Pushing the envelope

15 May 2006

KwaZulu-Natal: Silveray Manufacturing, the Durban-based stationery production division of market leading printing specialist, Lithotech, has increased its production capacity with the purchase of two Winkler and Dunnebier envelope manufacturing machines – the highest precision models currently available to the market.

The Frankfurt-manufactured R18-million investment has secured Silveray Manufacturing unique equipment with printing capacity of approximately 35-million envelopes per month – setting itself apart from competitors. The machines will arrive in the first week of June and are scheduled to run by month-end.

Niel Speres, Divisional Managing Director of Silveray Manufacturing, said, “The two machines allow us to increase our capabilities on some stock lines on existing equipment, thereby enabling best delivery and market-related pricing. This latest acquisition provides a serious avenue into the untapped multi-colour printed envelope market – with the most efficient equipment. Not only will the new equipment be used to manufacture printed envelopes in up to five colours, but also increase the company’s manufacturing capacity of stock envelopes sold through Silveray Statmark – the company’s stationery selling arm – to the stationery market.

The equipment offers benefits which include: improved production efficiency, excellent print quality, flexible envelope options, more competitive pricing through process controls and shorter customer service delivery times.

Unlike its competitors, Silveray has a countrywide sales force base – through Lithotech and Silveray Statmark – geared for the business market. Speres explains, “We form part of a diversified group where we are also able to supply within the Lithotech group to our mailing divisions.”

On the current state of the enveloping production industry, Speres said, “Electronic media, as well as other material like plastics, has affected envelope manufacturers over the years. However, we have seen a steady growth in this market over the last three years, and the added advantage for us at this stage is being able to grow into a market not yet explored by Silveray.”

“The Winkler and Dunnebier equipment introduction is the first step in attaining meaningful growth at Silveray Manufacturing, offering our sales teams and customers a dedicated, value-added envelope range to the portfolio of stationery products. Currently we are manufacturing approximately 65-million envelopes per month, and hope to grow this to 85-million envelopes per month over the next year,” said Speres.