Image Reports speaks to Ken Green, director, A3M Designs.
What’s having the greatest impact on your business at the moment?
Our investment in new print equipment. We felt that the time was right to bring in the new kit - Océ Arizona 360GT flatbed - and it has proved very successful and a great boost to the company.
Where do you see the greatest wide-format opportunities?
The event and exhibition market has taken a bit of a hammering of late, but I feel that there is now light at the end of the tunnel. We are talking to more and more prospective exhibitors every day and they are fuelling our enthusiasm and drive to succeed.
What would make your day-to-day operations easier?
The most common issue we face is simply time, or the lack of it! Short deadlines are all too common in our industry for both large and small projects.
Your favourite bit of (wide-format print related) kit is..?
It has to be our new Océ Arizona 360GT flatbed printer. The machine has drastically reduced production times and enabled us to tackle a wider variety of projects with confidence. This will be followed by a Colex Sharpcut CNC Router in May, which will allow us to profile cut signs and graphic boards in-house.
What’s the best bit of business advice you’ve been given?
Many years ago I was told that “communication is the lifeblood of any business”, and I firmly believe this to be true. Fully understanding client's needs and being able to fulfill them satisfactorily is impossible without good communication.
What are you most proud of achieving?
In the ten years that my wife Linda and I have had the company we have seen it grow year by year to its' current position in the marketplace. That's an achievement I think we can be proud of.
What lesson does the wide-format sector need to learn?
Adaptability and versatility is a lesson that we need to keep learning, it's all too easy to get complacent when things are running smoothly. The industry needs to anticipate, and embrace, future developments.