ALT’s new factory came with everything it needed and was just around the corner from the old site
A new fit for purpose factory makes it feels as though ALT has shaken off any connotations of a start up company and moved into the big time as it matures into the next stage of its development. Michal Lodej went to see the new site.
‘It was tough but I’d never go back’ said Antony Jewell, managing director. ‘When I started at the height of the recession, people told me I was mad for starting a new company, but at the time, I did not have a lot of choice and decided it was time to do it for myself!
‘I knew from the outset I had to invest in new equipment, there’s no chance I could have been competitive or offered a technical advantage using second hand machinery, so I bought a new fibre optic LED laser. Now we’re established and 5 years later and have a dedicated laser room with 3 lasers.’
The company’s new factory is just around the corner from its old site and came ready with everything it needed. Mr Jewell added, ‘The new factory needed a complete refurbishment as it was used for ‘dirty’ engineering as opposed to the clean operation of anilox manufacturing. But I saw it as a blank canvas and knew it had potential.’
Plenty of good points
Despite the general poor aesthetics of the site, it had everything in place which the company needed. ‘The factory came with electric points and compressed air installed in the exact places they needed them and even came with an over head crane, which the previous owner was worried about having to get dismantled and removed,’ said Mr Jewell. ‘I saw that and thought ‘we can use this as it is,’ and it was just around the corner from the old site. What it did need was a good clean, and the ALT staff members were good enough to pitch in over the weekends to help with the move.’
Adrian Morton, sales director, added, ‘All the team knuckled down and we couldn’t have asked for any better from any of them. The camaraderie was unbelievable; we had people working at weekends and evenings but now it feels like home and we have the foundations for something great here.’
Along with buying a new factory the company also bought a new laser, its third in total, which was necessary for the growth of the business. Mr Morton continued, ‘Our growth and reinvestment was made in faith that the market will continue to grow, but course there is still that element of risk.’
Mr Morton continued, ‘The company was set up during a recession, but that meant that the industry was going through a change too. ALT is the company name but we use it for the word ‘ALTernative’ too. We fit into a print industry which has changed. This change meant that people were looking for something alternative from their suppliers in a tough and competitive market.
‘Although the competition are very good companies that make good products, they were using the same existing cell structures, and at the same time, plates and inks were improving at a really quick rate and with the customers’ expectations ever increasing, they needed some alternative cell geometry that could meet the changes in print and higher standards required by the brand owners.’
This is where the company’s Nano engraving technology came into its own. Originally we pushed this heavily into the corrugated industry to provide a higher screen count improving the graphics but with the same or in some cases reduced ink volume but still ensuring coverage on the lower grade liners, the company soon began pushing the technology into the narrow web sector, flexible packaging and coating markets with great results.
The company still creates aniloxes with traditional cell shapes too. ‘A lot of customers get confused, by the different names for different screens that are out there on the market, but when you strip it back, an anilox is an anilox. It is how it is engraved and the control of volume that is the secret to creating a good product.
‘It is still important to us to be able to offer the full range of geometry as the different structures all certainly still have their place in the market, but it is great to have something different to offer to the industry to meet with the constant changes we see in the flexo print industry. We know very well what we are up against in our industry but we also know what we need to do to succeed, we have a great team working with us and we really enjoy what we do.’
