Above: Phillip Burns (Agfa), Paul Whitehead (Currie Group) and Brett Addison (EFI)
Local executives Phillip Burns, Paul Whitehead, and Brett Addison have shared their thoughts on the new global Agfa and EFI partnership.
Phillip Burns, Agfa sales manager – inkjet for Oceania, said: “The strategic alliance announced between Agfa and EFI is an important supply agreement for our industry and will strengthen the portfolios of both companies with best-in-class devices added to their equipment portfolio. The agreement will further accelerate the development of new technology for both organisations. Each company is recognised as a market leader and this focus and combined intellectual knowledge will further strengthen these segments ahead of the market.”
Brett Addison, EFI sales and business development manager, said the feedback from the local industry since the announcement earlier this week has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I am already loving my job – but this partnership means it is now even more exciting. EFI and AGFA now leveraging technology from each other’s portfolios is great news. It strengthens our go-to-market in Australia and New Zealand with a unique offering with market-leading technology, support and sales.
“I have worked for organisations before where you can visit a small business with one or two people or a large company with 100 or 200 staff and have a solution for their company. Everyone has a hole in their portfolio and with this new partnership, we will have the ability to sell something to a business just getting started in wide format or display graphics as well as business at the top tier of our industry such as an IVE, Cactus Imaging, or Style Print.
“With the service and support we receive from the Currie Group there is no one we can’t work with now in this industry. Our work with Currie Group is a great relationship for EFI, but it is also a great arrangement that helps our clients be successful as well.”
Paul Whitehead, business unit manager – sign & display, Currie Group, said: “Currie Group is excited by this announcement as it further enhances the product portfolio, we offer the sign and display market. Agfa’s hybrid portfolio has a strong reputation and allows us to further target the commercial space, leveraging our long-standing customer relationships and renowned service and support.”
Earlier this week Agfa and EFI announced they had entered a global strategic partnership aimed at “leveraging each other’s cutting-edge technologies to be launched at FESPA Amsterdam in March”.
A joint statement issued simultaneously in Belgium and USA by both businesses described the collaboration between two industry leaders as a significant milestone in the wide-format inkjet printing arena.
“Customers and prospects stand to gain unparalleled advantages from this strategic collaboration. Through the mutual strengthening of the Agfa and EFI portfolios, both companies can present the broadest and most innovative product offering available in the market today, as well as a reliable service infrastructure,” the joint statement said.
“The collaboration will debut on the global stage at the FESPA trade fair in Amsterdam (19-22 March 2024), where Agfa and EFI will be showcasing the potential of this dynamic collaboration at their respective booths. Agfa and EFI are committed to continuous innovation and expanding the horizons of inkjet printing. Customers can benefit from the strengths and innovative solutions of both companies while maintaining relationships with their existing partners.”
Pascal Juéry, CEO of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, said: “Digital print is one of our company’s key growth engines. This strategic partnership with industry leader EFI will broaden the range of options we can offer to our customers and expand the market reach for our state-of-the-art solutions. It truly is a milestone for our company and for the wide-format printing industry at large.”
Frank Pennisi, CEO of EFI, stated: “For over thirty years, EFI has focused on the analogue to digital conversion of high-value print applications. EFI and Agfa are the most trusted brands in the industry, and we now have the ability to accelerate our customers’ digital journey and make them even more productive. We are excited for this next chapter and the ability to leverage the strengths of both organizations to move the industry forward.”
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