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New impulse partnership between Emstar and Armor for delivery of printer supplies.
Emstar and Armor are intensifying their cooperation to provide the specialist trade and dealer with an even better service in the field of printer supplies. With the wide range and the support of Armor, Emstar can further strengthen its ambition to act as a total supplier of printer supplies. Manufacturer Armor is strengthening its position in the dealer market with the help of Emstar as a specialist distributor. Leo Beekman (Emstar) and Frans Hondmann (Armor) about the ideal combination.
Emstar, which saw the light of day in 2003, presents itself as a total supplier of printer supplies. In the beginning, the ratio was 80 percent ink to 20 percent toner, but over the years that has completely tilted in favor of toner. “Currently, our turnover consists of more than 90 percent toner and just under 10 percent ink,” says Leo Beekman, owner of Emstar Nederland. “The goal for the future is to increase that last percentage and that is why we are giving the partnership with Armor, which started about three years ago, a new impetus. Armor shares the same vision with us. If there is an alternative product, we want to be able to supply it. Armor has a very wide range that fits well with Emstar, which enables us to act even better as a total supplier of printer supplies.”
New boost for ink
Beekman is pleased that the ink segment is getting a new boost at Emstar. “We have seen the ink evaporate considerably in recent years, partly due to the emergence of Chinese suppliers. That’s why we made the switch to toners. Now I see a lot of opportunities in the area of ink again, the question is coming back. We would like to respond to this, together with Armor.” Frans Hondmann, general manager of Armor, adds: “Armor is a production company, we are very good at manufacturing. Logistics is not our function here. Our aim is to have good parties in the various markets in Europe who bring the breadth of the range to both the dealer and the end user (via the dealer) in an accessible manner. You then end up with companies that know the products and can offer the corresponding service. A supplier like Emstar is just that.Hondmann also mentions the important collaboration with Quantore. “Quantore has a good top 200 in the warehouse in Beuningen, but the members are also regularly looking for printer supplies that fall outside this category. As a manufacturer, we cannot provide that service. Moreover, Quantore cannot keep all such products in stock. Emstar plays an additional role in this. In addition to the runners, we can then offer no less than two thousand extra, specialized products in the Quantore concept, either directly to the dealer or to the end user on his behalf. That is why this combination is optimal: Emstar is looking for a strong manufacturer that offers support and has a high quality, Armor is looking for a good distributor who also has a specialism. You don’t always find this with the broadliners.”
Supplies Service
Emstar has been active in printer supplies for almost twenty years. “The intensified collaboration with Armor also represents a new, fresh start,” says Beekman. “We launched our new website a few months ago. In addition, the house style has been given a more modern look. In doing so, we went back to the original values of our company. For example, with the subtitle of our new logo ‘Service in supplies’, we emphasize our service, with which we want to completely unburden the customer.We also distinguish ourselves with a piece of personal service. With this pay off, we are also cautiously looking to the future to perhaps offer more than just printer supplies. Furthermore, with the prominent color green in the logo and on the website, we reflect the focus on sustainability. We are now really ready for a new future, especially now that the corona crisis has come to an end. The end user can easily order Wecare products via the Emstar webshop. ”While Emstar is celebrating its fourth anniversary, Wecare, Armor’s well-known and strong brand, has been on the market for thirty years. Hondmann: “Wecare is an excellent addition for Emstar to the somewhat lagging ink segment. We hope, together with Emstar as distributor of the Wecare range, to renew the steadily built relationship with all our satisfied users. We had lost track of them a little bit, because many market players launched their own brand of printer supplies. But for the trade and retail trade, it’s important to have a brand they can trust and delivered through a partner who also offers good service and margin. Our goal is, together with Emstar, to put the Wecare brand more broadly in the market.”
The honest story
About two decades ago, the market for printer supplies was very local, notes Hondmann. “There was a local collection. At the time, there were 20 to 25 producers in the Netherlands who all collected and reproduced toners and ink. There is currently no company here anymore and a lot of know-how has been lost. It is very difficult for international parties to provide support at a local level and often do not have the right knowledge in-house. Emstar has become an exception here with the real expertise. Actually, Emstar plays the same role as a local manufacturer, which uses a cost leader like Armor to realize the production. You have the advantage of central efficiency, but with local support.’Hondmann underlines the importance of getting the honest story across. “You not only have the original product, but also the original product that will be reused a few times, in other words the circular product. In addition, there is also the Chinese product. We need to communicate the story of why a dealer should sell a remanufactured product instead of such a Chinese toner. Fortunately, circular is no longer a dirty word, but has become an important argument. We now have a product that is both cheaper and circular. The printer manufacturer now also looks at it with more respect.
“In conclusion, he thinks that steps can be taken quickly in the field of sustainability in a simple way. ‘As a government or company, do your best to look at circular alternatives to print supplies. This is low-hanging fruit when it comes to sustainability.’
https://kantoornet.nl/nieuwe-impuls-partnership-tussen-emstar-en-armorvoor-levering-printer-supplies/
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