Graph-Pak and Lombardi Coverting have inked a four-year deal for the former to distribute Lombardi Converting’s range of solutions.
Tom Ralph, managing director of Graph-Pak, says, “Lombardi Converting has been around for a long time but never had an entry in Oceania. Lombardi has about a dozen solutions across entry level, intermediate and high end. It also has a hybrid range which is a crossover of flexo and digital.”
He says that Graph-Pak had plans to expand into the flexible packaging space, intending to seek a viable partner. He says, “We had planned to go to drupa. It is basically a shopping cart over there and I wanted to seek out a prospective partnership. But Covid-19 happened, which affected drupa and I couldn’t wait for another year.
“We’ve been struggling as everyone else has in commercial print and our portfolio is probably getting a little bit tired. And the range of equipment we currently have is so good that it doesn’t really need replacing. Many of them have been running for 12 to 15 years already.”
Lombardi and Graph-Pak get flexible
Graph-Pak made its push into the folding carton space in packaging. It planned to use that success planned to expand into flexible packaging and labels. He continues, “I contacted Lombardi Converting, which is one of the top four brands. We had a long conversation about how we could work together and how I could support them. They were happy with the deal but I was concerned about getting the product knowledge and training.
“With the aid of the latest technology like Zoom and video chat, we conducted training. I have had about 40 hours or so of remote training so far and it has allowed me to start promoting the brand. As of today, we have seven projects on the go and two that could close in the next two months.”
Graph-Pak and Lombardi Converting work closely to get the relevant service training remotely. He says, “Lombardi is already in some countries without their own specialists being physically situated there. So, I have no hesitation that we will be able to do exactly what is required when the time comes.”
He says Lombardi Converting range sits seamlessly alongside Graph-Pak’s other portfolios. It targets entry-level and mid-range packaging companies and businesses in the labels space. He adds, “It is a bigger extension of our product family and can be extended to the customers of our customers.”
“I want to hit the ground running with Lombardi and it’s important to get an installation in as quickly as we can and start spreading the word about how good this product is so that others can see that there are other options out there and as a brand, Lombardi is certainly an option they should consider.”
