SOS strikes gold with Australia’s first Prosper 1000

Expansion of digital print operations drives SOS Print + Media Group to buy first Kodak Prosper 1000 press in Australasia.

The Sydney-based company expects the press to be up and running before the end of the year. According to Bob Gardner, joint managing director, the press will be used to take the company into new areas.

 “[It] will allow us to move into personalised catalogues, magazines, transactional documents for smaller entities like credit unions, and then direct marketing areas, which we will pursue through our partnership with U&I Direct, an established, highly sophisticated direct marketing operation,” Gardner said.

Pictured:  (left) Michael Peel, Director, SOS Print + Media together with Steve Ford, Kodak

He expects that the press will lead to an increase in volumes for SOS. “At present, we have 20 million digitally printed pages a month ready to go and with new clients coming on board by the end of this financial year, we anticipate producing 40-50 million digitally printed pages a month, so I am confident of where we are going and how digital fits in.”

The Kodak Prosper 1000 press will be initially configured for monochrome printing. SOS Print will review the option to upgrade to the Kodak Prosper 5000XL colour press when it is available in early 2011.

Kodak’s business development manager, Steve Ford, believes the purchase gives SOS a strong advantage in a competitive market. “The directors undertook a thorough investigation into the different presses on the market, including extensive testing. Their decision is a significant mark of confidence in the technology behind the Kodak Prosper 1000 press,” he said.