Yorkshire based signage and graphics business, Leading Edge, has invested in an Agfa Tauro S 3.2m wide-format ink jet print engine. The new machine, installed in early March, has provided additional capacity, better quality print at a greater speed and with energy saving benefits too.
Leading Edge Signage & Graphics has been based near Wakefield since it was established 15 years ago. It moved to its larger current site 5 years ago and has continued to grow. This year it is forecast to hit c:£5m turnover, a growth of almost £2m in the past 12 months. The company provides signage and graphics for a broad base of customers including large high street retailers and construction clients. They employ 42 staff including 12 fitting teams travelling across the UK, a fabrication department, graphic production, internal design studio, sales and project managers and even have an in-house laser cutting, powder coating and wet spraying facility. It’s a business that offers a truly diverse service to a broad base of customers and it’s that flexibility that helped their growth to continue over the recent pandemic period.
“We have provided a total signage and internal graphics/POS solution to a number of national high street retailer brands for many years.” Said Matthew Evans, Founder and Managing Director of Leading Edge. “They prefer a total solution and that’s what we are geared up to offer. So, whether we are sending our installation team to up-spec light boxes with LED technology across the UK or sending out service vinyls to individual branches to full external signage and internal POS solutions for a new shop, we can handle it. And I think that the way we are structured to offer flexible support for our clients, helped us to quickly adjust to supplying sneeze screens and covid POS during the pandemic.”
The business has continued to invest with over £1 million spent in the past year to keep their capability where it needs to be to service clients. The new Agfa Tauro print engine was part of that investment, explains Graphics Production Manager, Andrew Gallagher.
“The new Tauro comes with all the latest technology, such as UV LED Lamps reducing the heat and energy output and it prints on both roll to roll and rigid materials. But most importantly, it gives us better print quality at a much higher speed and we are now planning to run the engine 24hours a day, 7 days a week. All the print we used to place on two printers can now be done on the new Tauro and that will increase with the introduction of a night shift.”
Andrew confirmed that it was a natural choice to upgrade to another Agfa print engine. When asked about the Agfa USP, he said that aside from producing quality machines, they offer a complete service including the Asanti workflow software solution and a team of established and knowledgeable engineers that respond quickly to any issues. Agfa also offer a financial support package that really assists with any upgrading of a machine, they allow the Agfa customer to lease whilst purchasing on loan periods ranging from 3 to 5 years and with zero deposit options available they are assisting in all areas of the purchase.
“Our plan for the future is all about growth and diversity of product/service offering and we’d ideally like that to be aided by a second Taura print engine at some stage. All positive news for Agfa.” Concluded Andrew.
Picture caption l-r: Andrew Gallagher Graphics Production Manager at Leading Edge Signs & Graphics with Paul Fitch from Agfa
