Himachal’s premedia trade shop JBM is tapping into the expanding flexo printing market in northern India by installing a Miraclon Flexcel NX wide system at its new plant in Jammu. The 20-year-old prepress trade house headquartered in Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh has grown over the years with refurbished offset and flexo platemaking equipment.
Headquartered in Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, JBM’s Flexcel NX Wide 4260 System at its new production site in Jammu brings its production capability closer to the growing label and flexible packaging market in Jammu and Kashmir. The region already has more than a dozen narrow web flexo presses, and several flexible packaging plants are in operation with more expected to start up in designated industrial areas.
Before acquiring the Flexcel NX System, JBM’s founder Mukesh Choudhary built the business through a series of incremental technology investments, from filmsetting and offset computer-to-plate to ‘hybrid’ technology and flexo plate production. The installation in Jammu marks a milestone as its first all-new prepress system after years of growth through refurbished equipment and step-by-step investment.
“Flexo is flourishing in Jammu and Kashmir,” says JBM founder Mukesh Choudhary, “supported in part by government initiatives to encourage industry and investment in the region. As the only trade shop in the Jammu region with a Flexcel NX, we’re in a strong position to support printers as the market grows. For jobs where quality, predictability and trouble-free printing are essential – including work where printers need to achieve strong, consistent ink densities, Flexcel NX plates are our go-to solution. As a busy, growing business, we need technology we can depend on, and with this technology we are confident there will be less troubleshooting, fewer remakes, strong on-press performance, and more satisfied clients all around.”
The new Jammu site places JBM closer to a growing base of flexo printers in northern India, where new industrial areas with consumer product manufacturing for food and snack products and several paperboard and flexible packaging converters are increasing demand for prepress trade shops. For Choudhary, the investment also reflects the increasing role of flexo in the flexible packaging market. He also plans to use the new system to make plates for his existing and new customers in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh.
“Printers are looking for plates that make production easier, more predictable and more efficient on press,” he explains. “We had been hearing good things about Flexcel NX technology from printers for some time, and when we visited customers, we could see the difference on press. They talked about predictable results, fewer press stops and fewer on-press issues. It became clear that if we wanted to grow our flexo business, this was the right technology to invest in.”
He adds that the support from Miraclon was also important to JBM’s progress, “The support we received during commissioning and training was very valuable,” he says. “It was not only about installing the Flexcel NX system but also helping our team understand the process and how to get the best from the plates it produces, on press. We’re confident that in Miraclon we have the right partner for our progress – a genuine collaborator as well as a technology supplier.”
Mukesh sees his company’s future as firmly focused on flexo. “The opportunity in flexo is growing, and we want to be ready for it,” he says. “With the right technology and support, we can help printers in the region improve performance on press while building the foundation for our own future growth.”
