Fujifilm and Reach Printing Services have agreed a new five-year plate supply contract following a competitive tender process. The two companies had been working together for more than a decade, but as the old contract ended, Reach Printing Services wanted to test the market and invite other suppliers to pitch for the business.

With an eye on the future, Reach was particularly interested in the latest technologies plate suppliers were able to offer. Fujifilm has been developing processless plates for over 15 years, more recently within its Superia range, so its expertise and technology strength in this area was one of the major factors in winning the contract.

Reach also compared prospective suppliers on their environmental credentials, workflow systems and technological innovation, looking for a long-term partner to help them to drive technology forwards in the newspaper sector. In a challenging market, they wanted a partner offering exceptional value for money, high-quality products, guaranteed supply and reliable service and support.

“We’ve been delighted with Fujifilm’s service, and with the quality of their products over many years”, says Graham Poulett MD at Reach Printing Services. “But we needed them to prove that they were still the best partner to continue to help to drive our business forward. We invited a number of companies to pitch for our business for the next five-year period, and ultimately felt that Fujifilm had the most to offer us. There were a number of reasons for this, with Fujifilm’s record of technological innovation, particularly with regards to plate technology, probably the most important. Ours is a rapidly changing market sector and having a technology partner able to innovate with the pace of change is vital.”

Andy Kent, Divisional Manager, Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK adds: “Reach Printing Services is an iconic name in the industry. It’s been a privilege to work with them for a number of years now and we’re delighted that we’ve been able to prove ourselves as the ideal partner to move forward with them for the next five years.”