Anapurna large-format printer at Haletra

Agfa Inkjet Sales Manager Niko Dheedene and Haletra Managing Director Koen Braem with the new Anapurna H2500i LED

Haletra diversifies with large format Anapurna H2500i LED printer

Haletra is a company based in the town of Houthalen, Belgium. For the first time in their history, they are taking the step towards large-format printing. And they are doing this in style right away with the installation of an Anapurna H2500i LED hybrid printer. Haletra Managing Director Koen Braem explains: “This investment is actually the first step in setting up a totally new department within Haletra, which will expand our customer base as well as our service offering.”

Thanks to a consistent investment strategy, Haletra has enjoyed steady growth for many years. With an ultramodern machine park and over 60 employees, the company has positioned itself among the top printers in the Benelux. For a few months, Haletra has had a new Managing Director – Koen Braem. Together with family shareholder Dieter Paredis he is charting the future course of the company. The main focus will be on the customer’s total communication needs versus the traditional product-oriented approach.

Never change a winning team – except when it’s better to do so. Koen Braem explains: “I think it is fair to say that this corona crisis has made everyone think. We have also done that, and we have realized that we are overly dependent on certain industries such as hospitality and events. These two sectors have been hit hard. Haletra has fortunately had some good years, which gave us some breathing space to think about our future strategy without losing focus. The companies that survive this crisis are not necessarily those that are strongest, rather those that are most flexible.”

Diversification is a necessity

The idea of creating a large-format printing department had been brewing for some time, but corona gave it just the little extra push that it needed. Dieter Paredis explains: “A large retailer for whom we provide printing services has been asking for this for a while and is eager to work with us on this. In addition to general large-format signage, we will also produce personalized products per location; the foundation has already been laid for this. Setting up such a department of course involves much more than simply buying a printer – but you have to start somewhere. Several options are on the table about how we are going to approach this. I can’t give many details about that yet, except that we have high ambitions, like with everything we do.”

Demo was decisive

The experiences of other users are certainly important, but a good demo is often the decisive factor when purchasing machines, and it was no different here. Koen Braem: “Before we saw the demo at Agfa, we were actually thinking of getting a different printer, but the demo at Agfa blew us away. To the point, focused on our needs, and with flawless execution. Print quality was top-notch, even at 62 m² per hour! The customer visit afterward was no more than a confirmation of what we had just seen and heard. Another conclusive argument was the opportunity Agfa offers to grow to an even larger printing format, e.g. with the Jeti Tauro. The fact that their R&D is located here in Mortsel and that we are supporting the local economy was definitely also a factor in our decision.”

More information about Haletra and Agfa’s Anapurna printers can be found here: www.haletra.be

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