A major focus of the sales division is the move into the export markets in Africa.
Warren commented that while there is an established client base in the domestic
market there is more evidence of growth in other markets in Africa. This is
partially due to increased investment from around the world in these markets
and because the cost of buying packaging and packaging material from South
Africa is becoming more cost prohibitive. Both Warren and Bevan travel quite
extensively in Africa visiting agents and customers. According to Bevan,
‘there is a hunger in these markets for new technology and for the best
quality in consumables.’
Warren added, ‘Africa now represents by far the greatest proportion of our
growth. We have customers in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Ghana,
Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Tanzania, Malawi and others. The markets situated
further north are mainly serviced by the production plant in Tanzania but Bevan
and I visit these markets and customers to support our agents and also to help
the customers to improve their technical knowledge.’
There is one challenge which Warren and Bevan agree on in terms of travelling
in the markets in Africa – personal safety. While some markets are very safe
and even welcoming to foreign visitors, there are other markets such as Nigeria
where extra and special precautions have to be taken to remain safe during a
visit. Warren advises people wanting to visit these countries to get a local guide
and then to pay particular attention to what you are told. Both Warren and Bevan
have long careers with Hi-Tech Inks. Warren has worked for Graham over a period
of 25 years and Bevan is another of those who left to try new things but who
soon returned. He has a total service period with the company of more than
13 years.
So, what is it that makes Hi-Tech Inks such a good company to work for?
A simple enough question, but the answer is a bit more involved. While a sense
of belonging and appreciation seems to be standard for all employees, there is
more to it than that. Every single person is given ownership of their field of
expertise and they are well compensated to ensure that they look after their
portfolio. Not only that but Hi-Tech Inks is more than an inks manufacturer, it is
also an inks innovator. This stems from Graham’s passion for inks and his ‘gift’
for understanding what works and the compositions of a good ink.
Hi-Tech Inks has developed numerous different inks to meet the needs of
customers over the years. Many of these formulations should carry patents but
the company has not applied for them as it feels that it is more important for the
industry to benefit from the improved ink formulations than for a single company
to lock in the information. One of these formulations is the Jikelele range of
inks using the Opaltone system. The ink is a polyurethane base which is alcohol
soluble. This makes it more environmentally and health and safety friendly than
some of the other inks on the market. It is also more resistant to migration on
direct food contact packaging. The benefit of the Jikelele range of inks is that
printers can reduce the number of printing ink colours that they use. This makes
the printing process more cost-efficient and saves money which can be passed
onto customers.
In closing, Graham commented, ‘It is important that our customers realise that
there is far more involved in the making of printing inks than just the process of
measuring and mixing resins, pigments and solvents. The mix is just a small part
of the process. The customer’s selection of substrate, where the ink will be used,
both in terms of printing and in terms of consumption, what will be encased in
the packaging, how and where it will be stored and numerous other factors play
a role in how successful our inks will be. We have to think of all these factors and
find solutions to the problems which arise as a result of something changing.’
The market for liquid printing inks maybe small in terms of the number of players,
but it is a high-value and high-volume market. Customers require a supplier
which can meet their demands, not only for their ink requirements but also to
handle their technical queries and questions. What they need is a supplier who
is prepared to go the extra distance to ensure that their production requirements
are met. Hi-Tech Inks is just such a company. Also given the fact that it
manufactures the ink it is more likely to be able to find the correct solution for
each customer’s requirements.
The team at the Cape Town plant of Hi-Tech Inks
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