PJ Desai is continuing his transformation of Mark Andy following the acquisition of the supplies and consumables portion of Presstek with an entry into new areas such as platemaking.
For Mark Andy, Labelexpo Europe’s recent endorsement of its new technology fitted with an established trend.
The tradeshow’s Award for Innovation – given for the company’s ProLED UV LED curing system – is the fourth such prize Mark Andy has picked up over in recent years.
In 2011, the firm landed two awards for the print stations in its Performance Series.
Earlier this year, the company won another trophy for its quick change die cut (QCDC) technology, enabling die cylinders to be replaced in about 30 seconds.
In LED curing, the firm is now poised to evolve UV curing markets and open new market opportunities, product manager John Howard said at the Mark Andy press conference at Labelexpo.
“With flexo we had to wait for inks,” he said.
“But the technology has a lot of advantages. Once UV LED inks are available in all the colours, I think it’s going to take off and that’s why we’re working on it very hard with Flint Group on this project.”
In digital, the firm is also “pretty far along”, said CEO PJ Desai. “We’re keenly aware of the inroads that digital is making into our market,” he said.
An inkjet digital press, now announced as the Mark Andy Digital Series, is due to start beta testing in the US by the year-end.
A total solution
Mark Andy’s new CEO, who took charge at the start of 2012, has also mapped out a new path for the firm in business.
Desai, whose background includes several years at Monsanto, came to Mark Andy from outside the print industry. Bringing a fresh perspective, he has been credited with adding commercial smarts to the firm’s technological brilliance.
In the Middle East and Africa, where Mark Andy will be represented from next year by an exclusive distributor relationship and the Mark Andy Swiss office, the new approach will include “providing total solutions” to customers, including full support as well as machines, Desai told Packaging MEA.
Through the acquisition of flexo-focused Print Products in December 2012 and the offset supplies segment of Presstek in April 2013, Mark Andy has now launched a division to provide “a total integrated solution”.
“We renamed it Mark Andy Print Products – it’s basically supplying anything to do with printing over the lifetime of the press,” he said.
“Now we’re adding flexo. Through the consumables side of Presstek we acquired 65 employees, a 120,000sqft [11.000sqm] distribution centre, a very robust commercial website, and focused customer response – the entire fulfilment process.”
In addition to supplying its flexo customers with products such as cleaning chemicals, solvents and doctor blades, Mark Andy also expects to soon offer flexo plates.
“We’re right now in active discussions with suppliers of flexo plates,” said Desai.
“I expect very shortly to have an agreement wherewe will be able to distribute high quality flexo plate and plate-making products through Mark Andy.”
In the long run, he forecasts that the firm will have an “equal” split between advanced machinery technology and after-market supplies, consumables and support.
After rolling out the new service in its home market, the firm will bring the operation to Europe and aims to offer a full range of consumables to Middle East labellers in a couple of years.
“The focus of Mark Andy Print Productions is in North America,” said Mary Sullivan, director of marketing. “We have a few thousand SKUs to support flexo products and over 10,000 SKUs servicing offset. We going to perfect that system in the US and then launch that globally.”
In the meantime, Oktay Oezsaran, sales manager, sees opportunities in the Middle East and Africa. “We are excited to see growing interest in Mark Andy Performance Series across Middle East and Africa,” he said.