The launch of REPROFLEX3 India & Asia in the face of a global pandemic. – By Andrew Hewitson
R3 Co-founder Andrew Hewitson introduces the REPROFLEX3 India & Asia team and describes the challenges of launching a new R3 Studio in the face of a global pandemic.
After four years of meticulous planning, major investment, testing and tooling, not to mention recruiting some of the brightest talent in the northern hemisphere, we were ready to launch our new state-of-the-art Reproflex3 Studio in Mumbai.
That was back in December 2018 and no one could have predicted that the world was going to be challenged and many lives changed forever by the global coronavirus outbreak just a year later.
Fast forward to July 2021, much of the last year and a half has been extremely challenging for everyone, filled with uncertainty and concern for each other and our loved ones.
When you’re under pressure, whether it is in the middle of a global crisis or racing to meet that important client deadline, you’re in the moment and do whatever it takes to survive or get the job done – whichever the situation.
That is why it is always important to take time to reflect and I would like to introduce you to the Reproflex3 India & Asia Team based in Mumbai (pictured).
When I look back on the last year or so, I think it is both remarkable and a true testament to the commitment of the entire R3 Team, that we succeeded in our mission to open the Mumbai studio in the face of such challenging circumstances.
Sethunath Padmanabhan, our Managing Director for R3 Asia Pacific and his team, with support from R3 colleagues in the UK and UAE, have worked seamlessly as one team to successfully navigate many challenges both technically and operationally to keep going through the pandemic.
Sethu explains: “The past 18 months have been a real test with quite a lot of challenges and opportunities for Reproflex3 in India. In spite of the severe lockdown and economic instability, we have been blessed to grow.
“We have some extraordinary clients who went beyond transactional relationships and mentored us through these challenging times. At the same time, our highly spirited team have battled all difficulties to be present in the studio to support our clients. They have been instrumental in Reproflex3 India’s growth story.”
Our role is to work in partnership with our customers to help them to overcome the challenges of the pre-press packaging supply chain. To do this, we have invested substantially in providing a fast, efficient and unique model for pre-press delivery, suited to meet the highest standards required from the global premium packaging market.
I am extremely proud of the team and I am very pleased (and relieved) to say that we are successfully establishing ourselves within the India and Asia flexographic market.
I believe this is largely down to our honest approach in doing business, our commitment to driving innovation and the fact that we are prepared to go the extra mile to ensure our customers always achieve outstanding print results that cannot be replicated.
VORTEX, one of our key print technologies, has been instrumental in making our India launch successful in lockdown. VORTEX is a highly effective new generation technology for flexo printing on paper, corrugated cardboard and plastic film.
Its unique set of tools stabilise the print process to create superior print consistently and efficiently. The technology is designed to integrate with existing print workflows to optimise processes and deliver fast, efficient, precision printing which is backed by 360 certified colour management. The result is gravure-quality print with extended colour space potential, ink savings and a significantly reduced dot gain.
The flexible packaging industry is changing in India, as brands move from traditional gravure print methods and convert to the flexo print process.
At Reproflex3, we have the systems and technical expertise available that enables customers to save time, operating costs and raw materials without compromising on quality. This means they can always be safe in the knowledge that their print packaging will consistently have maximum impact on shelf.
Our innovations and technologies are playing a key role shaping the future of the flexographic printing industry globally, essentially delivering tomorrow’s flexo technology today.
The Reproflex3 solutions-led approach to transforming the global flexo industry is gaining traction through print results that no one else in the market can achieve.
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