The group was founded in 1962 and until now has focused solely on ink manufacturing for industrial printing and distribution of coding, marking and laser etching equipment. However the business expanded in April this year when it launched its own range of continuous inkjet devices for coding and marking.
Now the business has invested £550,000 to set up Needham Coding Distribution to be solely responsible for the marketing and sales of the new N Series range into the group’s existing 60-strong, global ink distributor network.
“The plan is to target those to sell our own hardware as well as our consumables but to do that we needed a different business model to our UK and Irish model so Needham Coding Distribution will now build the distribution network for our own inkjet systems,” said Needham Group managing director Aled Ellis.
“It means we can go to our distributors, who have been buying our inks for many years, and say ‘Are you new interested in buying our hardware?’ It means we can offer them the full package,” he added.
The N Series of devices includes four ‘standard' models, the N16, N16+, N25 and N32. They offer small and large character printing from 0.6mm up to 19mm and can print at speeds of 100m/m up to 600m/min, dependent on the model.
The range, aimed predominantly at the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and personal care markets, is designed around Needhams own ink portfolio and is manufactured outside the UK by a specialist inkjet manufacturer under licence for Needham.
Ellis said that since launching the N Series “dozens” had been sold in the UK and Ireland and that through the new distribution subsidiary it has interest from 18 of its global distributors including Portugal, Italy, Russia, Turkey, India, Malaysia, Egypt, Nigeria and Vietnam.
“Two distributors have signed already and we hope others will follow suit soon,” he added.
The circa-50 staff Needham Group now consists of Needham Coding Distribution, ink manufacturing business Needham Inks, Needham Coding and Needham Coding Ireland, Needham’s former Ireland distribution partner Advanced Coding Solutions, which the group acquired in April this year.
The business has its group head office and ink manufacturing in Whitchurch, Shropshire and a technical base for Needham Coding UK in Sheffield as well as its site in Mullingar for Needham Coding Ireland.
Whitchurch is also the global head office for Needham Coding Distribution for which the group has acquired a new 1,000sqm facility opposite its existing site. Ellis said the company planned to recruit a “significant team” to run the new business, potentially up to 20 new roles.
