Large Format Review - Business News

Canon and Océ are to combine their printing operations in Switzerland, following the completion, on 9 March 2010, of the public offer of Canon Inc. for Océ outstanding common shares, in an effort to create the overall No. 1 presence in the printing industry.

To facilitate this combination, Canon Europa N.V., a 100% subsidiary of Canon Inc., and Océ N.V. have reached agreement for Océ N.V. to sell 100% of Océ (Schweiz) A.G. to Canon Europa N.V. Océ (Schweiz) A.G. accounts for 3-4% of overall Océ revenues. The transaction price amounts to EUR 15.9 million.

In combining their Swiss businesses, Canon and Océ are addressing specific local market conditions. A combined operation in Switzerland is better placed to generate sales, taking into account the significant indirect business and fierce competition in the local market place. The combined Canon and Océ operation creates the largest printing presence in Switzerland.

Procedural aspects

Since this combination comprises a related party transaction, it is being executed at arm's length. The transaction is fully in line with Canon's stated intention to adhere to prevailing Dutch corporate governance standards. The transaction has been approved by the Océ Board of Executive Directors and the independent members of the Océ Supervisory Board. This decision took the interests of all stakeholders into account.

In this context, ING Corporate Finance has rendered a fairness opinion confirming that, from a financial perspective, the price is fair to Océ and its shareholders.

Colourgen has been appointed by Mutoh as its exclusive UK distributor for the Company’s range of wide format printing solutions. The deal extends the existing relationship between the two companies, which began in 2009. As well as distributing the Mutoh range through its authorised reseller channel, Colourgen will also be providing extensive support, engineering and maintenance services.
 
Jeff Biggs, Managing Director of Colourgen, comments, “This distribution agreement is a fantastic opportunity for us. The timing is also good because there are some exciting new products that we can be ready to bring to market when they are released later this year. Our core role will be to build up the Mutoh brand throughout the UK by basing it on high quality, reliable products and extensive, responsive and consistent service and support.”
 
He continues, “The addition of the Mutoh range to our portfolio allows us to target customers from entry level eco solvent-based ink requirements, right through to high end production solutions. With Mutoh we can offer award-winning solutions for UV, textiles, eco solvent, mild solvent, bio-lactite and traffic systems. The company covers just about all the ink technologies which means it can address a wide range of applications.
 
Colourgen and Mutoh will be appointing resellers into its Mutoh Certified Partner (MCP) scheme, which will ensure end users can expect the highest quality from their solutions providers. Biggs explains, “We are doing a lot of work with Mutoh to drive efficiencies, cost and time savings throughout a variety of printing applications workflow. For example, in the traffic signs arena, we have incorporated our software and RIP knowledge with our experience of dealing with colour standards in order to take twenty minutes or more out of the workflow. We want to pass these capabilities through an approved and certified reseller channel to ensure customers get the most benefit from our work.”
 
Arthur Vanhoutte, President of Mutoh’s European operations, says, “Ever since we started working with Colourgen in the UK, we have been very impressed with their knowledge, commitment and integrity. I am very confident that they will be a very successful distribution partner for our products and will help us to further establish our presence in this important market. Colourgen’s real strength is in their engineering and support capabilities where they can develop new solutions and ensure customers systems are up and running and delivering profitable output at all times.”
 
The entire range of Mutoh large format printing solutions is available immediately through Colourgen authorised resellers. For more information, please visit www.colourgen.com

Dimensions Displays Ltd, manufacturer of the D4 banner display system and D3 range of poster, light box and literature displays, has launched its re-designed web site. The site www.dimensions-displays.com is aimed at the company's designer, specifier and marketing professional client base. It has been designed to be simple to use, search engine friendly and a little bit different from the usual online display shop.

Robbie Ewing at Dimensions says “As a niche display manufacturer, we wanted the website to appeal to our design-conscious customers looking to buy quality displays direct from the manufacturer. The new website gives clients all the information they need to complete a purchase in a simple interface”

The redesign includes :

• A new navigation system based on a single page design with detailed product information available from tabs
• The product carousel with larger more detailed photographs of all products
• Simpler navigation of the site
• Products organised by generic type 
• Secure online shop for all products with a built in discount structure for multiple purchases.
• Improved image gallery which can be filtered to show just the displays a customer is interested in
• "News” section with information on completed projects and product updates.
• Testimonials from regular clients.

Dimensions manufacture display products including the D3 and D4 portable systems. It provides visual display solutions for exhibitions & events, interiors, workplaces, museums, retail and public buildings.

3M announced that the new HP 3M LX600 specialty latex ink for the HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 and Designjet L65500 printers will be sold by HP and backed by the 3M™ MCS™ Warranty when used with 3M media and printed and applied according to 3M technical literature.

3M and HP worked together to launch the inks globally. The usage of HP 3M LX 600 specialty latex ink is a criteria required to offer the 3M MCS Warranty.

Details about 3M's MCS Warranty to be offered are  available on www.3Mgraphics.com under Warranties

"We are excited to announce the 3M MCS Warranty using HP Latex technology, which will enable graphics manufacturers to produce high quality graphics backed by this globally renowned and comprehensive 3M warranty," said Rainer Schloesser, market development manager, 3M Commercial Graphics in Europe.

Udi Nachmany, business development manager, Scitex division, HP, said, "Our collaboration with 3M for a solution backed by the acclaimed 3M MCS Warranty is another significant step to aid in the adoption of latex printing as a true alternative to solvent printing technologies."

To learn more about HP Latex Printing Technologies, visit the HP Web site at http://www.hp.com/go/latexprinting.

MACtac® Graphic Products announces the latest enhancement to its popular Application Nation graphics education platform, the Application Nation Authorized Installer program. The authorised program was created to provide certification for and visibility to professional installers who adhere to industry standard processes and systems for vehicle and architectural applications.

“Graphic applications not only require personal expertise and ongoing education, but also a higher level of dedication to continual improvement and acknowledgment for accreditation; this was one of the primary drivers behind the creation of the authorized installer program,” said Jason Yard, marketing specialist, MACtac Graphic Products. “We are not selling a product with this program. We are building, through collaboration, a network of professionals who uphold standards and participate in the system of checks and balances that can lead to the formalisation of processes for our entire industry.”

MACtac is a leader in application training, being one of the few pressure-sensitive manufacturers to offer dedicated resources for applications, including the first to provide a dedicated Internet website, www.TheApplicationNation.com, to serve the installer community. MACtac is a sponsor and partner of the Professional Decal Application Alliance (PDAA), which is the recognised certification body for graphics applications.

Much of the criteria set forth by the PDAA’s Master Certification process will be utilized as a basis for the Application Nation Authorized Installer program, furthering the idea of a uniform approach to standardisation for the industry. Currently there are 10 authorised installers in the Application Nation Authorized Installer program, who will be featured on TheApplicationNation.com.

“As a leading supplier to the decorative graphics industry, MACtac is fortunate that through Application Nation we can provide an avenue to promote the companies that have proven themselves successful in the ever-changing application landscape,” Yard added.

In 2007, MACtac took an industry-leading role in addressing all the factors involved in correctly applying, handling and removing pressure-sensitive graphics to vehicles, walls, floors, buildings, glass and other surfaces, with the introduction of Application Nation. Since then, MACtac has consistently launched additions to Application Nation, including traveling seminars, training videos, an online community and educational website, and now the authorized installer program.

“Industry installers can greatly benefit from obtaining authorized status with MACtac because they can showcase value through manufacturer support,” Yard said. “Additionally, the authorization demonstrates to their peers that they are a trusted, educated installer with a high sense of professionalism and dedication.”

For more information about the Application Nation Authorized Installer program, MACtac products or graphic solutions, visit www.MACtac.com/Graphics and www.TheApplicationNation.com.

 

We have an admission to make.  At Large Format Review, we used to view Twitter as being fairly inconsequential in the real world of business.   By and large, we found it to be opinionated drivel - a view shared by a sizeable number of colleagues and peers who have an agenda to actually do business, rather than simply appearing like they were doing business.

Indeed whilst others were busy making tweets of themselves, we were far more interested in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).  Work invested in SEO paid real dividends in terms of traffic to websites – and this is where we believe real business transactions begin.

That said, we've had something of a change of heart of late.  Twitter has suddenly become important to us.  Not because we have suddenly adopted an interest in the inane twitterings of the self-appointed movers and would-be shakers.  Nope, it's far simpler than that.  Google now ranks Twitter and therefore Twitter now has an SEO pay-off.

Accordingly, where we previously only tweeted a once-weekly summary of our entire LFR news output, we are now tweeting our stories individually.  If you have a news story that has been published on LFR in the last week or so, you'll now find a tweet for it – and feel free to retweet it until your heart is truly content.

To get our news (and subsequently your news) in tweet-sized mouthfuls, follow us online at www.twitter.com/lfrnews.  You can also follow us and keep tabs on us whilst we attempt to teach ourselves about random things such as ‘handles’, ‘hashtags’ and all of the other stuff that the cool kids already know all about ;-)