13
April & May 2020 Printweek
This Morning show to explain
the firm’s frustration, and
warned that he might be
forced to sell his stocks of
scarce raw materials for making
the visors to Prime’s overseas
partners if orders from UK
officials did not materialise.
However, the coverage, part
of a national outcry about the
PPE situation for critical
workers, has resulted in Prime
being fast-tracked as an
official supplier.
Tolley’s wife is an NHS critical
care practitioner and the
business quickly came up with
the visor design in response to
her experiences of the shortage
of suitable PPE kit.
The design was subsequently
shared with partners in the UK
– Precision Printing including
its trade wing Where The Trade
Buys, and ProCo. Gary Peeling,
boss of Precision Printing North
in Sunderland, also featured
on the ITV News.
They now have a combined
capacity to produce 500,000
visors a month.
Prime and its UK partners
have already provided
hundreds of thousands of
visors free or at cost price to
the NHS.
national news last month.
The Nottingham firm was
highlighted on the front page of
the Mirror after managing
director Jon Tolley detailed how
it was struggling to gain traction
with the authorities despite
well-publicised issues with the
availability of supplies of PPE for
healthcare staff.
Tolley also appeared on ITV’s
number of provisions. The deal
has now been approved by the
supervisory judge overseeing the
liquidation of Antalis’ majority
shareholder Sequana and the
Antalis European Works Council
(EWC). The deal will result in the
creation of a €5.3bn turnover
merchanting giant selling some
3.3 million tonnes of paper
worldwide.
BPIF details virus devastation
Results from the BPIF’s Impact
Survey have revealed the
devastating effects of the virus
crisis and subsequent economic
lockdown on large swathes of the
UK printing industry. Some parts
of the printing industry – such as
food and pharma packaging and
those supplying the NHS and
public services – remain as busy
or busier than usual. But a
staggering 74% of respondents to
the survey, which ran from 23
March to 6 April, reported a
“considerable downturn” in
order levels, while the average
change in order levels from the
usual monthly level was down
65%.
Printing charity ups free support
The Printing Charity has
responded to the coronavirus
crisis by fast-tracking the rollout
of its free helpline service to SMEs
looking for support for their
employees. The confidential
helpline offers 24/7 confidential
emotional crisis telephone support
“in the moment” via British
Association for Counselling and
Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited
counsellors. It also offers a wide
range of practical advice on debt
and finance, housing, employment
issues, among others. For
more information on the Printing
Charity Helpline and how your
business can sign up to the free
service, email helpline@theprintingcharity.
org.uk
Boots Photo to switch supplier
The mammoth task of transferring
the Boots Photo service over
from Snapfish to the pharmacy
chain’s new provider is underway.
Germany-headquartered photo
and online printing giant Cewe
won the contract from incumbent
Snapfish at the end of last year.
Boots Photo has now informed its
users that Cewe will take over
from 13 May and that customer
information currently held by
Snapfish will be securely transferred
to Boots and CeWe.
Fox MC shuttered
Fox Marketing Services MC has
gone into voluntary liquidation
after being hit with an unexpected
property lease issue just as the
coronavirus crisis resulted in a
dramatic drop-off in order levels.
The Tunbridge Wells company is
the litho printing wing of the
£13m turnover Fox Group, and
had sales of around £9m. In a
letter to employees seen by
Printweek, managing director
Kevin Stanton described the
situation as “the saddest moment
in my working life”.
PFI expands with Futurama deal
PFI Group has added to its stable
of signage and large-format printing
businesses with the acquisition
of Leeds-based Futurama.
Manchester-headquartered PFI
Group already encompassed PFI
Signs, GB Sign Solutions, Sign
Plus, Lofthus Signs, In2 Signs &
Graphics, Shades Graphics and
Mardan Products. The addition of
the Futurama business is expected
to take group sales to £35m this
year. PFI Group chief executive
Darren McMurray said he was
Considerable downturn reported
➔
We have plants
and people
standing idle and
underutilised when
they could be put to
great use in defence
of the public's
health”
Unite assistant general secretary for
manufacturing Steve Turner on the
union’s joint call with the British
Medical Association, Unison and the
Royal College of Nursing for the
government to mobilise a
manufacturing army to beat Covid-19
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