Practical Minds, the Nottingham-based specialist in project management, retail design, manufacture, print and installation, has this year invested in a Versa Tech cutter from UK manufacturer Blackman & White to add value to their offer for clients throughout the UK and EMEA.
The Versa Tech with 3000 x 2000mm cutting bed was installed in February 2016 and is allowing the company to complete cutting and finishing processes for their print and plastics division that previously had to be carried out by outside suppliers.
Managing Director Andy Winstanley said: “The Versa Tech has added another string to our bow, as well as helping us offer a quicker turnaround when working with materials such as card, acrylic, MDF, vinyl, foamex and Dibond.
“Having the cutter in house allows us to guarantee the quality of finishing that our customers expect, within the timescales they demand.”
Andy has been in the shop fitting industry for over 30 years, working for ten years a joiner before branching out into CAD design and project management within retail and exhibition sectors for the likes of Harrods, Nike and Timberland.
Practical Minds’ solutions support clients with needs including shop fitting, concessions, shop in shops, pop up shops, window displays, exhibitions, point of sale and point of purchase. They work collaboratively with brands, retailers, agencies, designers, marketers and architects from initial concept design through to technical development, manufacture and installation.
Andy formed the company in 2008 and has seen it flourish and increase its team from three to more than 25 by ensuring they deliver excellent quality and service on all projects – something that has been greatly improved by bringing the finishing in-house.
He added: “We looked at other manufacturers but decided on the Blackman & White Versa Tech because we were so impressed by both the machine and the team behind it.
“Having easy access to servicing and support direct from a British manufacturer is fantastic, and our experience with the Versa Tech so far has been great.
“The quality of installation was excellent and we even ran real jobs during training, including the successful production of inlaid and curved laminates, used for a major tourist attraction on behalf of Merlin Entertainments. The machine proved itself straight away and it was worth making the investment in a bigger machine.”