Komori Corporation (Head Office: Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President, Chairman and CEO: Yoshiharu Komori; hereinafter Komori Corporation) has signed a global sales agreement in the commercial printing market with Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Shoei Yamana; hereinafter Konica Minolta BT) the information equipment business unit of Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Masatoshi Matsuzaki; hereinafter Konica Minolta).

Background and Objective

Recently there has been an expansion in the need for short runs of many different printed items and very short turnaround times as well as clear signs of demand for output that accommodates one-to-one marketing and variable printing.

Komori Corporation, as a specialist manufacturer of printing presses for many years, provides printing systems that are capable of producing a wide range of printed items for the commercial, package and currency printing markets. Specifically, the company in recent years has supplied innovative solutions such as ‘OffsetOnDemand,’ which applies digital technologies, the latest drying system and a color management system.

Konica Minolta BT, as a core business of the Konica Minolta Group, has developed business operations focusing on information equipment such as multifunction printers and laser printers in countries around the world. In addition, since 1999 the company has rolled out digital printing systems aimed at the production print field with a variety of core technologies for color output. The solid reputation for image quality, durability and stability that these systems have won in the marketplace has resulted in Konica Minolta BT maintaining its current top position for color output systems in the light production segment.

Based on this background, Komori Corporation concluded a global sales agreement with Konica Minolta BT that will contribute to the building of the ‘OffsetOnDemand’ environment for the commercial printing market and comprehensive business development in order to provide superior products and services that meet customer needs.

Future Development

Konica Minolta BT will supply to Komori Corporation the ‘bizhub PRESS’ series, centered on the ‘bizhub PRESS C8000’ digital printing system, one of its leading products, in the four regions of Japan, the U.S., Europe and China.

Moreover, beginning in May 2012, Konica Minolta BT will supply to Komori Corporation ‘bizhub PRESS’ series on an OEM basis in the four regions of Japan, the U.S., Europe and China.

Komori Corporation will roll out the ‘bizhub PRESS’ series that it receives from Konica Minolta BT on an OEM basis as Komori brand products and expand sales channels to customers having an ‘OffsetOnDemand’ orientation. In addition, by assimilating the market demand for both offset and digital printing, it will be possible to gather the information required in each of the stages of development, production, sales and customer support.

In preparation for future growth, Komori Corporation plans to undertake a technology exhibit at drupa 2012 (May 3-16, 2012, in Düsseldorf, Germany) of an inkjet digital printing system (prototype) that is under joint development with Konica Minolta for rollout to the commercial printing market.

In 2012, Komori Corporation will move forward with its transition into becoming a trusted ‘PRINT ENGINEERING SERVICES PROVIDOR’ and will work toward improving the profit structure of the entire printing industry by further strengthening cooperative relations with the printing industry and by pursuing greater convenience for customers. By supplying solutions for these objectives and based on a posture by which Komori Corporation and our customers continue to grow together, we aim to realize our goal of becoming a customer kando enterprise.