Specialist and secure print services group BemroseBooth has made a significant investment in new Océ Varioprint MICR printers and associated technology primarily to manufacture cheque books for the company's financial customers.

BemroseBooth, already a long-term Océ partner using its digital web mail security printing systems, has bought three Océ VarioPrint 5160 machines to replace its ageing systems . It currently supplies many of the UK's major financial institutions.

Andy Blundell, BemroseBooth's Sales and Marketing Director said: “This is a clear message of our intent to provide continued service and commitment to our cheque book customers in the financial sector.

“The new printing technology brings significant productivity improvements to our operation in line with our company initiative into operational excellence.”

Simon Wheeler, head of Océ UK Ltd's Commercial Division, said: “We are delighted that BemroseBooth has chosen us as a strategic partner to support its cheque book production business, which will complement the work we are already doing in other areas.”

“BemroseBooth will quickly realise the benefits of these high-speed printing systems that offer new opportunities to help business growth in a secure environment.”

The equipment being installed at the Derby headquarters can feed different base stocks from up to 12 feeder bins. Up to eight stocks can be printed with variable data and the other four can feed cover stock to ultimately deliver collated sets, ideal for cheque books with full bar-code integrity.

The installation will be completed before the end of the year and a unique development of a bespoke fully integrated in-line cutting and stacking unit – to optimise the production of cheque books – will be available in the first quarter of 2007.

Further details from Colin Harding, Grayling Public Relations,

Tel 0207 255 1100, mobile 00 44 7730 435400, colin.harding@uk.grayling.com ;

or Tim Cammack, tel 01482 826343, mobile 07973 709401, tcammack@bemrosebooth.com

Notes to Editors

About BemroseBooth

BemroseBooth is based in Derby, United Kingdom, and has additional UK operations in Hull and Teesside. The company employs 700 people in the UK. BemroseBooth is a leading provider of “mission critical” secure and specialized print services. BemroseBooth's products include security printed vouchers and payment cards, mass transit and car parking tickets, variable data labelling, high-integrity mailing and printed promotional products such as calendars. For more information visit www.bemrosebooth.com .

BemroseBooth is an Appleton company

About Appleton

Appleton uses ideas that make a difference to create product solutions through its development and use of coating formulations and applications as well as encapsulation, security, printing and packaging technologies. The Company produces carbonless, thermal, security, and performance packaging products and provides secure and specialized print services. Appleton is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has manufacturing operations in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and the United Kingdom, employs approximately 3,300 people, and is 100%t employee-owned. For more information visit www.appletonideas.com

About Océ

Dutch based Océ is one of the world's leading companies in the area of document management. In advanced research centres and high-tech production facilities the company develops products and services for the efficient and effective exchange of information.

These comprise products for the reproduction, presentation, distribution and management of documents.

The range of products and services offered by Océ is characterised by its recognised high quality, which is based on reliability, productivity, durability, ease of use and environmental friendliness.

Océ's products and services are mainly offered direct via the company's own sales and service organisations; a limited number of them are also distributed via third parties.

Océ focuses on professional user environments, particularly on those in which high document volumes are processed.

In 2005 Océ achieved pro forma revenues of EUR 3.1 billion and has around 24.000 employees worldwide.

For more information on Océ, visit www.oce.com