out to finishing houses for jobs. We can show clients right away what the problem is with their jobs, and it’s kept a lot of our work in-house, which gives us a quicker turnaround time. It gives us more confidence in tackling quick- turnaround work,” he said.
Among the finishing equipment from Currie Group is a Foliant Mercury 530 SF laminator, installed to add an extra dimension to the process, followed by a Horizon CRF-362 creaser folder to take the increasing amount of digital output. Currie Group also installed an Horizon StitchLiner 5500 at Pinnacle.
Bernie Robinson, managing director at Currie Group says, “Pedro and Justin’s first introduction to Currie Group was with the purchase of a Cron CTP A1 System. From there it just escalated to the purchase of
a Horizon BQ-270 Perfect Binder, the Horizon StitchLiner 5500, the Horizon CRF-362 Creaser/Folder unit, a Foliant Laminator, to the first of three HP Indigo presses, the most recent of which was the installation of the HP 12000 Digital Press.
“Pinnacle is a professional organisation, and Currie Group is proud to be part of their business.”
It has been an upward track
for Pedro and his partner Justin ever since they took over from the founders – who included Ron Hall, Justin’s father – in 2004. Both were already working in the business, Pedro as general manager, Justin heading sales.
Over the years they have shared the responsibilities between them; Pedro continues to operate the factory, while Justin looks after the sales, the new HP Indigo 12000 proving a hit for both of them. 21
with B2 HP Indigo
Three years after installing its first HP Indigo in 2016, Melbourne commercial operation Pinnacle Print Group has gone on in leaps
and bounds with its digital business, and now runs a B2 HP Indigo 12000, with both supplied by Currie Group.
The first HP Indigo, the 3550,
is still running in daily operation
at the Reservoir based company. It was a toe in the water for Pinnacle, but the installation went so well a second was installed a year later, an HP Indigo 7800, which replaced a dry toner printer. That has now been superseded, by one of the first B2 HP Indigo 12000s in Melbourne.
The decision to go to B2 digital came as managing director Pedro Carlus
was looking to upgrade the company’s half sized (B2) offset press, but was reluctant to install another. The company has a B1 Komori six-colour offset press which is now handling all of the offset work. Carlus says, “We were not using the B2 offset press
as much as we could. We are always looking for a point of difference, and when we thought about the B2 HP Indigo it ticked all the boxes when it came to our business direction.
“Our experience with the SRA3 Indigos has been terrific, in terms of the growth they have achieved for the company, and their ability to produce consistent high quality work. Clearly this experience impacted on our decision making process, and the investment in the B2 HP 12000 followed.”
Carlus says the market for the B2 Indigo is different from the SRA3
Above:
Pinnacle: Justin Hall (l) and partner Pedro Carlus with the
HP Indigo 12000
printers, and he says that while there are a few printers that have B2 digital presses in Melbourne, they are mainly trade printers, so not in direct competition to Pinnacle.
He says, “The B2 HP Indigo has put Pinnacle in a strong position in the market, it means we can produce work on demand, to the highest quality and be in complete control of production.
“The new 12000 is opening up new markets for us. Packaging would be one of those, we have printed
on a fair amount of heavy weight packaging board on the new Indigo, which it is handling with no issues.”
“The new 12000 is opening up new markets for us. Packaging would be one of those, we have printed a fair amount of bleachboard.” — Pedro Carlus, Pinnacle Print Group
Carlus has been at Pinnacle since 1985, and with partner Justin Hall has owned the business for the past 15 years. Carlus says, “We have been in this industry a long time, through all the changes from when the Apple Mac first came in. What doesn’t change though is customer demand for consistently high quality print, produced in the time frame that they need.
“That time frame has shrunk massively, but with the B2 HP Indigo 12000 we are able to meet those customer demands.”
Pinnacle has forged a strong relationship with HP Indigo supplier Currie Group, which has also supplied much of its finishing kit,
64 Print21 MARCH/APRIL 2019