[L-R] Done deal: John de la Roche （Hybrid Services）， Michael Bolton （PrintMax）， Stuart Cole （Hybrid Services） and Chris Martin （PrintMax）

PrintMax will now offer products from the Mimaki wide-format printer range alongside machinery from direct competitor Roland DG, in an unexpected move which makes it one of only two resellers in the country to sell the brands in tandem. While customers are now able to purchase more common-or-garden Mimaki engines from PrintMax – including the popular CJV30 and JV33 – the focus will be on its 'industrial' lines, such as the JFX, UJF and UJV.

Sales manager Chris Martin confirms that one customer has already purchased a JFX500-2131 flat-bed after a trip with PrintMax to its new master distributor's headquarters in Crewe, while Hybrid Services has itself welcomed PrintMax to the channel, seeing the move as a reinforcement of its position in the UK market. PrintMax managing director Michael Bolton explained to Output that he sees the addition as a good fit for his company, and that the move was made to help customers reach into new technology areas.

"Adding the industrial range from Mimaki was, in reality, necessary in order for us to retain customers," Bolton states. "Many of our customers own XR- and XF-series Roland products and are looking for bigger, wider and flatter machines, such as the JFX models from Mimaki. Our customers tend to be loyal to us and love doing business with our team, so it's a natural progression for PrintMax to extend the range in this way."Although Xpres also sells both Mimaki and Roland products, the two vendors are not notorious for happily sharing resellers. PrintMax, in particular, will not have been Roland's preferred choice for a repeat of this scenario, being its top-selling authorised partner for several years on the trot. Bolton, however, confirms that he has brokered a deal without discontent: "Our relationship with Roland is unaffected by this announcement. Roland understands where we are and, although it's not an ideal situation for them, they recognise that we have customers who are outgrowing their breadth of product. Our Roland business has consistently grown by over 20 percent year on year for the last five years, and this will continue going forward."Bolton adds that the choice is more to do with PrintMax's existing customers rather than competing against existing Mimaki resellers. "We've not made this move to gain new customers, particularly, although I think we will come across new opportunities in the Mimaki channel," he submits. "It's mainly to service our existing customer base, and make sure we can take them as far as they need to go. PrintMax isn't, and will never be, a price-driven business – it's about value, service and the way we actually deliver product."