BUSINESS / NEWS 12 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk Issue 344 - September / October 2023 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine Ribbon cutting opens Hybrid’s showroom On Monday July 17th, Hybrid Services opened the doors to its newly refurbished showroom in Crewe, Cheshire. To commemorate the day, the UK distributor of Mimaki technology welcomed around 40 of its UK and Ireland resellers along with Hybrid co-founders Phil Thomas and Peter Mitchell, and the Mayor of Cheshire East, Cllr Rod Fletcher. Arjen Evertse, general manager of sales for Mimaki Europe; Mr Takahiro Hiraki, Mimaki Europe CEO; and Mina Maeda, senior sales manager for Mimaki Europe also made the journey from Amsterdam to be part of the day. The new, extended showroom houses a huge range of Mimaki hardware with a number of applications on display, as well as remodelled meeting areas and upgraded hospitality facilities. Richard Williams, showroom manager of Hybrid Servies has been with the company for a number of years and was instrumental in the design of the new showroom alongside managing director Brett Newman. Speaking at the opening event, Williams told Print Monthly about the inspiration behind the refurbishment: “I likened the environment in here to a shop that’s got that retail feel. People come into the showroom, and we are showing the products. In turn, these products will be used to create products that will ultimately sell a product, so it’s creating that environment.” Something Williams is keen to emphasise is the fact the showroom has been designed for Hybrid’s UK and Ireland resellers to use as if it was their own, with the venue housing such an extensive range of Mimaki kit. The Mayor of Cheshire East, Cllr Rod Fletcher was invited to the opening, signifying the connection Hybrid has with the wider community. Speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony, the Mayor said: “The investment that Hybrid Services has made in this facility is a real vote of confidence in both the town of Crewe and of Cheshire East, as the borough’s Mayor, I thank them for their investment and wish them luck for the future with a facility such as this. Arjen Evertse, general manager of sales for Mimaki Europe also addressed attendees making a special mention to Hybrid Services for supporting Mimaki for almost three decades. Arjen Evertse, general manager of sales for Mimaki Europe [pictured far right] thanked Hybrid for 27 years of loyalty By Carys Evans Konica Minolta celebrates 150 years Whilst most of the big print technology manufacturers date back around 90 years, few have a history as longstanding as Konica Minolta which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The company was founded in 1873, three years before Alexander Graham Bell filed his patent for the telephone and six years before Thomas Edison invented the electric lightbulb. The company’s inception also coincided with the UK’s first chocolate Easter eggs from J. S. Fry & Sons, the first US postal card being issued, and the first prototype of a typing machine being sold. Konica Minolta’s story began when Rokusaburo Sugiura opened a small specialist shop for photographic and lithographic products in Tokyo named the Konica Corporation. In 1928 Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shoten was founded (later known as Minolta Co) and three decades later the first copier, the ‘Minolta Copymaster’ was completed. Two years later and the first images of the earth were taken from space using a Minolta Hi-Matic. With the turn of the 21st century, the world’s first polymerised toner with biomass, which reduces CO2 and NOx emissions by up to 40% was developed. In 2003, Konica and Minolta merged to form Konica Minolta with the company entering the production printing sector with the Konica Minolta bizhub Pro 1050 the next year. Following this move into production print, the company moved away from the camera market in 2007 and almost ten years later, Konica Minolta introduced its AccurioJet KM-1 B2+ UV inkjet printing system. In 2020, the company was named a worldwide leader for print transformation by IDC and most recently was named the best managed service provider and leading system house in Germany for the second time in a row. Fast forward to today, the company employs over 40,000 people globally. The manufacturer also has a total of 19,814 patents registered, 2 million customers worldwide, and is active in 51 countries throughout Europe. Sustainability remains a core focus with Konica Minolta actively contributing to the achievement of the UN sustainable development goals including 80% CO2 reduction by 2050, Net Zero in Scope 2 by 2050, and 100% renewable energy by the same year. Konica Minolta is celebrating a huge milestone as it sees in its 150th year in business By Carys Evans
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