Plockmatic’s newly acquired company RENZ secures major deal with Bluetree Group

Bluetree Group, the UK’s largest online printer, has further cemented its ‘great relationship’ with RENZ and Plockmatic Group with an investment in the flagship RENZ Inline 500 Classic punching and binding machine to expand production capacities and maximise automation. Personalised products such as photobooks, calendars and wire-bound books are among key applications produced easier with the installation at Bluetree Group’s state-of-the-art print factory in South Yorkshire.

Long-standing customer Bluetree Group had initial discussions with RENZ UK at Hunkeler Innovation Days in February. After visiting the RENZ headquarters in Germany, the deal – including round-the-clock service and support – was finalised in August.

In peak periods, the RENZ Inline 500 Classic will be producing around 35,000 calendars a week for Manvers, Rotherham-based Bluetree Group which has a £60 million turnover and employs 320 staff, of whom 250 work in production.

Iain Bullock, Managing Director of Renz (UK) Ltd, said: “The reputation of RENZ has been built on the foundation of quality, innovation, flexibility and, most importantly, its people. This deal with Bluetree Group is testament to our commitment to provide unrivalled products, services and support. This, together with the opening of our new showroom in at the Morgana Systems premises in Milton Keynes, sends a strong, positive message to our partners and customers and is another sign of our unwavering cooperation to grow our business successfully within Plockmatic Group.”

Ed Hudson, Plockmatic Group’s UK General Manager, said: “The RENZ team have worked tirelessly over the past few months, and this deal is recognition of their and our collaborative efforts.  Moving forward, we are confident we will together achieve further sales success and market penetration. With all our customer requirements, our mission is to offer the best technical and most cost-effective solution in every case, helping them to find the right solution for their business.”

Plockmatic Group signed an agreement in June to acquire Chr. Renz GmbH, with subsidiaries in the UK, Australia, Argentina and Turkey. The acquisition is an opportunity to enter into the ring wire binding segment, which is a natural complement to Plockmatic Group’s existing offering. Closing of the transaction is expected shortly.

“The acquisition of RENZ by Plockmatic Group has further cemented our great, long-standing relationship,” said Mark Young, Managing Director of Bluetree Group. “It provides reassurance thanks to a great support network behind the companies. We did look at competitors, but RENZ offered by far the best solution and we felt it is best to stick with the people we know well. Our investment plan was built around the fact we are now approaching our busiest three months of the year – and the RENZ Inline 500 Classic will be crucial to our success. The machine has been running really well.”