A wide format printing company owned and run by two men from Usk has invested £300,000 in new hi-tech machinery to meet increased production demand and provide an even faster customer service.

Ottimo Digital is the first business in the UK to buy a five-metre wide roll fed Quantum 5LXr printer from US suppliers EFI.

The specialised equipment represents the largest investment to date for the company which began as a start-up in 2009.

It now has a turnover of £1.3 million and employs ten people at its 5,000sq ft Newport production facility.

The new printer is the only one of its kind to produce the ready-finished, high-quality, large-scale prints needed for the exhibition stand graphics which form the core of Ottimo Digital’s business. It saves time and manpower by cutting out a stage of the usual production process and also boasts eco-friendly features such as less waste and lower power consumption than its rivals.

“Most of our work is in producing display materials for exhibitions and retail point-of-sale. The market is increasingly demanding four-metre-high, one-piece printed images of the quality needed for close-up viewing,” explained Nick Lindwall, joint director of the company.

“The new printer enables us to fully meet this challenge as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Clearly this is a major investment for us, but we are very confident we can continue to successfully grow our business, even in the current post-Brexit climate of uncertainty. It’s therefore essential that we ensure we are well-placed to meet the changing needs of both existing and potential customers.”

Fellow joint director, Lee Crew, who also lives in Usk, added, “We’re over the moon with this latest purchase. Entering the five-metre-wide market, along with our already comprehensive range of equipment, means that we’re perfectly placed to handle absolutely any project that customers require.”