Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in signage and speak with experts about how new products and options can help their businesses grow.

Drytac products will be present at Mimaki’s booth, where visitors can see Drytac’s ViziPrint Clear, ViziPrint Deco +, Polar Chrome and both Retac Canvas and Retac Linen being run on Mimaki machinery.

Drytac’s Polar Dynamic Sand will be featured on the Vanguard Digital Printing Systems and Durst Group stand. Elsewhere, Fujifilm will be using Drytac’s Viziprint Impress Clear as part of its live product demonstrations on its booth, while Epson America will showcase the qualities of Polar Grip Air.

Attendees can also visit the Mutoh America stand to view live demonstrations of Drytac’s ReTac Smooth throughout the event. ReTac Smooth will also feature on the swissQprint America stand alongside ReTac Textures Woodgrain.

In addition, Drytac partner HP will demonstrate both Viziprint Impress Clear and SpotOn Clear on its printing machinery.

Glen Fitzgerald, director of sales for the Americas at Drytac commented, ‘The ISA Sign Expo is a highly important event on our US calendar. Running our products on machines from several manufacturers will showcase the flexibility and adaptability of Drytac solutions, as well as the overall quality of these products.’

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European staff are now based adjacent to the headquarters of Durst Group in Brixen in the 5300sqm ‘Kraftwerk’ premises, which was officially unveiled in September 2022. The company says it has set its sights on becoming a leader in the digital flatbed and UV production entry- and mid-level markets by replicating sales successes of its parent company in the US.

Target sectors include signage, decoration, corporate industrial and packaging. Since it was set up less than a year ago, more than 25 installations of digital flatbed systems have taken place across Europe. Latest products include the VR6D-HS and VK300D-HS UV flatbed machines covering the mid-and high-end performance range. These had their first European public showing at Fespa in May 2022.

Vanguard Europe is currently led by Fabian Sottsas, who has worked for the last 20 years with Durst, which acquired Vanguard Digital Printing Systems in October 2020. Alongside him is Yiannis Apostolidis, business development director.

Mr Sottsas said, ‘We have had an extremely strong start and organically grown the business thanks to a solid relationship between our core staff, distributors and resellers. With unlimited passion at the forefront of global technology, we are working to grow business together with customers within entry- and mid-level markets. We are providing true digital flatbed and UV production printers from a company in the Durst Group that are designed in the US and assembled in Europe.’

Mr Apostolidis said, ‘Formed seven years ago when only one printer was sold in the first 12 months, what a transformation it has been. Now Vanguard Digital Printing Systems is producing over 200 machines a year, and we are determined to replicate that success in Europe. We expect to make more announcements soon.’

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Known as Durst Kraftwerk and located in Brixen, Italy, close to the company’s global headquarters, the 5300sqm facility has been built to facilitate a ‘creative environment where the companies can fully concentrate on their respective areas of expertise,’ according to Durst Group CEO and co-owner Christoph Gamper.

Kraftwerk is also the home of Vanguard Europe, the European branch of US company Vanguard Digital Printing Systems, which Durst Group acquired in 2020. The manufacturer of digital printing systems for signage, decor, corporate, industrial and packaging, manufactures for the European market at this location, as well as having its own customer centre.

Mr Gamper continued, ‘Born out of the need to give our US acquisition Vanguard Digital Systems a home in Europe, the idea for the “Durst Kraftwerk” was born, as a powerhouse that brings together our spin-offs and start-ups and offers them a new home. In this way, we provide a creative environment where the companies can fully concentrate on their respective areas of expertise, without the burden of integration into an established structure.’

Mr Gamper said, ‘I am grateful and proud of the individual co-founders and their teams and convinced that top performance and business success will go hand-in-hand in the Durst Kraftwerk. In fact, we’ve already created 35 highly qualified jobs by the time of the opening. In the final expansion stage, more than 100 employees will be researching, developing, designing, optimising and teaching at the Kraftwerk, helping to shape tomorrow’s production processes and methods.’

Harald Oberrauch, owner of Technicon Holding, said, ‘[We] unite internationally successful companies such as Durst Group and Alupress under one umbrella. At the same time, we act as an incubator to promote new business ideas that arise in our companies’ environment. From a bird’s eye view, we can clear hurdles more quickly, accelerate development processes and connect teams. We aim to create a true innovation centre for specialised service providers at the Durst Kraftwerk.’

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Vanguard offers wide-format printers – predominantly UV-curing flatbeds – for signage, decoration, business equipment, industry and packaging, and has been part of the Durst Group since October 2020. It has its headquarters in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA, and a European branch close to the Durst Group headquarters in Brixen, Italy. Its products were given their first European showing at Fespa in Berlin at the end of May.

ArtSystems will be working with selected resellers channel and providing a UK demonstration centre for resellers to bring their users to see and will support its resellers with dedicated sales, training, support and channel marketing teams.

‘This is a significant step forward as we continue to establish our presence in new markets,’ commented Peter Bray, managing director of Durst UK & Ireland, which will also act on behalf of Vanguard Europe in the UK. ‘We are delighted to have a partner with such a strong service and support background. ArtSystems has been established for many years and has an unrivalled knowledge within the markets in which they will distribute and service the Vanguard products.’

Mark Lambert, technical director of Art Systems, said, ‘Durst and Vanguard are highly respected within the wide-format printing industries. This agreement will have many benefits for all parties. Building successful reseller channels and supporting them with effective, reliable service drives our entire business. Our long experience in the field in which Vanguard operates has enabled us to build a highly motivated channel of reseller partners, which we feel certain will translate to a highly successful Vanguard channel.’

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Headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Vanguard is a manufacturer of UV-curing wide-format printing systems for the signage, decoration, corporate, industrial and packaging sectors. Its range includes several flatbeds , one roll-fed 3.2m model and two high-speed single-pass designs for rigid and roll media. With the acquisition, Durst adds new printer classes to its wide-format portfolio, while Vanguard now has access to a global distribution and service network, plus expanded technical resources.

Durst North America president Tim Saur said, ‘Vanguard Digital Printing Systems is a rapidly growing and very successful company in a customer segment in which we are currently not active. Through the combination of high-quality products, a strong management team and absolute customer orientation, both companies are a perfect match.’

As part of the agreement, the new company will operate as Vanguard Durst Digital Printing Systems. David Cich remains CEO while Jim Peterson continues to serve as vice president of sales.

Mr Cich commented, ‘It is with great humbleness and excitement that Vanguard Digital will now be a part of the world-class industry leading Durst Group. Becoming part of the Durst Group Family provides Vanguard Digital the opportunity to expand its portfolio of innovative market leading UV Printers to the entire world.’

Durst Group CEO and co-owner Christoph Gamper added, ‘Vanguard’s printing systems have rightly achieved rapid growth and high customer acceptance in the North American market. Despite the global pandemic, we are positioning ourselves for the long term and are determined to invest in the large-format graphics market. In addition, with our technical expertise, Vanguard will continue to ensure that its products and services are industry-leading and a wider customer base will understand what it is like to be part of the Durst family.’

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