As part of our California Cruising tour, we visited Lahlouh in San Francisco. That was an interesting visit, not only because of the company's technology - ranging from Xerox over Heidelberg to EFI, Horizon, and tons of other equipment but also because Lahlouh is a truly family-operated and owned printing company. The company has a commitment to its customers is second-to-none. With an ever-optimistic approach and willingness to develop new products and services, Lahlouh is in the hotspot of why print has a long and amazing future. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profiles: Catherine Lahlouh https://www.linkedin.com/in/lahlouh/ Tony Lahlouh https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-lahlouh-49b20535/

We've been with SO many printing companies over the years, and though amiable people meet 99% of the time - this one will be something special. Not just because of the superior technology and the products they produce. Not only because you see a company is investing in technology like the gigantic Massivit 3D printer. Not only because the company also invests in the creative side of events (we get to see how they work while here) but also because of the warm people working with CamAd in Toronto. Dan Deveau is highly genuine, open-minded, and friendly, but he touched me when I met his father. Bob Deveau has undoubtedly been a focused businessman. However, handing over the printing company to his son, and still at a high age, almost daily coming to the office to be around and participate in the business decisions, is lovely. Still, it also shows why CamAd is a company where everybody knows each other and does not just SAY family values but live family values. All the above said, Dan Deveau and his team operate a company where they still (but less) work screen printing (analog) but have taken strategic measures to become a digital company with strong craftsmanship - Dan Deveau is not a believer in automation, and you can see that the manual approach does its advantages - for example in how media is handled, but enough written. Watch the film, listen and learn - absolutely one of the better in my mind!

Horizon presents nothing less than 21 end-to-end solutions; all targeted to different applications and all very real scenarios for the thousands of IGAS attendees. In this film, we talk to Muneki Ban from Horizon International. He shows us a setup that is actually two solutions. The first half is fed with up to B1 sheets, which are folded into typically 16-pages signatures, and where the signatures are moved to the pallet using a robot solution. The second half of the setup in this film is where the signatures are placed in a machine gathering the signatures into book blocks, moved on a conveyor to the BQ500 binding solution, and finally, using a three-knife trimmer delivering finished books - and all handled with only one operator. The solution can even be extended with AGVs that can drive the pallets from a printing press to the feeder and the folded signatures to the gatherer - simply amazing and extremely productive!

To establish a smart factory a digital mindset and 360-degree business solutions are needed. We present our interpretation of a smart factory with the goal of full automation of repetitive task and a self-optimizing production. The scope is not limited to the digitalization of production and print data workflows or to automate production lines with smart and connected machines but includes the sales process, customer communication and enterprise resource planning. To make it tangible, we discuss a potential end-2-end business solution using the example of a personalized face mask and cookie box from the creation of a business idea to the shipped product – from Pixel to Output.

Mergers and Acquisitions take many shapes, and in this film, we talk to Christoph Schacht, who recently left his position as COO from EFI/Direct Smile. Direct Smile is a well-known software used by many print service providers globally. This story is about the company, which Christoph Schacht himself refers to as a 'Pirate' company, and how the failed three times getting to America, how they got in contact with EFI, and how Due Diligence was a process that has been a learning experience about Corporate America for Christoph Schacht. Enjoy - yet another great session about M&As. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-schacht-919aa796/

In our series of films about Mergers and Acquisitions, we in this film meet Gerhard Märtterer, one of Alpha Picture's founders seventeen years ago. Everything developed fantastic until the financial crisis in 2008/09 directly influenced customers and forced Märtterer to file for insolvency. In this film, Gerhard Märtterer openly tells us about the failure, the shame, and the opportunities that eventually ended with Märtterer to buy back Alpha Picture together with two friends. This is an amazing story to learn from! https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerhardmaertterer/

It was supposed to be a behind the scene film from Venlo in the Netherlands and Poing in Germany. Inspired by the openness of Canon, and the amazing opportunity to see everything from how inks are made, to R&D labs with machines in development, to the production of the sold machines is by all means interesting. Regardless this film came to be about the transformation from offset to inkjet - and it is really good - Hayco van Gaal and Hans Schmidbauer from Canon EMEA share their insights. We will, however, shortly also deliver a more behind-the-scenes film, where you get an insight into how Canon works - pretty sure you will be as amazed as we were!

Lee Borns is the Vice President and 2nd. generation owner of Borns Group, Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA. Borns Group has grown over the years and experience that customers demand becomes more demanding. As he says, this changes the philosophy of printing/mailing more; it's about printing/the mailing smarter. To get the business operating as efficiently as possible, the company continues to invest in new technology, from new presses to smart software. One of the partners is Solimar, who delivers software enabling the Borns Group to create more innovative solutions. In this film, we get the opportunity to hear from Lee Borns about how Solimar supports their business.

Matthew Allen never planned a career in print, yet he now sees himself growing within the company he got part of years ago. Matthew Allen works at Eurostampa North America, an OMET customer throughout Europe and North America. An interesting journey for Matthew - enjoy the film!

Visiting a company like ColorDynamics is an experience in itself. The entrance is impressive, and the company's design makes it interesting, with gardens, courtyards, and space. The history of ColorDynamics is also fascinating, as it was founded in Chicago but moved years ago to Allen in Dallas and has since grown through excellent management and acquisitions. We learned all this from Brian Stone and David Dey, along with how the company reduced their four wide-format digital printers to two new Agfa wide-format printers, delivering more than anticipated and higher quality. ColorDynamics is a fantastic printing company specializing in trading cards and providing solutions using their Heidelberg and HP presses and web-offset machines with tailor-made finishing - super lovely company!

At the Sign, Print & Promotion 22 event in Helsinki we get the chance to meet with CEO and Founder Ailar Arna, who represent Agfa and Kongsberg in Estonia and Finland. Estonia is a country with only 1.3 million people, so when Airlar Arna set his eyes on expansion Finland was the obvious choice - and so did Agfa and Kongsberg think. Hear more about how it is running a company across different cultures!

In the suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa, we got the chance to visit quite an amazing printing company, Novus Holdings. The company was formerly known as Paarl Media, but as it went public, it changed its name. Peter Metcalf, Group Executive: Sales & Marketing, welcomes INKISH to the almost 70,000 m2 facility that houses all the printing equipment you can think of, from cut-sheet digital to rotogravure machines. In this film, you'll get an overview of the company, how they manage power outs for up to ten hours a day, and how they re-circulate ventilation and optimize their production. An amazing story and we are confident you will like it!

Antonie Roux is the CEO and owner of the successful online-printer PrintOclock.com in France. The online printing company is for now only in French. With one of the largest print markets in Europe, Antoine Roux continues to see growth in his market - however, being close to Spain, Roux is considering a Spanish version of PrintOclock as well.

Frida Julin is part of the greatest Scandinavian print success over the past many years - namely the Scandinavian Print Group - now part of German Onlineprinters. At Sign & Print in Stockholm, the group is promoting their Whitelabel solutions which enable printers to utilize the vast capacity the group has in the printing facilities around Denmark, Sweden, and Poland. Listen - this group has shown how printing companies can thrive and grow!

Frederik Parrein found great value in the DURST Expo because the access to the technical people allowed for one-on-one communication. He felt this is not possible at a larger show where there are thousands of attendees. Frederik also was pleased that the selected vendors were label market experts.

Frederic Pambianchi est le Directeur Général France de Koenig & Bauer. Il nous présente leur portefeuille qu'ils apportent et proposent sur le marché européen et en particulier en France. Dans cette interview très sympathique, nous parlons entre autres du cycle de vie d'une boîte en carton et de l'importance de leur rôle dans l'agenda "Green". INKISH mesure l'envie et la motivation en France d'investir dans les technologies nécessaires pour rester compétitif et pertinent.

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Frederic Deliat from DS Smith joined the BHS Open House earlier this year - and besides saying that each of DS Smith's plants can have different suppliers, he also told Editor Morten B. Reitoft that he is at the BHS Open House to see and experience the new BHS JetLiner. Interesting to see how BHS attracts many different people and how the Jetliner seems to be exciting for people to see at the Schumacher site :-)

After the COVID pandemic, BW Papersystems' folding carton business faced new challenges, with the market becoming more segmented and requiring shorter orders and credit times. Fred Duquenne explains that BW Papersystems developed a new generation of the web-fed platen die cutter, to address these needs. The "Mercury," ideal for food and beverage and general folding cartons like pharmaceutical and luxury packaging, offers significant advantages over traditional methods, including faster speeds and reduced raw material waste. At Drupa, BW Papersystems will announce the new product line to meet customers' evolving needs. The web-fed platen die cutter is not widely known outside North America but provides twice the speed of flatbed die cutters and impressive raw material savings. This technology is now ready for the European market. "We're launching the new generation machine "Mercury" with a very short make-ready time, designed for medium converters and folding carton plants, offering faster production and significant cost savings," Fred Duquenne says. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederic-duquenne-1b5a723a/

Franz Repp is responsible for the Scodix sales in the DACH countries (Germany, Switzerland, and Austria), and with a broad background in the printing industry and an always positive go-to- strategy I think he is one of the reasons why Scodix is successful. In this film, we talk, of course, a little about the coronavirus, how Scodix helps the customers to increase customer value and therefore also profit. As with all our 'Over the Skype' interviews, quality is limited to bandwidth, web-cams, and ability to literally LIVE mix the conversations. However, it works, and with Over the Skype, we will bring you more than 20 exciting people, and angles on the industry as it is right now. Enjoy!

In this interview, Pat McGrew talks to Dr. Frank Schaum from Heidelberg about the JetFire. The JetFire is the first Inkjet product launched in collaboration with Canon, and it came as a huge surprise to most at Drupa—even considered the most interesting news at the entire show. Now it's time to listen to Dr. Frank Schaum in his conversation with Pat McGrew!

We need specialists and beacons. Frank Romano has been one for a long time, and in this film, Frank Romano talks about - well, as usual, pretty much everything you want to know. Listen, enjoy. LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fxrppr/

Welcome back to another engaging episode of Taktiful Tuesdays! In this installment, host Eric Vessels sits down with his longtime friend Frank Mallozzi, the President of Konica Minolta’s Industrial Print and Production (IPP) Group. This conversation takes you on a journey through Frank’s unexpected return to the industry and his mission to drive innovation in the world of industrial printing. After a successful 25-year career at EFI, where he last served as the Chief Revenue Officer, Frank contemplated retirement. However, a call from Sam Errigo, CEO of Konica Minolta, changed his plans. Intrigued by the opportunities within Konica Minolta’s IPP Group, Frank felt the familiar spark of passion reignite. He couldn’t resist the challenge to lead a division focused on groundbreaking technologies in the printing industry. Frank shares insights into the three key segments that the IPP Group is concentrating on: 1. B2 Inkjet Technology: Exploring advancements in the shift from analog to digital printing, and how Konica Minolta is at the forefront of this transition. 2. Electrophotographic Label Printing: Discussing their significant market share in this area and the introduction of new products that enhance quality and efficiency. 3. Digital Embellishment: Delving into what Frank refers to as the “crown jewel” of their offerings, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize how businesses add value to print materials. Throughout their discussion, Eric and Frank address the challenges that come with introducing new technologies to the market. They emphasize the importance of educating customers, not just about the products themselves but about how these innovations can create new revenue streams and differentiate them in a competitive landscape. Frank underscores that success in this arena isn’t about competing on price but about offering unique value that customers can’t find elsewhere. The conversation also highlights the potential partnership between Taktiful and Konica Minolta. Both Eric and Frank express excitement about collaborating to provide education, training, and software solutions aimed at simplifying the adoption of digital embellishment technologies. They believe that by combining their strengths, they can make a significant impact on the industry and help customers overcome common hurdles. In a more personal segment, Frank opens up about the lessons he’s learned over his extensive career. He speaks passionately about the power of networking, the importance of execution over mere strategizing, and the value of leading by example. Frank recounts his own experiences, such as becoming the youngest director at Ricoh Corporation and recently completing his MBA after 35 years—a testament to his belief in lifelong learning and five-year planning. Eric and Frank wrap up their conversation by reflecting on the significance of relationships in business. They note how their professional paths have crossed over the years and how maintaining strong connections has been beneficial both personally and professionally. Their story serves as an inspiring example of how networking and mutual support can lead to exciting opportunities and collaborations. Don’t miss this insightful and heartfelt episode that not only explores the future of industrial printing but also offers valuable leadership lessons and career advice. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the industry, there’s something in this conversation for everyone.

In this Weber Reitoft, we talk to Commercial Director Frank de Jonge from Italian inkjet manufacturer NEOS. As usual, the format opens up for interesting discussions and understandings about what our guests' companies offer. NEOS is relatively new in the industry but has a lot of experience. The solution's modularity makes NEOS suitable for many different applications, from textiles to commercial print, labels, packaging, and even metal printing. Enjoy!