Under the new partnership, Binding Store will sell the Rilecart systems and solutions while PPS will install and support the machinery and supply spare parts.

The deal came about after Post Press Systems (PPS) initially took on the manufacturer's range from previous UK agent Joto Print Finishing Systems last year, but subsequently decided to work with Binding Store on the sales side.

“Chris’s strength [Chris Broomfield, PPS director] is on the engineering side of things, so installation, service and spares and we’re strong on the sales side, we’ve sold a lot of wire binding equipment over the years, so the conversation started there and Rilecart were keen for us to work together, so it just made sense,” said Binding Store managing director Russell Cunningham.

Binding Store and PPS have previously worked together on various projects. Binding Store specialises in new and used sales of a wide variety of binding kit and is the UK agent for Paperfox die-cutters; while PPS, as well as offering service support for finishing kit and used collators sales, is the UK agent for MKW collators.

“We’ve known each other for many years, so there was a trust there already and we’ve sold Rilecart equipment in the past, so we know how good it is, Chris’s team are the experts in installation, support and training – so we just looked at ways we could work together,” Cunningham said. 

He added that he hoped to get some Rilecart machines, such as the mid-range 1,500 cycles per hour R500 semi-automatic wire binder, installed at its demo facility in Welwyn Garden City in the next few months.

“The proof is in the pudding isn’t it? People like to bring their own work along and see machines running and we’re always keen to support that,” said Cunningham.

“I come from a production background myself after all, and I like to think that’s one of our USPs – our ability to switch between a sales hat and a production one.”

Rilecart, which is based in Northern Italy close to Bergamo, celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Its portfolio ranges from the high-end, highly-automated industrial series of book and calendar punching and binding lines to the professional series of semi-automatic machines targeted at commercial printers and inplants.

Presco will continue to supply consumables for the Rilecart machines in the UK.