Ferrostaal will also take over the Australian and New Zealand distribution contracts for Wohlenberg guillotines and perfect binding lines, Baumann handling equipment and Osako saddlestitchers.

Ferrostaal chief executive Markus Haefeli called the CPI deal “awesome”.

“We lost the manroland agency about a year ago and so we started looking for new lines,” he told ProPrint.

Haefeli said the additions should take Ferrostaal’s turnover back up to where it was before losing the manroland agency.

“We’ll also be taking on certain CPI staff, probably between 12-15 over the next six month,” he added.

Haefeli said Ferrostaal would be going out to Komori customers over the next two weeks to “welcome them aboard”.

CPI said it will now “concentrate more on its core business”. It will continue to sell digital and wide-format printing kit, as well as related consumables.

Managing director Bernard Cassell said: “The sale is part of CPI’s strategic plan to concentrate more on its core business.”

He told ProPrint that the whole process had been “smooth and seamless”.

Cassell said: “Some staff will be moving across to Ferrostaal, some will be retained at CPI and unfortunately some roles will cease to exist.”

CPI’s general manager for graphics, Gerard Wintle, will move across to Ferrostaal over the course of the transition. Wintle told ProPrint: “Ferrostaal are getting a tremendous product range from CPI.”

CPI’s digital offering comprises HP Scitex industrial and commercial presses, as well as digital finishing devices from Morgana, Plockmatic and Challenge. Cassell told ProPrint the move would have no impact on its paper business.

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