SMART DESIGN

100 | L&L
Xeikon increases focus
on Latin America
XEIKON recently hosted a meeting of its Southern Cone distributors in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
James Quirk reports
Digital press manufacturer Xeikon has
appointed a distributor in Argentina –
Buenos Aires-based Automación Gráfica
– in a move reflective of the company’s
increasing focus on the Latin American
market.
Automación Gráfica joins Jetrix
(Mexico), PTC Graphic Systems (Brazil),
GSI (Colombia and Peru), and Davis
Graphics (Chile) as distributors recruited
by Xeikon in the last two years.
The company has also made a series
of internal appointments to create a team
dedicated to the Latin America market. A
year ago, Patrick Pittoors was appointed
as sales and channel manager for Latin
America, and Jos Kabouw – based in
Santiago, Chile – now leads a team
of four service engineers scattered
throughout the region in Chile, Mexico
and Brazil.
As well as Xeikon’s digital press
range, the engineers are servicing the
company’s other products including
ThermoFlexX CTP CtP flexo systems and
finishing equipment.
The company recently hosted a
meeting of its Southern Cone distributors
– Automácion Gráfica, Davis Graphics
and PTC Graphic Systems – in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. In attendance were
Filip Weymans, Patrick Pittoors and Jos
Kabouw of Xeikon; Marco Araujo of PTC
Graphic Systems; Gustavo Mazzini and
German Calvo of Automación Gráfica;
and Felipe Arias, Rodrigo Machado and
Juan Fischer of Davis Graphics.
‘It is important to have a local presence
in the market, with local technicians
who are in place before a sale is made.
It means we can quickly follow up with
expert technical support and shows our
commitment to the region,’ says
Patrick Pittoors.
‘Our recent acquisition of the
Flexolaser and Thermoflex (We prefer
not to mention the older names as it
would confuse people) CtP technology,
today known as ThermoFlexX, allows
us to provide a more complete offering
to the market,’ says Filip Weymans,
business development manager,
labels and packaging, Xeikon. ‘It also
shows our faith in flexo and the printing
industry as a whole. We believe in flexo’s
compatabilitycompatibility with digital
technology, and we can help converters
to make the transition.’
UPCOMING INSTALLATIONS
During the meeting, Xeikon revealed
a number of recent orders in the
region. In Chile, Faret has purchased a
Xeikon 3050 with Xeikon (we OEM their
equipment but brand it as Xeikon) GM
finishing equipment for folding carton
production; while in Brazil, Recife-based
Rendaplast has ordered a Xeikon 3500
for production of heat transfer labels
for plastic containers. The installations
are set to take place in April and May
respectively.
In Mexico, meanwhile, an innovative
partnership is being set up between
two label converters based around the
purchase of a Xeikon 3030 (see page
103.)
The installation at Rendaplast will be
the third Xeikon press in the country,
all for the production of heat transfer
labels for plastic containers. ‘There is
great potential in the converting market
in Brazil,’ says Marcos Araujo of PTC,
which was appointed as a distributor in
2011. ‘Xeikon’s technology allows for
printing on different types of substrates,
and not only roll to roll but also roll to
sheetsheetfed. So there is potential also
for document printing and numerous
other applications.’
In Chile, Davis Graphics’ Felipe Arias
says the company is also currently
working on other deals and anticipates
two more installations in the near future.
But he emphasized the company’s focus
on a long-term strategy in a market that
has more digital press installations per
capita of HP Indigo digital presses than
any other country in Latin America. ‘HP
has a big presence in Chile, but Xeikon
offers an excellent alternative,’ he says.
‘The fact that we have technical support
in place before the sale means that
converters trust us.’
According to Filip Weymans, the
appointment of Automación Gráfica as
Xeikon’s agent in Argentina completes
the company’s network of distributors
in the region. Founded in 1971,
Automación Gráfica has a high profile
in the Argentine market as a long-term
distributor for Mark Andy and Komori,
and also Jackstadt prior to its acquisition
by Fasson.
‘We were looking for an alternative
to our flexo and offset offerings,’ says
Gustavo Mazzini of Automación Gráfica.
‘Over last 15 years, the graphic arts
market in Argentina has seen huge
growth. And the potential continues,
because there is still a comparatively
low – but rising – per capita label
consumption. There is a lot of potential
for digital technology in the Argentine
label market, so the deal is a perfect fit
for our company.’
THE XEIKON TEAM met with the company’s Southern Cone distributors in Buenos Aires
LABELS&LABELING