Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology partners with MPL

Print Solutions

Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology Ltd, the company formed from the marriage of the Mitsubishi and Ryobi press manufacturing businesses, has released detailed information regarding press sales and support in the UK for the Japanese equipment.

The European set up for the combined business now features MPL Limited, an operating division of M Partners Group, which has been named as the European Technical Service Centre for Ryobi MHI, with a focus on new B1 press sales and existing Mitsubishi press products.

As well as providing a direct focus on the sale of the Ryobi Diamond V3000 B1 offset press in UK and Eire, MPL will manage the European parts centre for machines previously sold under the Mitsubishi name. This operation has now moved to UK from Holland.

The Surrey based centre is now up and running for dealerships throughout the continent as well as for UK Mitsubishi press users.

As the lead service partners for Europe, MPL will provide service training and support throughout the continent, including service management for new machines during the initial warranty period. The hands-on aspect of European service will be managed by MPL’s European Technical Service Manager, Iain Moxon.

The parts centre is currently stocked with some Euro 2 million worth of spares. MPL has established strong links with US and with Japan to further ensure the swift and effective delivery of spares to current users. Ryobi's own spares centre in Germany will continue to provide parts for those for the smaller B3 and B2 presses originally sold under the Ryobi name, and Apex Digital Graphics will continue to manage the sale and service of those products in the UK.

Commenting on the appointment, Mark Stribley, joint managing director of MPL, said: ‘We have a strong track record of working with Mitsubishi products in UK since our appointment as a dealer back in 2010. We also bring B1 experience and expertise in sales, support, and marketing from our time spent in the industry.

‘We submitted a strong set of plans for how we would expect to run the European operation. Our enthusiasm, industry knowledge, and cost effective plan won the day against a number of other European operations that were keen to manage the business.’

In its new European role MPL will provide both technical support and technical training for dealers throughout Europe, including taking responsibility for warranty of new machines. The company will report directly to Japan.

‘The Ryobi/Mitsubishi combination is a well thought through partnership. The companies have come together in the knowledge that the industry and the market have changed significantly due to the march of technology. In our opinion European press suppliers have yet to bite this bullet or to understand the true requirements of the market or the changes that will be needed in their businesses in order to meet those requirements,’ added Mark.

Pictured left to right: Murray Lock, joint managing director, MPL, Kohei Yatsumoto, head of Sales Europe, Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology Ltd, Keiji Katayama, general manager, Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology Ltd, and Mark Stribley, joint managing director, MPL.