IIJ celebrates 10th anniversary ahead of inkjet growth curve

IndPrint

Industrial Inkjet Ltd (IIJ) is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The company, which has had another record breaking year with turnover 16% ahead of the 2014 total where sales had jumped 50% more than any previous year, is predicting another big business surge for its industrial inkjet business moving forward.

Managing director John Corrall said, ‘Our growth over the 10 years has been steadily upwards, but now we are predicting that certain markets – including packaging and security – are going to climb extremely quickly in the near future.

‘What we keep saying is that it’s ‘hockey stick’ time for inkjet in a lot of markets, which means a big upturn at the end. We are ready to be surfing on that crest of a wave.’

The company uses Konica Minolta inkjet printhead technologies and provides bespoke systems for customers in numerous industries. Customers range from niche integrators and printers right up to global giants in sectors such as pharmaceutical, security printing, labels, packaging, confectionery, flooring and laminates.

IIJ was started in December 2005 when Akiyoshi Ohno, former president and now senior adviser, Konica Minolta Inkjet division, invited John to head up a European distribution business for its industrial inkjet heads.

‘Five minutes into a conversation at dinner Ohno-san asked me to run industrial inkjet sales and technical support in Europe,’ said John. ‘I said I was going to set up a company anyway, so we shook hands. And it has just grown from there.’

From providing expertise and parts for machines, in 2007 IIJ made a new label making system that was launched by Konica Minolta at drupa in 2008. After that show, it began making its own complete industrial inkjet systems.

IIJ is also the official sales and technical support centre for Konica Minolta Inc. products outside of Asia.