Printing in Hong Kong & China
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ AUGUST 28, 2017 92
evaluation from potential clients. In many cases, slight file
modifications will make the end product look much better and
the production process smoother.”
Also helpful are suggestions from the Jade team on shipping
options dealing with small orders. “While the minimum charge
for ocean freight to major seaports is not expensive, the inland
delivery cost—which includes customs clearing—can be as
little as $200 for London, or as high as $800 for some remote
areas in the U.S.,” Kong explains. “In such cases, we recom-
mend door-to-door courier service, which is the best solution
to save time and cost.”
The above examples emphasize the need for a print broker
such as Jade to offer services that are not just wide-ranging but
also customized to fit the individual client. Adds Kong:
“Routine questions aside, it is essential to find out what the
client really wants, the target audience, or intended price
points, for instance. The client may not be aware of something
more suitable or available, and suggestions from our side are
often practical, if not cost-saving.”
In the early days of offshore print manufacturing, publishers
used brokers to cut down on the need to deal with different
parties involved in their projects, Kong recalls. “It was about
simplifying their work. It was also a time when printers were
less enthusiastic about looking for third-party accessory sup-
pliers or getting involved in the logistical side of a project once
the printing was done. Now the printers are much more flex-
ible, which is mostly due to the intense market competition.
At Jade Productions, we offer personalized service, long-term
partnership, and plenty of hand-holding—the same things we
have been offering since we started 31 years ago.”
Leo Paper Group
Several big projects are under way to shape Leo Paper’s future
at the outset of its 35th anniversary, with transforming and
upgrading to become an Industry 4.0 smart manufacturer the
main goal.
“Strengthening and enhancing new and re-engineered pro-
cesses over the next two years is one of our key corporate poli-
cies,” says director Alvin Lai, pointing out that “upgrading our
manpower and operational management will enable our per-
sonnel to move away from unnecessary and non-value-added
daily processes to value-creating tasks to meet future develop-
ment needs.”
This year also marks Leo Paper’s 10th year of lean implemen-
tation and reform strategy. “Given the market pressures and
challenges, we have prioritized improving efficiencies, mini-
mizing waste, and reducing labor dependence to maintain our
competitiveness,” adds Lai, noting that Leo Paper is a lean
manufacturing pioneer in China’s printing industry. “It builds
the foundation for us to upgrade current manufacturing opera-
tions to Industry 4.0, where the tools will further help us to
realize our lean philosophy.” TPM+E (total productive main-
tenance plus efficiency), says Lai, “is essential to supporting our
long-term production automation, capacity, and productivity
enhancement goals.”
By aligning Made in China 2025 (a government-driven plan
to comprehensively upgrade the country’s industries) with
Germany’s Industry 4.0 initiatives, Leo Paper has been con-
necting machines, processes, data, and people to optimize (L. to r.) Alvin Lai, Henry Woo, and Andy Lau of Leo Paper Group
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Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
The 2017 edition is the ninth collaboration
between Leo Paper and Ripley Entertainment.
“Every year, our client asks for a unique and
eye-catching cover design, and we deliver,” says
general manager for sales Andy Lau, whose
team was involved in the product development
process from the beginning. “This allows us to
provide innovative ideas and value-added suggestions to speed up the design and development stages,” Lau says. “We suggested mixing
and matching Leo Touch secondary processes—
which are developed in-house and ready for
customization—to meet Ripley’s specific needs.
Our team also proactively sourced alternative
foil patterns to achieve more outstanding effects, and reworked the full-color graphic into
a scintillating 3-D cover using our in-house lenticular process.”
