Print partners aiming for China top spot

Canon and Océ claim their joint market approach is on track to make them China’s No. 1 player in the professional digital printing industry.

Speaking at the Canon Expo Shanghai, Hideki Ozawa CEO, says the company continues to grow beyond expectations, with Canon Expo Shanghai demonstrating the importance of the Chinese market. "Our strategy together with Océ is to become the No. 1 vendor in China and Asia in the professional digital printing arena."

Both companies are selectively selling, distributing and servicing each other’s products. Canon currently holds around 88 percent stake in Océ.
Despite the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Canon is targeting significant sales growth this year, adding to last year’s registered growth of nearly 40 percent.

Océ Chief Technology & Operating Officer, Anton Schaaf, says the company leads the Chinese market in high-speed transaction and direct mail printing. It currently holds leading positions in wide format and display graphics printing.

"Going forward, Océ will maintain its customer focus in these segments. [Its] experience in these areas combined with Canon's sales and marketing power is expected to accelerate our growth in China and Asia,” said Schaaf.

Océ also aligned itself with manroland in 2011 as one of the first on the market to offer digital and offset printing solutions aimed at the graphic arts industry.

manroland Greater China managing director, Adam Yuen says offset and digital printing from the two companies “form a genuine symbiosis”.

"Even the workflows are tightly networked. Here the two companies offer the world's first total digital solution with many advantages for customers along the entire value adding chain,” said Yuen.