Ferrostaal picks up Komori from CPI

Paper merchant to keep the HP Scitex wide format line as it exits the heavy machinery business.

Industry veteran, Gerard Wintle, will transfer across to Ferrostaal to run the press business for Markus Haefeli, managing director, following the announcement today of the much anticipated deal. A number of other CPI personnel will also make the transition.

Getting the Komori agency satisfies Ferrostaal’s requirement for a press marque since it lost the manroland agency last year. It comes with a considerable array of high-end machinery brands from CPI– Wholenberg guillotines and perfect binding, Baumann handling and Osako saddlestitchers. 

According to Haefeli, (pictured) the Komori deal provides a perfect fit for the company. “For us its an amazing step forward. We’ve been looking at various press lines for seven to eight months. Komori gives us a large installed base of presses in Australia. We have the infrastructure and it demonstrates that we are totally committed to the graphic arts industry,” said Haefeli.

Ferrostaal will now gain access to a whole new range of printing industry customers. In recent years Komori has become the second most popular brand of sheetfed-offset presses, after Heidelberg. It expands the company’s range following its entry into digital printing with the Canon agency last year.

The move also frees CPI from the vagaries of the high-end capital equipment market. According to Bernard Cassell, managing director, it enables the publicly listed paper merchant to get back to concentrating on its core business – paper and consumables.

“Ferrostaal is well placed to look after our Komori customers. We were adamant that the company is able to ensure there was good support and back up. Our relationship with the customers is far broader than a piece of machinery,” he said.

The remaining HP Scitex wide format agency plays to CPI’s strengths with substrates and consumables. A new manager for the division will be announced shortly. In addition to the wide format business CPI has held on to the digital finishing equipment lines such as Morgana and Plockmatic.

The price of the deal between the companies is held commercial in confidence, however it will become apparent when CPI publishes its annual results.