Hollywood Monster acquires Sygnet Group

Hollywood Monster has acquired trade sign fabricator Sygnet Group. The combined business now has 65 employees and a turnover of £12m, with the capability to print more than 15,000m2 of signage per day and now to fabricate.

The move saves the jobs of 25 staff at Sygnet, which will continue to trade from its Leicester site as Sygnet Fabrications. Tim Andrews, chairman at Birmingham-based Hollywood Monster, said the newly acquired company’s branding will undergo an update, with a new logo and website already under development. It will continue to provide bespoke signage solutions - such as totems, wayfinding, and retail and corporate signage, as well as rollout programmes - under the leadership of Hollywood Monster.

“This is an exciting time of growth for Hollywood

Monster, and we’re delighted that Sygnet - which has contributed so positively to the print and signage industry over the last 45 years and which share our values - can continue to deliver quality, cutting-edge projects as Sygnet Fabrications,” said Andrews. “We are especially pleased that the acquisition will lead to the retention of 25 members of staff, who have tremendous knowledge of the industry and have shown unwavering loyalty throughout their time at the company.

“Like Hollywood Monster, Sygnet started as a family run business that works to meet the needs of its customers, and its approach to innovation and the production of quality products makes it a perfect fit as we continue to grow to become one of the largest trade printers in the UK.”

Netherlands-based A1 Signs takes first Acuity Prime L

Family-run wide-format business A1 Signs has become the first company in the world to install an Acuity Prime L flatbed printer at its premises in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The new printer, which is the larger version of the Acuity Prime 20 and 30 models, will help the company to maximise its productivity and support demand.

The Acuity Prime L offers print speeds of 202m2/hr, features six vacuum zones and 16 media location pins, and can print side-by-side jobs with its dual zone function.

Established in 2012, A1 Signs manufactures and installs creative signage, advertising and retail displays. Founder and owner Jan Carel Schepenaar

Durst completes Brixen HQ solar power project

Durst has installed solar panels at its HQ in Brixen, Italy, having done so at its production operation in Lienz, Austria last year. The Brixen installation, which has taken six months to complete, will provide more than half than the energy required by the site.

The new solar panel plant, one of the biggest in South Tyrol, has a capacity of 1,569KWp/1.57MWp and is expected to generate over 1,700,000KWh/1,700MWh of energy annually.

70% of the generated energy generated will be for direct self-consumption, while the remaining 30% will be available for feed-in or future storage solutions.

“Our commitment to sustainability is a core value at Durst, and this new installation is a testament to that commitment,” said Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst. “We are proud to take this important step towards reducing our carbon footprint and making a positive impact on the environment.” said he chose the Acuity Prime L because of its fast printing speeds, reliability and high quality output. He was also impressed with the printer’s intuitive design, fast start-up time and automatic printhead cleaning function. “I hate limits and I like to print on the widest possible substrates. The Acuity Prime L, with its 3200mm x 2000mm flatbed, enables us to do this,” he said.

A1 Signs’ partnership with Fujifilm goes back to 2014 when it invested in an Acuity Select X2 printer. Schepenaar highlighted that the Acuity Prime L’s LED curing system is energy efficient, further helping A1 Signs to minimise its carbon footprint.

Soyang Europe publishes print industry report

Soyang Europe has published a ‘2023 Print Industry Report’ which covers areas such as financial challenges and sustainability pledges.

According to the company’s findings, 35% of respondents have increased the number of services they offer to customers in the past 12 months as a way of growing their business. The report also reveals how winning new business is the biggest challenge facing print companies today, with three-quarters of respondents having increased their prices by up to 20% as a way of boosting their revenue. Furthermore, 100% of businesses that improved profit in the past year had put their prices up by up to 20%, while three in seven respondents said they plan to reevaluate their pricing.

Turning to the environment, just 14% of respondents offer 100% sustainable products and while just one fifth of companies plan to become carbon neutral in the next five years, over half of the companies surveyed are working on becoming more sustainable.