Converta Machinery's Brausse 1050SE Autoplaten Diecutter
Converta Machinery is celebrating its first anniversary as the Australian agent for the IMG-Brausse Group, the Chinese equipment manufacturer for the converting industry. Just over 13 months ago, Mark Whitechurch, managing director of Converta Machinery stood in the Shanghai factory of Brausse (as it was then known) and with a handshake, began one of the company’s most successful ventures.
However, the Australian company had competitors vying for the agency, but Brausse was impressed with the customer focus of Converta Machinery as well as its commitment to after sales service, via its factory trained service team.
Because of those factors, Converta won out and an Agency Agreement was signed with IMG-Brausse, which has manufacturing bases in Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, China, Korea and Canada.
Success soon followed for Converta and after an extensive marketing campaign the company can now lay claim to selling nine Autoplatens, five-colour Folder Gluers as well as nine Clamshell Diecutters.
The defining moment for Converta Machinery was the 2005 PacPrint Exhibition.
Being one of the few suppliers to make the financial investment involved in putting a 1050SE Autoplaten Diecutter, ML1092 Clamshell Diecutter and BN1100-C3 Folder Gluer on display, prospective customers were impressed with the quality of the machinery and the opportunity to see it running, says Whitechurch.
“With many companies selling from brochures, Converta Machinery found its clients were impressed with our willingness to invest in the product,” says Whitechurch.
However, not willing to take all the credit for his company’s success, Whitechurch says the Brausse Autoplatens are “quality affordable machines” and the next natural step from diecutting with cylinders.
“This is an area where many manufacturers overprice their products and subsequently price themselves out of the market, Brausse is somewhat unique for it has kept its products affordable, allowing more companies to buy, explains Whitechurch.”
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The Brausse diecutters have found themselves in a variety of homes across Australia and New Zealand. Printers, trade houses, carton plants and foil stampers’ have all found the 1050 model perfect for their needs, Whitechurch says.
But it has not always been easy for Converta to sell Brausse products, as some clients struggle to make it past the ‘Made in China’ factor. However, in recent times this concern has diminished, as the European big names in diecutters relocate their manufacturing to Asia.
Recently, one of the Asian autoplaten manufacturers had the rights to its machine bought by a large European company, resulting in a relatively unchanged machine, with a new badge and a $AU150,000 price increase!
Notwithstanding, Converta Machinery maintains its faith in the perceptive nature of the Australian market, “In an educated market such as Australia, the buyer can see through these ploys and spot value,” says Whitechurch.
He says there has also been several agents appearing in Australia for other Asian diecutters, but again Converta is “unconcerned” as it trusts that the customer will be able to tell the difference between the tried and tested Brausse machine with demo sites all over Australia, compared with the new untried machines sold from brochures.
Whitechurch says innovation is something Brausse has always specialised in and over the past 12 months Converta has seen, among other things, a ‘1mm Micrometer Adjust cutting plates added to the 1050, which make set ups even quicker.
Recently, Brausse also released a new model Foil Stamping machine featuring two cross foiling shafts. This takes the machine up to a maximum of five separate shafts, allowing up to five colours per pass.
“Brausse will continue providing affordable machines of the highest quality and Converta will continue providing the same level of service and commitment to the customer,” says Whitechurch.
“After all, this is what has made the Brausse 1050 series of diecutters the Number One selling autoplaten throughout Australasia during the past 13 months.”
