Neil Handforth and Bob Usher of Apex flank Caroline Mannering, regional sales manager at Konica Minolta.
Digital printing equipment supplier Konica Minolta and Apex Digital Graphics, distributor for Ryobi offset presses, have announced details of a new distribution agreement that will mean Apex is now selling products from the full range of Konica Minolta digital print engines throughout the UK. The Hemel Hempstead based company, which also has a sales and service base in Leeds, will also provide a full technical service and applications support for the products.
Commenting on the announcement, Neil Handforth, sales and marketing director for Apex Digital Graphics, said: ‘Our customers have been looking to us for guidance with regard to the digital market, and asking for our advice. We have looked at several possible digital solutions to enhance our product offering and satisfy the needs of our user base. Following detailed discussions and significant testing of the devices, we believe that the Konica Minolta range offers both excellent print quality when compared to other digital product, and competitively priced equipment – a critical part of the equation, of course.’
The company’s Ryobi user base represents an attractive opportunity for Konica Minolta. Speaking on behalf of the digital equipment supplier, Caroline Mannering, regional sales manager, said: ‘Apex has a very strong reputation in the B3 format litho print community. The team understands the market, it knows the right contacts, and is extremely well trusted for its industry knowledge and understanding, and service and support.’
The full range of digital print equipment, including both monochrome and colour machines, will be available.
Mr Handforth continued, ‘Our initial showroom focus will be on a C7000 colour machine, incorporating heavy duty feed and stacker. This combination will allow us to show digital print at its best.’ However, he stresses that the company expects interest across the entire range.
Applications support from Apex will have a strong focus on colour management, assisting print companies in working with both litho and digital output. ‘Our support team has a detailed understanding of front end colour issues from their work with CTP equipment in all formats. That knowledge will be invaluable to print businesses moving into digital production, and it will certainly enable Apex to have a major advantage over many suppliers in this sector,’ added Mr Handforth.
The whole of the Apex sales team will be trained to advise customers on Konica Minolta digital equipment. Whilst technical service will come from the digital press manufacturer in the early stages as the Apex technical support teams continue to enhance their digital knowledge with a detailed training programme, which will take place over the coming months.
