EskoArtwork expands distributor network in Eastern Europe

Three new reseller agreements have been signed up at drupa by EskoArtwork in order to meet demand in the Eastern European display and packaging markets, where its revenues are increasing annually by 30 to 60 percent. The company's Kongsberg cutting tables will now be offered by Romanian companies ProPrint SRL and Grup Transilvae, both of Transylvania, and Croatian distributor Fortuna Komers, in this region.

The trio of newly-signed dealers will provide EskoArtwork customers in the region with sales and support services. Grup Transilvae and Fortuna Komers are both long-standing distributors of the full range of HP Designjet and HP Scitex printers, from aqueous- and mild-solvent based products through to wide- and superwide-format UV-curable options. The main customer base for these two companies is within the display and sign-making sectors whilst ProPrint specializes in the packaging industry. All three distributors realize the importance of adding the ability to add cutting, creasing and folding options to their portfolios.

‘We have 20 years of experience in the offset market but since we added the digital side four years ago we’ve seen 25 to 35 percent year-on-year growth,” explained Vice Stanic, sales manager of Fortuna Komers. ‘Our customers demand high standards of product and that’s why we believe in this new distribution channel, which combines our existing print portfolio with the expertise of EskoArtwork Kongsberg in cutting tables and software.’
As a newer enterprise, ProPrint was formed last year by EskoArtwork’s established Hungarian reseller, Partners Ltd. Horatiu Stef, ProPrint sales director, stated: ‘The Romanian packaging industry has responded very positively to our appointment and, with the growth of the Romanian market, it was clear that EskoArtwork needed direct local representation.’

ProPrint is based in the city of Cluj-Napoca and was set up in 2007 by EskoArtwork’s longstanding Hungarian reseller, Partners Ltd. of Budapest.

‘Eastern Europe is already our fastest growing region worldwide, and I’m confident that we will have more opportunities over the coming years, particularly in flexo plate making and software. I’m delighted that we have the right people on board to support this further expansion of our business,’ said David Joelsen, EskoArtwork sales manager for Eastern Europe.

The market for flexible packaging in Eastern Europe is forecast to increase by 6%–7% per year to 2010, with Russia and Ukraine seeing even larger increases. This is roughly double the European average; only China and India are predicted to see higher growth rates, according to recent research.