Fujifilm is continuing to build a team behind its thrust into digital printing, the latest being the appointment of a European dealer manager for its Acuity Prime large format inkjet products.
The first of the new flatbed products was launched last year with further announcements to be made at Fespa at the end of the month. Fujifilm has also lost distribution of the Inca Onset large format presses after the UK manufacturer was acquired instead by Agfa.
Existing customers will be able to select which company supplies the support and ink for existing machines with Agfa as ink supplier for new machines. As these are highly productive presses, demand for ink from Fujifilm’s Broadstairs plant may be hit.
The Acuity Prime was launched in the wake of the dissolution of partnership with Canon, Fujifilm selling the same machine as the Canon Arizona. In its toner operation with the end of a technical partnership with Xerox, Fujifilm has marketed the Revoria 1120 against the Xerox Iridesse. This is available only in a few European markets including the Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Since launch in September last year, 20 machines have been sold through this network.
Further European markets are to be opened up in coming months as distribution deals are struck. Mark Lawn, one of the recent recruits to Fujifilm as European head of POD solutions, says: “Developing partnerships with local dealerships has been crucial to our sales strategy to date and we’ve been working with some of the most well connected and knowledgeable organisations in the industry to help us to reach the right customers.”
Now the attention is on increasing the markets for the Prime flatbed inkjet press by finding distributors to take on this machine and possibly others as the portfolio expands. It aims to meet potential partners at Fespa.
Colm Garvey has been appointed to spearhead this move. He says: “Fujifilm is extremely well known and respected for its inkjet expertise, but in the Acuity Prime we have a machine with sales potential far beyond the markets we’re traditionally associated with, and we need local market knowledge, connections and expertise to fully capitalise on its volume sales potential.”
To date there are 13 dealerships in seven European countries including the UK where RA Smart is the first to be named. It has been quick to install a press at Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions, in place since the start of this year and is typical of the dealers that Garvey wants for Fujifilm. He says: “They have a great reputation in selling solutions for fabric printing and their superb customer support ethos fits in very well with Fujifilm’s own approach. Once RA Smart made the decision to branch out from fabric printing into the more general sign and display market, the potential benefits to both companies became clear.”
