“The unique thing about DRPG is that everything we produce is for our own events and campaigns. Ten years ago, the print department had just one member of staff and a relatively small printer. Now we have three digital printers (3.2 m roll-to-roll, 1.6m and a flatbed). The decision to invest in a Kongsberg was a natural progression for our production capabilities. We’ve now got all the tools in place that we want. It’s as simple as that,” says DRPG Head of Print, Lee Whitehouse.

DRPG

DRPG is a global communications agency that was set-up in 1980 as a small video production house. In the last 40 years it has grown from a single person company into an organisation that has 410 staff based in seven key locations in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and the US.

The company offers a comprehensive roster of communications services. The scope of these internal corporate events is wide and varied ranging from a small conference in a single room to thousands of people in an exhibition space. It prides itself on producing all its services in-house, and in addition to the print department has several internal creative solutions services in-house including design teams, video, and digital teams.

Unsurprisingly, digital print is a key component of the overall creative output. “When visitors arrive at our events, very often they get their first impression of the event from the display graphics. An important aspect of our live events is how amazing they look, and from a visual point of view we are always being challenged creatively to design something unique with real impact,” he says.

The Kongsberg choice

Lee had been a long-term fan of the Kongsberg digital cutting table and was able to clearly see the benefits it would bring to the company and its clients. “It adds greater finesse to our display products, add efficiency to the department, and opens up a whole new world of creative solutions that will help our creative teams deliver even better solutions for our clients,” he says.

The purchase journey began with the company looking at a couple of digital cutting options, but it became apparent quite quickly after some deeper research that the Kongsberg was the machine of choice.

“It did everything we wanted it to do, and it was in the right price range. It was important for me to get Adam Pardoe, Production Director, on board who would then help me to justify the investment to the CEO. We both went along to CMYUK’s demonstration and training facility in Shrewsbury, and he was really impressed with the machine. From a graphics display viewpoint, he could see the difference between our existing in-house CNC machine and the Kongsberg. He immediately understood its potential,” says Lee.

The Kongsberg X24 Edge can handle any type of application for signage, display, and packaging with high production speeds, exceptional cutting quality, and is fully upgradable. DRPG invested in the model with the MultiCUT tool head that offers milling productivity, and a camera for accurate registration. Tools purchased include a creasing wheel that gives the company cut and fold capabilities, something it’s never been able to do before, and a Bevel Knife that allows it to work with more environmentally responsible materials.

“As a live events company, there’s a big push for sustainability. The Kongsberg allows us to use materials that we may have dabbled with in the past but hadn’t really got to grips with. The Bevel Knife for example, allows us to produce cardboard engineer displays that can be recycled rather than using materials that end-up in landfill. As a department within DRPG we really want to be able to make a difference – we are very conscious about our environmental footprint and want to use more sustainable materials to give our clients alternatives to PVC and Foamex and avoid landfill,” says Lee.

The Print Department was ready to launch a sustainability drive just prior to Lockdown, now post-pandemic, it is focussed on picking up where it left off.

This year, DRPG was honoured to receive the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development. It aims to replace its materials portfolio with sustainable alternatives and is working closely with CMYUK, which has long been one of its major materials suppliers. The eco-responsible solutions it will bring to the variety of client projects, aligns closely to the company’s values, and its own goal of becoming a net zero agency by 2025.

Says Lee, “We’ve noticed that there has been a change of thinking and our clients are making a conscious effort to become far more eco-aware even if it costs that little bit more. Sustainability is not just about the materials, or the equipment used, it’s about the way you think. The Kongsberg has helped to improve our working processes because it is so fast and efficient, and allowing our own resources to be far better managed.”