Like many firms in the Otago region, Taieri Print has a long and colourful history. Founded in 1881 as a newspaper, The Taieri Advocate, the company moved through a number of guises in the 20th Century before it was bought by Peter Moore in 1976. Since then, Moore has overseen the company’s development from a stationery shop with a single Heidelberg platen to its current state as a one-stop shop with an all Heidelberg press lineup including a brand new four colour Heidelberg SM52-4.
The company has shifted five times since 1972, and every time because it outgrew its previous premises. Its current location is at Fairfield, halfway between Dunedin and Mosgiel. From there, it services a wide range of clients both in the local region and further afield.
Taieri offers full typesetting, design, CTP and full bindery including perfect binding and wire-o binding. Its presses include a one-colour Heidelberg GTO, a two colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 52 that was installed last May, and two Heidelberg platens.
But the prince of them all is the Heidelberg SM52-4. Installed in mid-February, the press has already made a major impact on Taieri. Moore says that the press has proved a winner in the few short weeks it has been running.
"The problem now is keeping work on it. It absolutely eats it. It’s unbelievable," he says.
He cites one job, 3200 copies of a 76 page booklet with 20 full colour pages that took two days from plates to delivery.
"It was only because of the Speedmaster that we were able to do it," he says. "The sheer speed of the machine, and the quick turnaround and makeready were what made it possible. The job would previously have taken a lot longer."
Another, smaller booklet, that previously took a full shift to produce, can now be done on the Speedmaster in about two and a half hours, Moore says.
"It has gone far better than we expected. The real gobsmacking side of it is the speed of the makeready. It is incredibly fast, and practically the first sheet is sellable.
"When you’re looking at buying something, the salesman can say ‘it does this and does that,’ but until you do it yourself, you don’t realise how good it is. It’s awesome, unbelievable."
