Benson Group Adds ExpertCut at Bardon Plant

November 2011

Benson Group, one of the UK's leading privately owned carton printers, has detailed the recent installation of a new Bobst ExpertCut 106PER for faster, more productive post-press carton production at its Benson Box factory. The arrival of this new finishing line represents a further six figure investment at the company's flagship Bardon, Leicestershire, plant.

This latest investment in state-of-the-art post-press equipment provides upgraded product that plays a vital part in the conversion of high quality printed board into the finished pack by accurately cutting the final shape of the carton, including "windows" where appropriate.

Commenting on this latest investment in new equipment at Benson Group, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director, said: "This latest installation is the second Bobst ExpertCut unit for Benson Group this year following the installation of a similar unit at our Gateshead factory. The two new units will help us to avoid bottlenecks at the gluing and cutting stages of the production process. The further efficiencies offered by such equipment will enable us to maintain the excellent packaging prices that we have been able to offer customers in recent years."

The Bobst ExpertCut 106PER features Power Register II, a "lay-free" dynamic register system, registering die-cutting to the print on the sheet instead of to the edge of the board. The dynamic stripping and blanking systems on the ExpertCut ensure the delivery of perfectly flat, stripped and blanked cartons ready for folding and gluing. A cam driven platen and "Smart Feeder" ensure uninterrupted production. The Bobst ExpertCut units have already provided improvements on throughput for Benson Group, delivering up to 9,000 sheets per hour.

It is Benson Group policy to invest in only the best quality machinery as this, combined with the company's highly trained workforce, produces the very best in carton production for both the food and pharmaceutical industries."

About Benson Group
Benson Group is one of the UK's leading privately owned printed carton suppliers, producing packaging products for both the food and pharmaceutical industries for a wide range of UK and European customers.

The business manufactures packaging products in four production sites covering in excess of 400,000 sq ft. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £110 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company's two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. The fourth site in Crewe serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. In recent years, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore and Samworth Brothers. The company is an approved supplier for all of the UK's leading retail chains. Food and pharmaceutical packaging is exported to customers in countries throughout Europe.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

Press Information

For further information on Benson Group, its operations, or on packaging products or packaging issues please contact:

Russell J Hicks

Genesis Marketing Services (Milton Keynes)
101 Hesketh Road,
Yardley Gobion,
Northamptonshire NN12 7TX
Tel/Fax: 01908 54 33 58
Mobile: 07885 852 428
e-mail: Russ.Hicks@Genesis-Marketing.com
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