The Recycler Issue 316

FEATURE
Coming together and embracing the challenges: Remanexpo 2019
respecting IP rights, on the availability
of the product – they are the key
advantages we can offer customers.”
Weiss added that the “response
overall is good – customers were asking
for samples, which is always a good
indication, and a good starting point.
They can test the toner, see the quality
is good, and then we can take it from
there.” The CEO further explained that
Remanexpo had given the company
a chance to discuss results with
customers who had taken samples
previously, and “show them test results
from our side. In this sense, the show is
especially useful.”
The Recycler Awards
Sunday evening at Remanexpo also
saw another annual highlight, the
presentation of The Recycler Awards
2019. Following weeks of voting,
thousands of votes, and several very
close contests, the prestigious honours
were presented by The Recycler’s Editor
and Publisher, Stefanie Unland,
alongside colleague Owen Collins and
Lightwords Director Peter Mayhew.
Taking home the much-sought after
prize for Remanufacturer of the Year
was British company ECS, with a
second award soon following in the
shape of the 2019 Rising Star Award,
won by the firm’s Jack Anderson.
Speaking afterwards, company
director Felicity Rabbitte spoke
glowingly of her colleague, stating that
the brace of honours was “like
winning the Oscar for Best Picture,
and then getting the Best Actor award
as well.”
“It’s absolutely fantastic,” said
Managing Director Chris Fink. “It’s
been brought about by a massive team
effort, we’ve had a fantastic year with
our remanufactured products, and I’m
just pleased that everyone is starting to
see the fantastic good and products
that we’re producing at ECS.”
The Reseller of the Year Award was
won by Katun, following the
company’s previous victory in 2018.
Heidi Boller, Katun’s General Manager
for EMEA, explained that “it’s our
second win in a row, so we’re very, very
happy.”
Also basking in victory was the team
from Biuromax, which was honoured
in the Supplier of the Year category.
“We are happy, very, very happy, of
course,” said Marzena Bourguignon,
the Polish company’s Key Account
Manager for Europe. “We will do our
best now to continue our success, and
we want to do even more!”
Further awards went to Chinese
company Ninestar, which won
Marketing Campaign of the Year;
Spain’s cartridge collector Bioservice,
which was named Collector of the Year
for the second successive year, and
Static Control, which tasted victory in
the Customer Service of the Year
category.
“We’re absolutely delighted,”
explained Static CEO Ken Lalley, “and
at the end of the day, it’s a reflection of
our commitment to our customers.
We’re thrilled – thank you to our
customers, and all who voted for us!”
The challenges ahead
Despite such an atmosphere of
positivity across Hall 5.1, throughout
the weekend, conversation inevitably
turned to the hurdles ahead for
the remanufacturing industry, and
beyond.
Unsurprisingly, the imminent spectre
of Great Britain’s withdrawal from the
European Union, currently scheduled
for the 29th of March, was one of the
challenges at the forefront of
exhibitors’ minds in Frankfurt,
although there was a range of opinions
on what Brexit may actually mean.
“We live in disruptive times,”
commented Integral’s Jan Hagemann,
who said he personally believed that
the ongoing saga “will keep Europe
busy for the next five or six years” – if
indeed it happens. “Toner is subject to
a zero percent duty anyway, so there
will not be duties on the product, but
from an administrative point of view it
will be a little difficult.”
3T Supplies/Peach boss Alfred Wirch
was more effusive in his thinking,
stating that the process will be “a
disaster,” pointing out that companies
can only remanufacture products that
have been first-sold in their country,
and that Britain’s withdrawal from the
EU means empties collected in the UK
will require separate remanufacturing
– “otherwise, there is no business for us
in England anymore, and vice versa.”
“It’s going to be a disaster for our
industry,” Wirch reiterated, “for the
Europeans, and for the British. It’s not
good for anybody. We are very
concerned, and hope that there will be
a good solution from the governments
to avoid this, because it will make life
very difficult. We already have a lot of
international competition, we don’t
need extra competition on top.”
Other exhibitors were more cagey,
with Katun’s Cinzia Gandini describing
the whole thing as “a big question
mark,” a view shared by Cross CEO
Simon Weiss.
“If there is a Hard Brexit,” said
Gandini’s colleague, Heidi Boller,
“there will be lots and lots of confusion
between the UK and the EU, over
responsibilities, and who is responsible
for what, which could cause a potential
gridlock, and impact on the British
pound too.”
Boller asserted that Katun “has
enough inventory” to continue
business as usual, and that the
company “isn’t pressuring customers
to build up a backstock,” but
nevertheless, she said, “a Hard Brexit
is a real risk, and we need to be
prepared.”
Gandini added that “short term, the
logistics are a big concern,” and
36 THE RECYCLER • ISSUE 316 • MARCH 2019