Cheshire, UK – DewaFlex, JM Heaford’s agent for France, has confirmed the permanent appointment of a new sales manager to handle growing demand for Heaford products in France. A steady rise in enquiries regarding Heaford flexo proofing and mounting systems has served as catalyst for the decision. 

The formal appointment of Niels Soenen follows a provisional period during which he has focused on increasing awareness in France of Heaford technologies for improving efficiency of flexo print production. In particular, the new position recognises increased sales activity regarding the FTS narrow-web mounter and an overall upsurge in interest from smaller French label printing companies. 

“You could say that the name Heaford has been a well-kept secret in France,” comments Soenen. “We have found many flexo printers operating Heaford models round the clock without even realising they have one. Because they are so robust and reliable, running day-in, day-out without an issue, their operators have never needed to contact the manufacturer. It’s a great endorsement of build quality and customer satisfaction, but my role is to continue spreading the word about the other Heaford machines that can make a significant difference to the productivity and efficiency of label printing operations.”

Established in 2013 and operating in France and Benelux, DewaFlex is commercial agent for a number of leading suppliers to the flexo industry including Zecher anilox rollers, Axcyl sleeves, Doyle dust suction systems and Alpha rewinder tables. The company also has its own range of anilox cleaning products and services. In addition to sales, installation and servicing for all its products, DewaFlex strengthens its offering to customers through providing independent consultancy on flexo production projects.

According to Pieter Dewaele, Owner/Director of DewaFlex, the timing of this appointment coincides with generally positive signs from across the flexo industry in France. “Even though there is still a lot of shift within the French label printing and flexible packaging industries, we are nevertheless seeing strong indicators for Heaford,” explains Dewaele. “They produce very innovative, yet stable machines, which are ideal for taking the next step in production. Following some of the latest trends, there is also a real need for mounting machines that are both very accurate and fast. Heaford is addressing this through its semi-automatic and fully automatic offerings. 

JM Heaford’s Managing Director Sally-Anne Heaford explains the significance of this appointment for the manufacturer: “The sustained flow of new business enquiries and completed orders confirms that French labels printers in particular are getting wise to the suitability of Heaford models for their specialist high-quality applications. It’s thanks to the focus and professionalism of DewaFlex and, of course, our proven manufacturing standards that they are gaining competitive advantages through Heaford applied design.”