Press release Konica Minolta reinforces dual branding strategy Merger plans with Develop GmbH
Langenhagen/Germany, April 18th, 2012 The management of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Deutschland GmbH and Develop GmbH aim to strengthen market position with a planned merger of Develop GmbH with those two companies.
The group engages in a new era with a dual growth strategy whereby both brands together perfectly complement customer needs. A consolidation of the brands Konica Minolta and Develop in Konica Minolta’s European headquarters and a coordinated go-to-market strategy offer even more comprehensive solutions for customers in the B2B market for enterprise wide printing and document workflow. The planned merger is in line with Konica Minolta’s overall strategy. The most important goal for the merger is growth achieved by a targeted dual-brand strategy. Separately managed brands ensure that the requirements of both customer segments are met, which will help exploit the full potential of each segment. A further rationale behind the merger is to increase market penetration by employing a coordinated marketing strategy. Moreover, the merger will ensure sustainable quality improvement by gathering resources and strengths in the headquarters as well as German sales operations, enabling more effective customer oriented solutions and professional support. “We are convinced that a common and integrated strategy offers essential benefits for our customers along all relevant dimensions: marketing, sales and service support. As can be expected from a transaction of this magnitude, most of the details
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of the integration are still to be developed by both companies. But this growth will truly strengthen our group further in order to deliver the best service to all our customers, depending on their needs,� comments Ken Osuga, President, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe. All legalities of the merger are planned to be completed by September 2012. -
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Contact Olaf Lorenz Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH Phone: +49 (0)511 740 4378 Olaf.Lorenz@konicaminolta.eu Tanja Johannsen CrossPR Phone: +49 (0)172 523 1699 johannsen@crosspr.de
About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc., Tokyo, Japan. The company provides services and distributes products, systems and solutions that meet all the requirements of office and production printing throughout the entire document life cycle. Its product range includes colour and monochrome multifunctional and production printing systems, laser and all-in-one printers, and management software that integrates devices seamlessly into work processes and IT environments. In order to optimally support customers, such as printing firms and industrial companies, with powerful and sustainable solutions, technology leader Konica Minolta continuously invests in research and development work and regularly sets new standards for the entire printing industry. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 50 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). With over 27,200 employees around the world, Konica Minolta Business Technologies generated net sales of more than EUR 4.8 billion in financial year 2010/11.
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For further information about the company please visit www.konicaminolta.eu. Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.eu. Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.
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