BUSINESS / NEWS 12 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk Issue 342 - July / August 2023 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Making wallpaper application easy Often a tricky task that can see people turn to professionals for help, the application of wallpapers has been made easy thanks to Xeikon and Ahlstrom. Personalisation and a boom in home décor due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns has seen wallpaper grow in popularity, particularly for single-wall solutions. As a result, Ahlstrom has launched a range of self-adhesive non-wovens which make it easy to swap, apply, and remove wallpapers. The WallStar Digital Peel & Up range makes applying wallpaper simple for even novices due to its ability to be repositioned during installation. What’s more, no adhesive is left on the wall and the range is 100% PVC-free and available in satin and matt media. Ahlstrom has designed the range to be produced on a Xeikon CX500 digital colour press which uses dry toner technology. This press can print with five colours, offering design flexibility and the use of toner means the wallpapers comply with regulations for indoor emissions in the building sector. Ahlstrom is partnering with Xeikon to offer a wallpaper solution for easy application Celebrating 150 years Konica Minolta Group, a producer of hardware and digital IT services, has looked back on decades of innovations in line with its 150th anniversary. In recent months, the company has celebrated 150 years of progress, innovation, and reinvention, citing existing breakthroughs as just the beginning for the company. The year 2023 has become one of celebration for the company as over 40,000 staff members across the world commemorate the anniversary and work to build on Konica Minolta’s large portfolio. The company was founded in 1873 by Rokusaburo Sugiura who later established the Konica Corporation. Sugiura opened a small specialist photography and lithography shop in Tokyo, three years before Edison invented the light bulb, and Alexander Graham Bell filed his patent for the telephone. In 1928 Kazup Tashima established Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shōten, which would later become Minolta Co., a producer of copiers and cameras, including the Minolta Hi-Matic, the camera used by John Glenn to take the first pictures of Earth taken from space. In 2003 Konica and Minolta merged to make the company that exists today, starting 20 years of new services and innovations including the introduction of its Managed Print Services and Managed Content Services. Rob Ferris, chief executive officer of Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK), comments: “Since our establishment in 1873, Konica Minolta has led the way in inventions and innovations in many technologies and sectors.” Rob Ferris, chief executive officer of Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) By David Osgar Propack secures six-figure charity contract with VSO Yorkshire-based direct mail specialist Propack is celebrating securing a two-year, six-figure contract win with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). VSO is a charity that sends volunteers into poor communities globally to support with inclusive education, improved health services, and teaching skills for tackling challenges such as climate change. Using its Ethical Mail ownbrand sustainable postage alternative for print campaigns, Propack has been awarded the contract to deliver the legacy communications for VSO, as well as the print and direct mail for fundraising campaigns. Ethical Mail enables Propack customers to access sustainable paper supplies, an eco-friendly factory, fair supply chains, and partnership schemes with the Woodland Trust and Ecologi, offsetting all the carbon associated with the delivery of the mail. The relationship between Propack and VSO began almost five years ago with the direct mail company producing VSO’s Kin Magazine which shares the word of the charity’s work to its supporters across the UK and further afield. Founded in 1995, Propack is a leading provider of technology-led print and direct mail solutions Ashgate Automation has gone into liquidation Ashgate Automation, a specialist in print and binding technology, is no longer the sole UK distributor for Fastbind after months of speculation regarding its operations. The company has yet to put out a formal notice, but the appointment of liquidators listed on The Gazette and communication from business partners seemingly confirm the closure of the business. The liquidators are listed as Simon Lowes and Stephen Mark Powell from Begbies Traynor based in Southampton. Members and creditors appointed the pair on April 6th, 2023. Link Exhibitions, sister company to Link Publishing, recently faced legal challenges with Ashgate Automation with the business failing to arrive at proceedings. Ashgrove Trading is now the main UK distributor for the Fastbind range of binding products from Finland. It is speculated that Ashgate Automation ceased trading in early 2023 following financial difficulties By Carys Evans By Carys Evans
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