Wallace Print in Major Kit and Premises Investment

Wallace Print in Major Kit and Premises Investment

Wallace Print has completed a major round of investment exceeding £500,000 in new production equipment and improvements to its Rochester facility as the business continues to expand its capabilities across large format printing and display graphics.

The investment programme includes new printing technology, finishing equipment and updates to the company’s 1,160sqm production site in Kent. Together, these developments are intended to improve production efficiency, increase material capability and support the growing demand Wallace Print is experiencing across its client base.

Managing director Gary Wallace said the new machinery and site upgrades are part of a wider strategy to strengthen Wallace Print’s ability to deliver increasingly complex large-format printing projects while maintaining production speed and consistency.

SwissQprint Impala Flatbed Expands Production Capability

One of the most significant investments was the installation of a SwissQprint Impala UV flatbed printer, supplied by Spandex.

The machine is capable of printing in CMYK alongside up to five additional colour channels, allowing Wallace Print to produce a wider range of specialised graphics and substrate applications.

The Impala was specified with SwissQprint’s board option system, designed to hold oversized panels and challenging roll materials securely in place using a high-powered vacuum system during printing.

This configuration allows Wallace Print to handle larger substrates with greater accuracy, particularly when producing rigid graphics for signage and display installations where panel stability is essential for maintaining print quality.

When the print beam reaches the end of the table, the Impala’s feed system automatically advances the substrate and resumes printing once the material has been positioned precisely at the new origin point.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic piece of kit and the extension allows us to print 4x2m boards, which we’ve not been able to do before,” Wallace said.

According to Wallace, the improved speed and output of the machine have already had a measurable impact on the business.

“The quality and speed of the machine has allowed us to hit the £4m turnover mark.”

The Impala replaced a Fujifilm Acuity flatbed printer, which Wallace Print sold privately as part of the upgrade.

Investment in Cutting and Finishing Technology

Alongside the new printer, Wallace Print also invested in an Esko Kongsberg X44 cutting table supplied by CMYUK, along with a welding machine from Solent.

The Kongsberg system provides routing and cutting capability across a wide range of substrates, including materials such as acrylic, plywood and thicker PVC boards.

“We had an existing CAD cutter but this has a router incorporated,” Wallace explained. “We can now rout substrates such as acrylic, plywood and 10mm PVC.”

The additional tooling capability has expanded the types of projects Wallace Print can produce internally, particularly in areas such as signage or structural retail graphics where precision routing is required.

“It’s also opened us up to FSDUs, which we now have the various tools to design in-house,” Wallace said.

The new equipment also supports Wallace Print’s exploration of additional product areas.

“We’re looking into soft signage now, which I believe is an emerging market.”

Greater Material Versatility

With the new print and routing capabilities in place, Wallace Print has broadened the range of materials it can process within its production facility.

The ability to print directly onto rigid materials such as aluminium composite and then route or finish them internally gives the business greater control over production stages.

“Our versatility now is incredible,” Wallace said. “We’re doing things such as Dibond, which we print direct and then laminate and cut if we need to. Huge markets have opened up for us.”

Handling rigid substrates in-house is particularly important for projects involving durable hoarding panels and external graphics where both structural strength and accurate finishing are required.

Establishing an Installation Department

As part of its expansion, Wallace Print has also established a dedicated installation and fitting department within the business.

The department was formed approximately three months ago after Wallace Print had previously relied on external contractors for installation work.

“We were spending a few hundred grand buying in fitters and we had to remain competitive so decided to hire ourselves,” Wallace said.

The company approached installers it had worked with previously and brought them into the business to create an in-house installation team.

“We approached guys who we’ve had a relationship with for a long time and it has paid dividends; we’re now just about to take on a third guy for the department.”

Providing installation alongside production allows Wallace Print to deliver projects that move directly from design and manufacturing through to onsite application.

“People want the pain taken away; they want to give you the job and for you to quote it and do the whole thing from concept to application. It’s brought us in so much more work,” Wallace added.

Improvements to the Rochester Facility

Alongside equipment upgrades, Wallace Print has also carried out a series of improvements to its production premises.

The work included restructuring parts of the shop floor to improve workflow, along with the creation of new accounts offices and upgraded staff facilities including kitchens and restrooms.

Full LED lighting has also been installed across the site, improving working conditions and reducing energy consumption throughout the production environment.

A Growing Production Operation

Wallace Print now operates multiple flatbed printers alongside a range of finishing equipment including systems from Summa, Aristo, Graphtec and Seal.

The Rochester facility currently employs 28 staff and provides production services for end users, marketing agencies and print management companies across a wide range of sectors.

The business has also recently welcomed the next generation of the Wallace family into the company.

Gary Wallace’s son Kamen joined Wallace Print earlier this week in a sales role, joining his sister Leonnie who has worked in the accounts department for the past two years.

Continued Growth Driven by Online Enquiries

Wallace Print continues to see a steady flow of new enquiries through its website and online marketing activity.

“We’re growing at a prolific rate,” Wallace said. “We get between 100 and 150 brand new enquiries a month through our website, reflecting the SEO that we have spent.”

Handling that level of enquiry requires strong internal coordination between sales, production and finishing teams.

“If somebody phones you up with an enquiry, you should convert it over to a client, and that’s exactly what we do.”

The latest investments in production technology, finishing equipment and facility upgrades mark another stage in Wallace Print’s continued development as the Rochester business expands its capabilities across large-format printing services.