Page 18 - BOSS Today Issue 45
P. 18

BOSS Today      #45     SPECIAL FEATURE








                                                     Armor UK


                                          Sean Loftus, Head Of UK Sales



               Q:   What has been the recent trend   A:   CSR is very much at the heart   market. We will also share
                 in demand for compatible and   of what we do. We produce an    ideas, product information and
                 remanufactured cartridges?     annual report that we believe is   documentation with dealers, if
               A:   There has been a significant   the strongest and most detailed   required, to enable them to meet
                 increase in the market being   in the aftermarket sector and   and deliver on the CSR demands
                 flooded by new-build clones/   in many respects we have led    of their customers.
                 compatibles. The volume share   the market and driven customer
                 of remanufactured products     demand for sustainable print   Q:   What will be the trends for
                 has increased slightly in the   cartridges. Our toner cartridges   printer cartridges in the next
                 UK colour laser market, mainly   are 100% remanufactured and   two years?
                 because of their quality, lower   our flagship OWA brand is a   A:   The market is moving towards
                 price, their sustainability    complete closed loop solution   higher speed and more
                 credentials and the fact that   for toners, with a guaranteed 0%   sophisticated devices and
                 end-users are increasingly     going to landfill (we can produce   growth will continue with
                 confident in buying non-original   a report that is SGS certified).   business inkjet and A3 printers.
                 products.                      It gives end-users with a strong   The market is still moving more
                                                CSR policy what they are looking   towards multifunctional printers
               Q:   How important is sustainability   for in terms of sustainability,   (MFP) that will see an increase
                 in this sector?                cost saving and quality.        in colour and a reduction in
               A:   Sustainability is at the heart                              monochrome volumes, while
                 of growth in this market and   Q:   What assistance can you give to   inkjet and laser technologies
                 – because of the ‘Blue Planet   OP dealers on this issue?      will continue to compete to take
                 effect’ on attitudes to single use   A:   It’s down to the individual   business from each other. There
                 plastics – its importance is now   choices of each dealer, but if they   will be a continued increase in
                 higher than ever.  Of course,   want to engage with this, they   MPS and digitalization, while
                 there will always be some people   need to educate end-users to   Chinese compatibles will still
                 who will want to take a risk on   know the right accreditations,   look to flood the marketplace.
                 new builds/compatibles, but we   certifications and eco-labels,   But, overall, we believe that
                 believe that remanufactured    although in fact this is often   recycling, sustainability and
                 products are the way to go     being driven by their customers’   CSR will have an even greater
                 in terms of sustainability,    requirements anyway.  For some   influence on purchasing
                 because they are recycled and   end-users, of course, it’s just all   behaviour.
                 use significantly less energy to   about the cost of the cartridge
                 produce. We have one contract   and they don’t really care about
                 stationer customer who is      its environmental impact. If
                 insistent that they do not want   dealers do want to offer a truly
                 to use new builds/compatibles   sustainable solution, we can
                 because of their customer base’s   provide a product and solution
                 CSR policies.                  which is underpinned by our
                                                industry-leading CSR strategy
               Q:   How have Armor responded    that provides end users with the
                 to customer demands for        most sustainable remanufactured
                 sustainability?                cartridge products on the













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