Stephens & George

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Pressing Matters with Paul Enoch

Last month, we have underlined our status as one of the UK’s leading printing companies when we received the re-certification of our ISO 12647-2:2013. This industry Standard clearly demonstrates our commitment to the very highest of quality control necessary to pass the certification and meet the requirements of the Standard. We catch up with our Production Manager Paul Enoch to understand a bit more about this Standard and see how things are in our Press Hall.


As the production manager, how important is this to you and the company as a whole?
Extremely important, this speaks volumes for our standing in the print industry and recognises the quality of our products. As an organisation this demonstrates our commitment to optimising the Standard and continuous development in our technology. The re-certification is proof of the quality of our machinery and the quality of our staff.

What impact does this have on our clients?
Ultimately this gives our clients a sense of reassurance and trust in the company, demonstrating the effort we as a company have gone through to make sure we are as efficient and as productive as possible, saving valuable time and resources for our clients in the process.

Are we the only printers who have this Standard?
No we are not. However the way we have maintained and invested in our machinery has ensured we are part of an elite group of printing organisations. We are one of only 22 organisations to receive this kind of Heidelberg accreditation, as we are listed as part of “The Heidelberg UK Colour Club” on their website. We are actually one of only eight organisations in the UK listed as an “Elite Star Member.” We received our first accreditation in 2011 and have maintained this standard to this day.

Details of which can be found here; https://www.heidelberg.com/gb/en/systemservice/overview/iso_certification/elite_members/colour_club_1.jsp

How was colour measured back in the day?
Decades ago, the only way of measuring this would be by hand or by eye in this case, technology then moved on to handheld devices, now in the digital age the process is far more complicated, involving detailed measurements of both wet and dry sheets.

Are you happy with the efficiency of our new presses?
Yes, exceptionally. Simply put Heidelberg is the Rolls-Royce of the industry. The state-of-the-art technology we use minimises waste, ensuring the quality of our products and the consistency of the colour.

How busy are we at the moment and why?
Extremely busy, as you know we have an enormous printing capacity. At our busiest we’re printing a million sheets every twenty-four hours. Luckily we have the technology and the workforce to manage with this kind of workload. We also have the foundation required to grow the business considerably in the future.

How long have you been at S&G?
I joined the organisation in 1988, at the age of 16. I was waiting on the results of my GCSEs at the time and deliberating between going back to study at A-level and starting my three-year apprenticeship course. I briefly returned to my studies but decided against it and went ahead with my apprenticeship.

Do you enjoy your role at S&G?
I find it very enjoyable, for me I get the most satisfaction from seeing the end product. Knowing that all the hard work our staff put into our products has been worthwhile and receiving positive praise directly from clients.