Mexican converters in joint venture with Xeikon press

Fabian Silva of Etiquetas Anro and Hugo Cruz of Coflemex, both label converters based in Mexico, have formed a joint venture based around the installation of the country’s first Xeikon digital label press, writes James Quirk.

The joint venture is to be named Innovo F&H. The Xeikon 3300 press, equipped with finishing equipment from GM, is due to be installed in May in a dedicated facility on the outskirts of Mexico City. The operation will also boast a specialized service center.

The new operation – the brainchild of Silva and Cruz themselves rather than any partnership between their respective companies – will focus on selling to label converters in Mexico and Central America, as opposed to end users.

‘There are converters in the region who might not be able to invest in digital printing equipment themselves, or who might want to test the market before making that investment,’ said Fabian Silva. ‘We can help them. We offer them an option for their short run work. This approach is well established in other parts of the word, such as the UK and Australia, for example. We want to offer the same solution to the Mexican and Central American market. We are breaking paradigms and want to offer something that doesn’t currently exist in our local market.’

The pair will appoint a manager and operators at Innovo F&H and will play the role of directors rather than being involved in day to day operations. Hugo Cruz and Fabian Silva were among the founding members of Ametiq, the Mexican label association. A key characteristic of the young organization has been its promotion of cooperation and dialogue between members, and Cruz and Silva credit it with bringing them together. ‘We don’t see ourselves as competitors, rather as partners. And we felt this way before the deal,’ said Hugo Cruz.

‘We wanted to take advantage of the synergy that exists between us,’ echoed Silva. ‘We have many objectives and philosophies in common, and we were both keen to do something different in the market.

‘Our experience with the association also helps to give us a panoramic view of what is happening in the industry.’

With a large installation base of HP Indigo digital label presses in Mexico, Cruz and Silva opted for Xeikon ‘as we wanted something that would differentiate us but that also offered the very high quality, flexibility and reliability that only Xeikon can deliver’.

Hugo Cruz emphasized the need for transparency. ‘We made a public announcement about the move during Label Summit Latin America because we want to be upfront about what we are doing. The deal allows us to form a specialized company that will benefit the industry.’

Pictured l-r: Fabian Silva of Etiquetas Anro and Hugo Cruz of Coflemex

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Xeikon increases focus on Latin America