Scott Clutton, who previously worked as a service manager for Signmaster Systems, an engineer at Hybrid Services, and a service business development manager at CMYUK before becoming a self-employed print engineer two years ago, launched his new venture last week.
He will serve as managing director and owner of China Print Supplies, working alongside business partner Steve Klein who will oversee the company’s marketing.
Clutton told Printweek that his initial perception of Chinese print kit was that it was of poor quality, but his mind was changed when he visited a trade show in China.
“I found that while there is still some rubbish out there, actually there’s a lot of good stuff and innovative stuff that the current brands in the UK aren’t doing.”
His initial idea was to showcase the best machines from different Chinese manufacturers. He went to the trade show to speak to three other suppliers but ultimately he decided to start the business by offering products from one good manufacturer whose kit he considered was all of high quality.
He signed a deal while in China with SinoColor, whose range he praised for its speed, print quality, and build quality. To begin, China Print Supplies has an exclusive UK and Ireland dealership for some of SinoColor’s UV printers.
“We will be expanding into their textile range and other bits as well, but UV is where most of my knowledge is these days,” Clutton explained.
Two SinoColor printers are on their way over from China at the moment and will be demonstrated at China Print Supplies’ site in Telford once they arrive.
The long-term plan is to add further manufacturers to the company’s roster down the line as the business grows.
As well as the Chinese kit, the company will also be selling Graphtec plotters to its customer base.
Clutton said the business had no current plans to offer Chinese cutters, as this market is saturated in the UK and there was more opportunity with printers due to the additional business from consumables.
Since its launch, Clutton said the business had seen some excitement about the hybrid UV printers and he said he was hoping to sell 30 printers in the company’s first year.
The service package from the firm will include the printer, training, UK stock and parts, and a three-year full UK warranty.
“The problem with the Chinese stuff in the UK at the moment is that you’re normally on your own – the customer goes straight to the manufacturer and then has to install it and look after it themselves and they don’t get a proper warranty,” Clutton said.
In terms of pricing, he added the kit was typically “two thirds of the price of competitor products but with at least as good performance and quality, if not better”, running with up to eight colours to offer higher resolution.
Read the Printweek briefing on the progress made in the Chinese print industry here.
