The company has been named as the UK and Ireland agent for the full range of bookbinding and converting products made by Italian company Zechini, and for binding kit from IBIS Integrated Bindery Systems, based in High Wycombe.

Zechini’s range includes case-makers, trimmers and gluing machines, aimed at short, medium and long production runs.

Terry Cooper Services had been Zechini’s UK agent for products including the X-Book range of casing machines, following its appointment in February 2012, but the agreement ended in the past few weeks.

Zechini managing director Fulvio Zechini said Friedheim had “long-standing expertise in the finishing sector”.

Mark Bristow, managing director of Friedheim International, said Zechini’s product range would enable his firm to target customers in the digital, packaging and converting sectors as well as in commercial print.

He also praised Zechini’s adoption of digital and mobile technology in its technical support, pointing out that it had developed an app for Android and IOS which enables customers to check product videos on the move.

Friedheim’s sales and support deal with IBIS covers a range of Smart-binder saddle-stitch products and Sprint-binder perfect-binder models.

Earlier in May, Friedheim announced a deal to offer folding and gluing machines from Italian company Vega Group, and in January 2013 it became exclusive UK distributor for Kohmann, the German finishing equipment supplier.

Terry Cooper sales manager Dean Stayne said that, following the end of its relationship with Zechini, the firm was in talks with other overseas manufacturers to offer similar products to the X-Book range but nothing was confirmed yet.