The installation of a new Osako saddle stitcher has upped the ante for Auckland’s Crucial Colour.
GAary Furness has overseen the growth of Crucial Colour from a start up operation with no staff and a leaky building, to a competitive, quality printer, in less than two years.The installation of a brand new Osako saddle stitching line from CPI marks another important step forward in the evolution of the company as it steps into the big time. The company now employs 21 staff and runs two five-colour Komori presses, with more press power likely to arrive later in the year. But it is the stitcher
that occupies pride of place as the latest piece of kit to go in to the company’s Penrose pressroom.
Furness said that his team had looked at most of the saddle stitching options in the market and had a firm idea of the type of machine they were looking for.
The Osako was able to deliver a level of robustness and automation that provided a strong fit with Crucial Colour’s demands. The company already does folding in house and is looking at putting on a night shift to cope with the demand in that area. The entire finishing operation will now be more streamlined and controllable with the installation of the Osako.
The Osako stitching line which the company has installed is part of that drive to a high level of quality with an equally high level of automation.
The purchase came about after much investigation on the part of Crucial Colour, including Furness travelling to Melbourne with CPI's Ian Gillanders to see one of the Osako stitchers in action. “We saw the machine running at top speed and it didn't drop one signature. I was impressed with how quickly it could change from job to job and just the overall level of quality. It was a great demonstration.
“The final decision didn't come down to price. All the machines were of a similar value. It came down to which machine could best do the job, and we thought that was the Osako.”
Furness adds that the build quality and the strength of the engineering behind the Osako was a factor in helping to make his mind up. The building which houses Crucial Colour’s operation was disused and in disrepair when the company first moved in. “There were gin bottles stacked in here from floor to ceiling,” Furness says. However, the location is in the heart of one of the city's main industrial districts, close to all major suppliers, and handy to Auckland’s main arterial routes and motorways.
Crucial Colour operate in the A2 market and have no intention to compete in the A1 market according to Furness: “Those guys are all fighting tooth and nail over work, so we’re just going to focus on the A2 market and do the best job possible.” The existing Penrose premises are beginning to fill up with equipment, but
Crucial Colour also has the option of expanding into a similar sized space next door to its current site, and it may have to if business continues on its upward trend.
Furness says that the company's success has been founded on strong relationships with customers, most of whom are friends. In addition, making staff a strong part of the business, and treating them as an important part of the business, has paid dividends in the type of response it has brought.
“We are able to offer quick turnaround and quality at the right price. We are able to offer a product that suits the market and costs the right amount.
“We’ve had a good run at it since we started one and a half years ago, and we haven’t finished yet.”
