Gifts and greeting cards manufacturer Porky Penguin has installed a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C3070 to help meet increased online demand following the pandemic and lockdown.
The press, which was supplied by Automated Systems Group (ASL), has also helped the Huddersfield-based company expand its business into larger premises. The firm made the moves after experiencing a sudden growth in demand from online orders since the UK entered lockdown last year.
‘Our previous printing solution was no longer up to the job,’ explained managing director Rebecca Kellett. ‘We needed something that was not going to jam or cause us any last-minute headaches when producing orders. We absolutely needed reliability and a good solid machine that did what we needed it to, with servicing to match.’
In terms of potential applications Ms Kellett added, ‘The main product we sell is A6 sized flat card that comes complete with a wooden token or magnet. Our 2020 bestseller was a hugely popular ‘pocket hug’, which fundamentally enabled us to relocate and purchase the Konica Minolta machine and other equipment, increasing our capacity tenfold. We already wanted to develop our card selection, but the uncertainty of how the incumbent press would perform delayed that.’
The Konica Minolta AccurioPro Hot Folder system has been a key to this success, making processing orders far quicker and more accurate than a manual process. ‘The hot folders have now become a huge part of our business,’ the managing director expanded. ‘What used to be quite a tedious and time-consuming job now takes less than one second to perform. Every member of staff is now able to print easily due to these hot folders – we literally drag and drop and within two minutes we can have 120 orders printed. It really is a game changer.’
Now settled into its new purpose-built facility, Porky Penguin is focused on the future. ‘The lockdown order increases have enabled our business to go from strength to strength, to purchase more equipment, employ more staff and grow the business,’ Ms Kellett concluded. ‘We have also gained an invaluable perspective of buyer psychology and online marketing, which along with the support of ASL and Konica Minolta has enabled us to have a clear growth and development plan for the future.’
