HBO Nova’s growth in label orders during pandemic revives investment deal with Konica Minolta
An investment in all-inclusive digital printing and finishing systems as well as business consultancy assistance from Konica Minolta is a catalyst for access to new growth markets in labels after the merger of two print companies with complementary expertise in the Nordics – Haugesund Bok & Offset (HBO) and Nova Print Stavanger AS.
Konica Minolta’s AccurioLabel 230 roll-to-roll toner digital production press will be going into newly-named HBO Nova AS’s production plant in Haugesund, Norway, in July. The labels will be finalised on Grafisk Maskinfabrik’s DC 330 finishing equipment, a specially developed converter for digitally printed labels, which will be installed at the same time.
The complete converting and finishing unit from Konica Minolta will enable HBO Nova to offer its customers digitally-printed self-adhesive labels for every imaginable purpose, in small and medium-sized editions, in the highest possible quality. One niche market already being actively explored is labelling for beers following a sharp rise in the number of micro-breweries, but also national and international breweries which are already customers, may use HBO Nova’s offerings for self-adhesive labels printed on the new Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 230 for niche markets. Food sectors – including meat and tomato – are also ripe for digital label production where HBO Nova sees opportunities locally as well as in Western Europe and in the Middle East.
The machinery investment agreement was originally planned for completion in March until Covid-19 resulted in lockdown and a delay. However, when label volumes continued to rise, HBO Nova decided to press ahead two months later.
I want to put on record our sincere appreciation to Konica Minolta for its due diligence and expertise in helping us to get where we are now. The staff have listened, advised on digital processes and commercial aspects to create a platform to build significant new revenue streams. It has been exciting and educational for all parties and we look forward to an ongoing successful partnership. The service model is also extremely important. And it’s been very good from Konica Minolta. There can be real problems if service is unreliable.
The packaging industry is a growth market across the world. But customers are now demanding shorter runs and personalisation for their products, particularly as more and more smaller brands come on to the market. And they demand more and more local products and service. Before choosing this solution from Konica Minolta, we checked out its competitors. But there was nothing to compare on the market in terms of the quality of the product through to the service provided and the expertise. Konica Minolta’s solutions is the correct one for us. It’s a win-win situation for all parties concerned. We can’t go into full details but we have a real plan to grow in the market. It’s not only a dream.
We know from customer feedback that our dedicated market and consultative approach is working. Around the world, around the clock – we help shape ideas for our customers. HBO Nova’s growth in label volumes orders during the coronavirus-related lockdown reflects our own industry research where customers are reporting a surge in digital production. And while many companies reduced their on-site workforce during lockdowns, the AccurioLabel presses were machines of choice thanks to their ease of use, extremely high quality and reliability.
About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. Konica Minolta enables its clients to champion the digital era: with its unique imaging expertise and data processing capabilities, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers and solves issues faced by society. As a provider of comprehensive IT services, Konica Minolta delivers consultancy and services to optimise business processes with workflow automation. The company further offers its customers solutions and managed services in the field of IT infrastructure and IT security as well as cloud environments. With regard to its office printing solutions, ‘IDC MarketScape: Western Europe Smart Multifunctional Peripheral 2018 Vendor Assessment’ stated that Konica Minolta is ‘recognised globally as a leading smart MFP provider of note’. As a strong partner for the professional printing market, Konica Minolta offers business consulting, state-of-the-art technology and software and has established itself as the production printing market leader for more than a decade in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa (InfoSource). In the healthcare sector, Konica Minolta drives digitalisation of clinical workflows and offers a broad range of next-level diagnostic solutions. Its Business Innovation Centre in London and four R & D laboratories in Europe enable Konica Minolta to bring innovation forward by collaborating with its customers as well as academic, industrial and entrepreneurial partners. For its solutions that combine ‘smart service with smart technology’, Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious ‘Buyers Lab PaceSetter Award for Outstanding Serviceability 2018/2019’ from Keypoint Intelligence. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 80 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With approximitaley 10,000 employees (as of April 2020), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over 2,34 billion in financial year 2019/2020.
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