NEWS
Art Systems integrates into Westcoast
Art Systems has continued its integration into Westcoast by moving onto the latter’s own systems. Art Systems has been a part of the Westcoast Group for eight years. As a distributor and service provider of large format printers, 3D printers and cutters/finishers Art Systems has supported a wide range of resellers from print specialists to IT VARS. Over time, the two businesses have become ever more closely integrated, with Westcoast providing warehousing capacity, space for specialist stock and spares and most recently by combining office space with Westcoast’s own print sales team in a newly combined Nottingham office. The latest step in this integration is a move onto Westcoast’s own systems. This is designed to give both companies market efficiencies, expand the customer base for Art Systems’ own vendor partners (e.g. Summa’s cutters and Hahnemuehle’s fine art papers) and will make more of
Westcoast’s huge product range more readily available to Art Systems customers. All Art Systems employees transfer to Westcoast and customers will retain their existing relationships. Art Systems’ leading field services team will also be available to all Westcoast customers along with their specialist knowledge. “We have taken time to ensure there is nothing but a positive impact on our business for ourselves and our partners in this latest integration,” said Mark Lambert, Art Systems technical director. “We will still have the most focused specialist sales force and engineering support for resellers to use – but can further leverage all that is strong about our parent company Westcoast.” Alex Tatham, Westcoast’s executive director, agreed: “Combining our two companies ever more closely will provide Art Systems with the UK’s best distributor’s systems and inventory available to all Art’s customer base,” he said.
Alex Tatham executive director
westcoast.co.uk
Brother UK named as leader in sustainability programs in new report
Brother UK has been named as a ‘leader’ in sustainability programs and services in the most recent IDC Sustainability MarketScape assessment. The company has been recognised for initiatives such as its ‘Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050’ commitment and remanufacturing capabilities in the report, which assesses the sustainability programs and services of print vendors using the IDC MarketScape model. The IDC report evaluates print vendors based on key sustainability metrics in corporate strategies, business operations, products and business models, and governance, risk and compliance measures. Brother was highly rated on its efforts to minimise the environmental impact of its business activities based on the ‘Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050’, which includes ambitious, Science Based Targets Initiative certified, goals to reduce emissions by 65% on 2015 levels by 2030. The business was also praised for its considerations of environmental performance at every stage of a product's life cycle, from
design, development and manufacturing to customer usage, disposal and recycling. It follows the business recently becoming the first print brand to be awarded the Blue Angel certification for a remanufactured toner cartridge. Users are encouraged to return used toner cartridges to be remanufactured at the business’ carbon neutral Recycling Technology Centres, including one in in Ruabon, North Wales. Brother’s remanufacturing scheme guarantees that zero waste is sent to landfill, with 86% of the toners it remanufactures turned into ‘as new’ cartridges and the remaining 14% recycled. Using this process produces 33% less CO2 than creating toner cartridges from virgin material. Brother also promotes the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and recently celebrated its 15-year partnership with rainforest conservation charity Cool Earth. Since the partnership began in 2009, the business has supported seven communities across the Amazon and New Guinea forest, protecting 32 million trees
Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050
Carbon Free
Resource recycling
Increase Biodiversity
Learn More
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