Speaking at a lunchtime press conference on its traditional ship on the Rhine the MAN Ferrostaal management board member Bernd Ahimann said that together with local managing director Markus Haefeli he was intent on bringing plates, blankets or chemicals, or possibly all three, to Australian printers.

MAN Ferrostaal did in fact have a successful three year spell as a consumables supplier, when it was trading as IPP a few years ago and worked with Fujifilm consumables, where it set up Graphic Services Australia, and built up a $20m a year business. However Fujifilm terminated the agreement and took the business in-house.

And with Kodak and Agfa having direct presence in the country the plate opportunity is not large, although Ahimann says there are still plenty of options out there. Certainly in blankets and chemicals there will be no shortage of choice for MAN Ferrostaal, especially as it is best known as the local agent for Manroland presses.

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