New hires reflect increasingly buoyant customer response, making Frank Melozzi’s Australian trip a breeze. Coming off the back of a stunning global result, EFI’s Australian business is gearing up for more business in the Australian market. After posting a record US$728 million revenue in 2013, the digital technology provider is hiring new personnel in Melbourne.
It reflects what Frank Melozzi, senior vice president, worldwide sales & marketing, refers to as the “light at the end of the tunnel. The business climate here is pretty good. It’s trending the right way so we need some more people on the ground to service our customers,” he said.
He maintains that because EFI is “nicely diversified” away from relying on the iconic Fiery RIP, the company has significant opportunities for growth. He singles out the ceramic tile market world as a case in point. There are approximately 12,000 ceramic enterprises around the globe and practically no one in this sector has workflow or a digital front end. EFI has developed a complete portfolio targeting these ceramic producers.
This comes, as an increasing number of commercial printers are engaging with the company across multiple technologies i.e. workflow, Fiery RIPs and Vutek inkjet. “Traditional printers I talk with these days know they need to be aware of their costs and how to optimise their production. But they have the digital and colour knowhow that others don’t.
“We’re now seeing an extension of the move from offset to digital in the increasing integration of wide-format inkjet into printers,” he said.
Although at first glance the portfolio of EFI products may seem fairly eclectic they are quite aligned to the future graphics market. With a commanding market leading position in MIS systems – 70% in the USA and at least the same among the top ten Australian printing companies – EFI is able to leverage its central position to extend the conversation.
Anthony Parnemann, ANZ manager, backs up the view that the Australian market is looking better. With both Spicers and DES as agents for EFI’s Vutek reporting solid business, the digital sector of the industry seems set for a strong year.