The Hastings Printers

Introducing Berforts, the UK’s biggest independent publisher

Berforts Ltd has been established in Hastings since 1964. Over the years, the company has changed ownership but has always remained a printer with a friendly approach that prides itself on customer care.

Now run by Group CEO Gerald White, his wife Carole, and Sussex-based directors Richard Woolmer and Den Edwards, the site on Burgess Road is the commercial printing arm of one of the UK’s largest book printing groups. Berforts also has facilities in Oxford, Kings Lynn, and Stevenage. Production across its three sites boasts an impressive plant list that includes B1 and B2 Heidelberg Speedmasters, together with Komori litho printing presses and an extensive array of finishing equipment to handle general print and specialist book printing. Embracing digital technology, Berforts has invested heavily in Konica, Kodak, and Nipson digital presses.

Some 18 months ago, Berforts Ltd Hastings became the first company in the UK to buy a Komori five-colour Enthrone 29P perfector press. Need for additional capacity prompted the installation – the company, having downsized to trade through some dark times for the print industry, had been running for almost a year with just one B2 litho press at the Hastings site. With an end to recession in sight and additional business on offer, the need was identified to increase makeready speeds and up quality levels further.

Berforts had been looking at pre-owned machines, but White and Woolmer, having seen the Enthrone at its drupa 2012 launch and in demonstration at Komori’s Utrecht showroom, recognised that investing in the latest Komori technologies would provide the company with greater productivity and enable them to offer customers a faster turnaround with the assurance of higher, more-consistent quality. Berforts, having consolidated production space at Hastings during hard times, found they were in a position to expand again from 9,000 to 13,000 square feet. So the high productivity rate and the small footprint of the Enthrone also suited their factory planning.

Berforts customers regularly call for a print concept and design service, for which Berforts have their own in-house designers. Services continue all the way through to total fulfilment, which includes printing jobs, digitally personalising them, along with envelopes, and enclosing the finished print for distribution by mail. Berforts operate nationally and regionally, and their customers include business-to-business clients, educational organisations, charities, and several retail companies, as well as print management services. Every one of them is looking for quicker turnaround, optimum quality, and keener pricing. Their work itself is varied. Magazines, brochures, mailings, newsletters, and business cards — they handle them all.

At its Hastings plant, which has a customer base extending across the whole of the UK as well as clients in Belgium and Holland, Berforts is aiming to increase turnover from the current £1.8 million to £2.2 million before the end of 2015, targeting the short-run, fast-turnaround market. Having also made recent prepress investments within the group, Berforts has started utilising cross-site facilities to capitalise on commercial business attracted to its other sites. With business good in Hastings, Berforts see the intercompany production growing. The other companies within the Berforts organisation offer an exceptional variety of print and related services. This includes a full book-printing service with an unusual facility for self-publishers and other customers requiring very short-run lengths, as well as market research and advance copies prior to embarking on full production runs. That is where they truly integrate their digital and offset production — at times the digital presses even produce one off editions for self-publishers and review requirements, then, of course, revert to offset for full production.

The associated services encompass the reproduction of previously-printed books, such as rare or old editions where the original files or artwork no longer exist. Full finishing options are also offered — extending to case and leather binding. Across the entire group, Berforts recognises the importance of environmental considerations and takes these into account at all stages of development, marketing and investing. So the Komori Enthrone’s eco-friendly characteristics of alcohol-free printing, low paper wastage, and reduced noise levels were also influential in the company’s purchasing decision. Operations Director Den Edwards said: “Here in Hastings, we are in the process of further increasing our sales force. We have added a Konica Minolta Bizhub C8000 and, recently, a single-colour Konica with in-line finishing. We have also added a used four-color B2 perfector — as we believe in gearing up for the increase in demand to ensure that we do not have to turn new opportunities away.” The E-529P has now been in operation at Berforts for 18 months and, as Edwards said: “Ever since the start, in every respect, it has performed as we had hoped. Our operators enjoy using the press, and its fast changeovers — whether from job to job or between straight printing and perfecting — have noticeably increased our production flexibility and reduced our turnaround times.

“We have also seen that the Komori brand’s reputation with professional print buyers is impressive, and the press has put us firmly on track to grow the business here in Hastings,” concluded an upbeat Edwards.

For more information on how Berforts could help you with your printing and publishing needs, please contact:

Berforts Group Ltd, 17 Burgess Road, Ivyhouse Lane, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4NR

Tel: 01424 722733     |     Fax: 01424 721777     |     www.berforts.co.uk