MCSi has spent 5m on relocating its two previous sites into custom-built premises in Waltham Abbey as part of a major push into the UK.


It is also starting to work more closely with Leeds-based sister company Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses (MLP) to put together joint pre-press and press packages, including consumables.


In the UK, Mitsubishi is a sleeping giant, said MCSi sales and marketing director Jo Simons. My job is to wake it up.
It has been undersold in the UK, but now were sending out the message that we mean business and we want market share. The only other company offering a complete solution is Heidelberg and it doesnt make its own consumables.


As well as demonstration areas housing the companys range of pre-press and digital photography, the 4,000m2 Waltham Abbey site has a pressroom awaiting the delivery of a B1 Mitsubishi Diamond six-colour perfector next month.
A CreoScitex Lotem 800 platesetter along with other pre-press equipment is also being installed at MLPs Leeds showroom where MCSi has 500m2 of offices.


Customer demonstrations will run all the way from digital photography through to press sheets under one roof. Simons described the companys demonstration facilities as unique in the industry in Europe.
It is also beefing up its sales team with a number of appointments, including national sales manager for pre-press Tony Suckling, who joins from Kodak Polychrome Graphics.


The Waltham Abbey
site houses administration, demonstration, training and distribution. It employs 100 staff who have moved from the companys old offices in Aylesbury and Docklands. They housed MC Imaging and Silicon Imaging sites before MCI bought Silicon Imaging to form MCSi
last year (PrintWeek, 3 November 2000).


Story by Barney Cox