For the last few years, Paragon has pioneered ways to achieve cost reductions and to pass these savings on to customers without affecting product quality, service and ongoing product development. ‘This path has led us to a position where we can supply the world market, offering a complete service package that delivers savings at every level,’ Amanda maintained.
Indeed, it was this ‘correct formula’ concept that paved the way to the official opening of Paragon Inks South Africa (PPM New Year 2013) – underlining the company’s commitment to the African market and to global brand owners operating on this continent.
At the IML Tech seminar, Amanda focused on other influences on her company’s development – especially the huge leaps in printing technology over the last seven years (with quality now a given); the development of high-speed streamlined processing for shrink sleeves, in-mould labelling, wraparound labelling and pressure-sensitive labelling, accompanied by ongoing moves to Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and similar management tools.
She pointed, too, to global concerns about costs and minimising waste.
‘The blinkers begin to come off when printers see the money coming back on to the bottom line by not just buying cheap ink but looking at the wider picture and engaging in waste minimisation programmes,’ she argued convincingly.
From narrow to wide web
Label printing is no longer just ‘sticker’ printing and multiprocess combination technologies are increasingly integrated – screen, gravure, offset, digital – with web widths continually increasing. According to Amanda, the average Paragon Inks’ customer’s web width is now 420mm.
Alongside the cost savings of using the print process that best suits the job, waste minimisation programmes (which Paragon offers as a bespoke service to each customer) can result in ink savings way above any potential savings that might occur by being tempted to buy ‘cheap’ ink, Amanda maintained.
‘Up to 25% can be saved in the first 18 months of the project,’ she said by way of illustration.
Concentrating on what printers want, Paragon has created a formula to become the global choice for the supply of inks and coatings. This formula includes a global guarantee of product quality (as Amanda puts it, ‘it does what it says on the tin’) coupled with one-world product consistency. In addition, product compliance meets ever-changing global legislation.
Importantly, Paragon offers on-site service and support for South African customers, including training and education (either on-site or off-site at the Paragon academy).
Ed’s note: For more information, email Amanda.jones@paragoninks.co.uk or info@paragoninks.co.uk or visit www.paragoninks.co.uk
About Paragon Inks
IT’S 28 years since Paragon Inks was established to service the UK’s narrow-web letterpress market. Since those early years, Paragon Inks has developed strategically, listening and reacting to industry’s needs, to become today’s global brand.
Although still privately owned and still manufacturing from one site, the company now produces over 60% of its UV inks and coatings for the global unsupported web-printing market.
Legislation is now critical to any UV printing business to ensure fit-for-purpose products made from suitable materials.
Paragon Inks offers a full range of UV flexo inks and coatings to meet all one-world applications and legislation for the web printing industry.
[Ed’s note: For more information, email Amanda.jones@paragoninks.co.uk or info@paragoninks.co.uk or visit www.paragoninks.co.uk]
