The Gatwick-based company will sell Canon’s aqueous wide-format printers to the UK market and also be responsible for installation, training and support as well as sales. It will work with Canon’s largest distribution partner Velmex Distribution.
Papergraphics managing director Nathan Atkins said: “In the inkjet aqueous market Canon is coming up way ahead of others. It’s quite exciting what they have in the pipeline.
“Canons are faster than Epson or HP, they have lower ink useage and a broad colour gamut. They also have the ability for us to remotely diagnose problems.”
He said the deal also offered Canon a new opportunity to reach a previously untapped demographic.
The move follows the adoption of Paperlinx’s Jetrix hardware and software sales – and six members of the former Paperlinx UK digital solutions team - last month, following the bulk of Paperlinx UK’s operations being put into administration. The transferred staff had previously also worked on the Canon account at Paperlinx.
Papergraphics has spent 30 years selling media and ink but has recently shifted focus and decided to become a 'value-added reseller'.
Atkins said Papergraphics wanted to work with the best OEMs in the market, and was considering other deals to continue its move into hardware and software sales.
He said the company had considered other aspects of Paperlinx reseller business, including the HP Z-series machines, but decided the products were not for them. However other parts are still being looked at “to see if they would work with our customer base”.
Paul Whitelock, UK channel manager at Velmex Distribution and Canon’s largest distribution partner, said: “Velmex Distribution has enjoyed a long-standing and successful relationship with the Paperlinx digital hardware sales team. We are very much looking forward to working with Papergraphics.”
James Argent, one of six members of the Paperlinx UK digital solutions team to join Papergraphics, said his team had established rapport and history with the Canon team. “We recognise it’s a fantastic opportunity for Canon to work with experienced professionals it is familiar with.”
The company reported a £14.6m turnover in its latest filed accounts. It has around 90 people working in the UK.
