Spear expands UK site with US$8 million investment

-- Converting Magazine, 5/5/2008

Labelmaker Spear (www.spearsystem.com) invests US$8 million in technology and personnel at its UK converting plant in Cwmbran, Wales. The expansion helps meet demand for pressure-sensitive labels from the global beverage-packaging market.

A new Cerutti 960/2 press (www.cerutti.it) brings wide-web gravure-printing capabilities to the plant. With print speeds of 600 fpm and a 40-in. web width, the press increased Spear’s European capacity to approximately 25 billion labels/yr, the company says. In addition, the press incorporates a fault-detection system from AVT (www.avt-inc.com).

Other new capital equipment includes three Ashe slitter/rewinders with Surfscan QC systems and two GMC diecutters. These units, which are based on Spear’s proprietary press of the same name, are designed and manufactured at Spear’s New Hampshire facility. An additional 40 employees have been recruited in the past six months with a further 25 jobs to be created through the rest of 2008.