The Big Display Company has installed multiple ‘game-changing’ HP machines as it looks to expand into new markets. In recent months the Slough-based company has been inundated with demand for social-distancing signage and face masks but it has more than one eye on the interior decor market when that demand dries up.
Established 12 years ago, The Big Display Company is a family operation traditionally focused on wide-format print applications for a range of trade customers. The emergence of Covid-19 in the UK led to a sudden change in direction as clients rushed to secure floor stickers to promote social distancing and one-way systems.
The company had been running HP printers for several years and had a number of HP devices in place before the pandemic, including two HP Scitex Industrial Printers and three HP Latex 570 machines. An additional HP Latex 570 was installed in June 2020 shortly after the Covid-19 crisis took off.
Marketing director Jack Murphy said that demand for floor graphics skyrocketed and, such was the pressure on the existing machines, the business decided to invest in additional printers. ‘We spoke with Papergraphics and they recommended an HP Latex 3600 that had barely been used,’ Mr Murphy said. ‘We did the maths and discovered that the HP Latex 3600 would give us higher output and speed with reduced running costs.’
The Big Display Company installed the HP Latex 3600 in July 2020 in a move that Murphy described as a ‘game-changer’, allowing the business to produce between five and six rolls of 3.2m banners each day.
The Big Display Company also saw a massive increase in demand for face coverings and therefore invested in another new HP machine. Working with RA Smart, the company purchased an HP Stitch S500 dye sublimation printer which was installed in November 2020. Mr Murphy said the main reason for opting for HP again was the team’s familiarity with the technology, ‘The Stitch has bedded in so well; it runs all day, every day. It can operate unattended and has boosted output. It’s cost-effective and straight-forward to run. The investment was a no-brainer for us.’
While work related to Covid-19 was the main focus for The Big Display Company in 2020, the business is keen to plan for additional work they can take on when demand for face coverings and floor stickers slows down. In terms of the HP Latex 3600 the machine will be used to support the company with its growth plans within the interior décor market. Mr Murphy describes the device as being ‘impeccable’ for producing wallcoverings, as well as other higher-end products.
‘The HP Latex 3600 does double-sided print unbelievably well,’ he said. ‘Previously we were outsourcing double-sided print over 1500mm to a company in Europe. Since bringing that work in-house we have reduced turnaround times for this type of print massively. And that’s even more beneficial when you consider the potential for further delays with regards to ports, and possible issues with tax.
‘Installing these two pieces of HP machinery has massively increased our print capacity,’ Mr Murphy concluded. ‘We always have so many positive things to say about the HP engineers that we deal with – they consistently go above and beyond with the level of support, and practical expertise they can bring to an issue.’
