Used printing machinery and equipment dealer Printing & Graphic Machinery is a leading trade company in England and was present at Pamex 2013 to increase their presence in the South Asian markets. Giles Smith, director at Printing & Graphic Machinery, said at the event, “Our company was established in 1977 and we are suppliers of used offset printing presses, book binding machines and finishing equipment.
Sourced mainly from around Europe and America, we supply our machines worldwide.” The company has a team of engineers and a refurbishing centre in London and arranges for shipping and installation of machines anywhere in the world.
The biggest markets for the company are the Asian markets of China, Indonesia, Thailand and upcoming markets like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The company supplies used equipment of leading brands such as Heidelberg, Komori, KBA, manroland, Mitsubishi, Muller Martini, Kolbus, Hunkeler, MBO, amongst many other prepress, postpress and offset press manufacturing companies. “Every market is unique in terms of printing requirements and we have been successfully able to gauge these needs for the past 36 years. In the Indian market, Heidelberg, Komori and KBA are most sought after machines while manroland and Mitsubishi are also witnessing growth in demand.
Shifting dynamics of the used machinery market
The market for used machines, whic has become serious business for printers and suppliers, are reaping the best of this opportunity. “Ten years ago, we were getting enquiries for machines which were much older machines from the 1970s and 1980s – a machine from the 1990s was considered a young machine. However, the South Asian markets are currently looking for printing units from anywhere between 2000 to 2005 due to increasing awareness about automation requirements. This is beneficial for suppliers like us as these machines can be easily sourced from Europe as the older machines have already been exported to African and Asian printers,” says Smith.
Commenting on the used printing machinery industry and its growth prospects, Smith said that with the economic crisis staring at Europe and impacting major international economies in most parts of the world, buying new machinery and equipment has become difficult for printers and hence, there is a substantial growth in demand for used machines especially in developing economies where finances are often a key to purchase decisions. “The financial downturn since 2007 in Europe has resulted in banks and financial institutions refusing to provide credit to customers to purchase brand new equipment. Also, many printing units have shut down due to bankruptcy in the last five years which has made many newer machines available in the used machinery market. These machines can be supplied at prices which are 50% or lower to customers making it a win-win situation for everyone as it becomes easier to get these machines financed.”
Optimistic future sentiments
Printing and Graphic Machinery participates in various printing exhibitions worldwide. “We try to exhibit in all the major printing shows around the world as these provide us valuable insights into prospective
markets and help us analyse the potential for used printing machines and equipment. Pamex has been a rewarding experience as we have come across potential customers who are either existing users or start-ups willing to enter the printing industry without spending a fortune,” says Smith.
India is the current target market for Printing & Graphic Machinery and while the fluctuating exchange rates have dampened sales in recent times, steady demand continues to encourage the company’s focus on this market. “The currency fluctuations are the only reasons to worry for doing business with India, but all other factors remain stable and we are optimistic about strong sales in this region,” says Smith
