EFI has its eyes on packaging print, says its new chief, with the Nozomi inkjet platform poised to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the sector.
Giving his opening address at his first EFI Connect, the company’s new CEO Bill Muir told the 1800-strong crowd that packaging will be a key growth opportunity for the business.
He also pledged that the company would continue its drive to enable printers and packaging companies to exploit the myriad opportunities emerging in the modern era.
“My aim at EFI is to provide the market with innovation which it can successfully execute in the digital age,” said Muir.
He quoted legendary General Electric CEO Jack Welch, who said businesses that changed slower on the inside than technology on the outside were in trouble, while those that kept pace with technological innovation would emerge as the winners.
Muir was speaking at the 20th EFI Connect, the world’s largest graphic arts user group event, which sees printers from around the world converge on the Wynn, Las Vegas, for four days of insight, discussion, product launches, and training. The speech came on the eve of his 100th day in the job as only the company’s third CEO in its 30 year existence, following founder Efi Arazi, and Guy Gecht, who stepped down in October after a 17-year stint at the top.
Muir promised to focus on ensuring EFI continues to provide printers with the means to meet their customers' evolving needs.
He said the figures showed that while traditional print was in decline digital print and value added services were on the rise. He said, “My responsibility as CEO is to keep the innovation engine at EFI moving strongly.
“Together we are changing print’s DNA. The stakes are high, we can inspire the world with spectacular imagery, I want us to fuel the future together.”
He said that while traditional litho print was continuing its decline, new digital print was rising strongly, and that the evidence showed that ‘print is here, there and everywhere’. He pointed to packaging as a prime example of a new opportunity through EFI's Nozomi platform, which is now installed on four continents, including Australia: Orora took the first one, and the first in the world to come with white ink.
EFI is seeing Nozomi being used for corrugated printing and corrugated display, at integrated corrugators and independent converters. At the show it announced a new top feeder for wider stock range, and a new enhanced precoater; also being upgraded is the company's productivity suite, to version 7, which will now include a 3D packaging design visualisation function.
The four-day Connect event will see a host of sessions on a variety of topics for the delegates.
EFI is just short of a US$1bn company, with three main divisions of inkjet, Fiery, and software solutions. Of these inkjet is the largest at around 60 per cent of company revenue, it produces print hardware systems for paper, vinyls and board, glass, wood, ceramics and fabric. Fiery represents about 25 per cent of income, with software solutions around 15 per cent.
