The ECS team celebrating their double victory at The Recycler Awards.
The second day of the annual event, part of the Paperworld trade show, concluded with the bestowal of The Recycler Awards 2019.
Following on from Saturday’s optimistic opening day, Messe Frankfurt’s Hall 5.1 was once again thriving from early on this morning, with even more visitors taking the chance to meet, mingle, network, and do business with the more than a hundred exhibitors.
As on Day One, the general mood was one of positivity, as reflected by Alfred Wirch, CEO of 3T/Peach, who told The Recycler that Sunday had seen “lots of very good discussions in meetings,” and that the company was “looking forward to building new relationships” following these encounters.
“We’ve had more visitors than before, the booth is always busy,” Wirch continued. “What more can you ask?”
Speed Infotech’s CEO Benjamin Young was also in high spirits, and was particularly pleased with the visitor and customer reaction to his company’s newly-launched line of refurbished copiers, which he said was provoking “lots of interest.”
Day Two was not without controversy, however, despite the upbeat ambience, with the German Federal Customs Service (Zoll) undertaking raids on multiple companies’ booths, with the resultant confiscation of products sparking much discussion throughout the hall.
For many, the defining highlight of Sunday came late in the day, with the official ETIRA Drinks reception, and The Recycler Awards 2019. Following weeks of voting, thousands of votes, and several very close contests, the prestigious honours were presented by The Recycler’s Editor and Publisher, Stefanie Unland, alongside colleague Owen Collins and Lightwords Director Peter Mayhew.
Taking home the much-sought after prize for Remanufacturer of the Year was British company ECS, with a second award soon following in the shape of the 2019 Rising Star Award, won by the firm’s Jack Anderson. Speaking afterwards, company director Felicity Rabbitte spoke glowingly of her colleague, stating that the brace of honours was “like winning the Oscar for Best Picture, and then getting the Best Actor award as well.”
“It’s absolutely fantastic,” said Managing Director Chris Fink. “It’s been brought about by a massive team effort, we’ve had a fantastic year with our remanufactured products, and I’m just pleased that everyone is starting to see the fantastic good and products that we’re producing at ECS.”
The Reseller of the Year Award was won by Katun, following the company’s previous victory in 2018. Heidi Boller, Katun’s General Manager for EMEA, explained that “it’s our second win in a row, so we’re very, very happy.”
Biuromax’s Supplier of the Year-winning team.
Also basking in victory was the team from Biuromax, which was honoured in the Supplier of the Year category. “We are happy, very, very happy, of course,” said Marzena Bourguignon, the Polish company’s Key Account Manager for Europe. “We will do our best now to continue our success, and we want to do even more!”
Further awards went to Chinese company Ninestar, which won Marketing Campaign of the Year; Spain’s cartridge collector Bioservice, which was named Collector of the Year for the second successive year, and Static Control, which tasted victory in the Customer Service of the Year category.
“We’re absolutely delighted,” explained Static CEO Ken Lalley, “and at the end of the day, it’s a reflection of our commitment to our customers. We’re thrilled – thank you to our customers, and all who voted for us!”
Sunday also saw a continuation of The Recycler Live Frankfurt Seminars, with the Seminar Theatre filling up for talks from a range of the aftermarket’s best and brightest, including Delacamp COO Volker Kappius and IMAAK’s Senior Account Manager (Inks), Hasan Bagli.
Kappius took to the lectern to discuss the recent history and latest innovations of toner technology, focussing particularly on the differences between chemical toner, and conventional toner. Explaining that “the ecological side of toner is becoming more and more important,” Kappius declared that despite its “dirty name,” water-based chemical toner was gaining in value and prominence, and could offer “better yield, better fusing, and clearer images.”
IIMAK’s Bagli, meanwhile, discussed the growth of digital printing with inkjet, and the importance of diversification when it comes to maintaining inkjet’s market share. “Making everything digital doesn’t mean you stop printing,” he told the gathered audience. “It just means you can print on everything!”
Monday’s Day Three will see another fascinating line-up of speakers grace the podium, including Turbon’s Javier Martinez, who will examine MPS versus contract sales, and the associated impact on resources, margin, and service; Static Control’s General Sales Manager Paul Needham, who will discuss the importance of working with suppliers you can trust and rely on; and PRP Solutions’ Joachim Kretschmer, who will investigate intellectual property – “the key aspect of the hardcopy business.”
To stay up-to-date on all of the news and developments from Remanexpo at Paperworld, stay tuned to www.therecycler.com; you can catch up on all the action from Day One, here, or visit our dedicated show pages, by clicking here.
