Diversified signage business Bordbusters is currently running four HP Latex 800 printers, having recently invested in two additional machines.
See another related HP article from Eye on Display here.
Dutch signage business Bordbusters has opened up about how its quartet of HP Latex 800 printers has helped it respond to a rise in demand for its diversified range of services and deliver more high-quality printed applications to customers.
Based near the city of Arnhem, Bordbusters was founded in 1999 by Eric Heijting with an initial focus on providing signs for construction projects. Over the years, the company has expanded to become a leading provider of a wide range of signage solutions, with its team of 55 staff delivering everything from indoor and outdoor advertising applications to vehicle graphics and LED screens.
The Bordbusters business is split into several units to allow it to deliver such a diversified service. Bordbusters is the core signage business; Mediabusters focuses on LED screens; Rentbusters provides solutions for temporary structures such as bus stops and bike shelters; and Lightbusters specialises in public lighting projects. The group as a whole turns over around €9.0m each year, with €6.0m coming from the Bordbusters core signage business.
Such a diversified offering means Bordbusters works with customers across a host of markets and has seen interest in its services increase. In response to rising demand, Bordbusters made the decision to further enhance its print offering, adding two new HP Latex 800 printers on February 5th 2024 to its line-up. It purchased both machines from Nautasign, an approved HP distributor in the Netherlands.
Focus on quality
The HP Latex 800 is a fourth-generation HP Latex printer. Stand-out features on the machine include the ability to print a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications on materials up to 1,624mm wide, while it boasts a top speed of 36sq m/hr in outdoor mode and 25sq m/hr for indoor work. It also runs 3-litre ink cartridges that allow for much longer production without the need for operator intervention.
The double purchase means Bordbusters now has four HP Latex 800 printers at its facility, one of which has the ability to print white, allowing the company to take on more work and produce more than one type of application at the same time.
The quartet of printers runs alongside a Zünd cutter, Trotec laser cutter and specialist laminating equipment.
Eric Heijting, who still runs the business as Director, said the decision to upgrade its printing set-up has been a significant development for the company as it seeks to grow its business and secure more work.
“Both the service from Nautasign and the quality of the two new HP machines are very good,” Eric said. “We can’t afford colour quality fluctuations or downtime; we aim to take orders one day and deliver the finished piece to customers the following day.
“My motto is ‘never say no’, which ensures that customers turn to us for anything, and we can offer a true, one-stop shop service.”
Commitment to sustainability
Eric said the HP Latex 800 printers also fit in with Bordbusters’ wider sustainability strategy, with the company constantly working to reduce its carbon footprint. All HP Latex printers run HP Latex Inks, which are water-based and have a much lower impact on the environment than solvent, eco-solvent and UV inks.
“We want to leave the smallest possible footprint on the planet,” Eric said. “Our printers use only water-based inks, while our vehicle fleet meets the strictest environmental requirements.”
Linking in with this strategy is something that is unique to Bordbusters in the form of a foil remover, developed in-house by Eric to offer a more environmentally friendly service to customers across a range of markets.
“We make a lot ourselves, including aluminium and steel structures and electronics for lighting elements,” Eric said. “What the remover does is pull the foil back off the sheets, with the foil then going through Nautasign to a recycling company. This not only ensures foil is recycled but also allows us to reuse the sheets that otherwise would have been discarded as waste.”
Diversified customer base
An ongoing commitment to new investment and strengthening production allows Bordbusters to take on all manner of work from customers including marketing agencies, artists and landscape architects – all in addition to its usual, day-to-day services.
Among some of the more unusual projects to come out of Bordbusters in recent times was a giant, illuminated kite that was installed above the famous Skinny Bridge in Amsterdam. The company also created a motorised floating submarine that travelled the iconic canals of Amsterdam as part of an advertisement for opticians’ chain Specsavers.
Add in Bordbusters’ willingness to work with customers on projects outside of its signage remit, such as helping a client restore a 100-year-old A-Ford and an old VW bus, and it is easy to see why the company, and its diversified offering, is so popular.
Such is the growing demand for Bordbusters’ services that the company will soon move into a larger premises. Scheduled for completion by Christmas 2024, the new site will be 50% bigger than its current base and will also feature sustainable technologies to support long-term environmental goals.
“We really need the extra space for growth and to be able to install the newest machines,” Eric said. “This means we can continue to provide customers with the most beautiful products.”
