SIMPSON BACK WITH KOENIG & BAUER

Rayne Simpson has returned to the print industry as national sales manager for Koenig & Bauer ANZ, with the company entering a new era, and racking up press sales.

He will report to new managing director Graham Harris, who stepped up following the retirement of former incumbent Dave Lewis. In addition to his new responsibilities Harris also maintains his responsibility for service and support.

Simpson had a 21-year career in the local print industry, working with leading suppliers, before taking four years outside the industry, and is well known to both commercial and packaging print businesses on both sides of the Tasman. He said, “Koenig & Bauer’s latest developments, to assist new and existing customers be more productive and profitable, makes one excited for our industry, which is searching for new and innovative business models moving forward. I am delighted to be back, as part of the Koenig & Bauer team.”

Simpson said Koenig & Bauer is currently experiencing something of a sales boom, with orders taken for B1, B2 and 145cm presses, straight and perfecting, from packaging and commercial printers. He said, “There is pent up demand with a lot of older presses out there, and the new generation of Koenig & Bauer presses are highly productive, with precision engineering, and perfectly suited to the new era of short-makeready, minimal waste and totally consistent high-quality print on a range of substrates. It is no wonder they are being ordered by ANZ print businesses.”

Simpson will be responsible for the full range of Koenig & Bauer presses, and finishing solutions, including folder gluers, rotary and flatbed die cutters for the folding carton and corrugated markets, digital and webfed presses, such as digital web printing, web offset printing, and corrugated post-printing and processing.

He said, “Our range is aimed at customers' productivity needs and tailored options which allow printers to design and make it their own press for their own market. We are excited to share Koenig & Bauer's latest technology with commercial and packaging printers looking to add to or replace their ageing presses.”

In addition, there is a joint venture with inkjet technology manufacturer Durst, developing the digital print technology for the growing demands of the folding carton and corrugated board industries. Simpson said, “We look forward to growing our partnership here in Australia and New Zealand with Matt Ashman and his team at Durst Oceania.”