Sumitomo (SHI) Demag has long been a presence in Ireland, with a sizeable customer base it has built since the 1960s since first venturing to the island. High time, therefore, for its next step designed to build on its physical footprint in the region: the opening of a new office registered in Limerick.
The new unit, located in Annacotty Business Park, is currently being converted and will include offices, a showroom area, service and IOM3-accredited training facilities stafed with a team of technical, service support and processing professionals. The new office will be led by National Business Development manager Darren Herron, supported by senior support engineer Kris Thacker and engineer Noel Davey.
The market in Ireland is a mature one, said UK managing director Nigel Flowers. In the financial year ending in 2022, Ireland accounted for more than 50 percent of new UK Sumitomo (SHI) Demag machinery sales - a testament to the successful partnership established with domestic machine sales agent and auxiliary material handling processing specialist TSM Polytech.
Adding in a permanent domestic service and support base will be especially beneficial for market access and financial transactions. “Being able to trade in Euros for spares, parts and machines immediately eliminates the overheads and volatility associated with currency exchanges and inflationary risks,” said Flowers.
The new office will allow customers to benefit from TSM Polytech and Sumitomo’s combined capabilities to provide a total solution in the guise of a centralised one-stop plastics processing service, R&D, tool testing and training hub. It is something that in increasingly demanded by Ireland’s SMEs and multinationals, as are the many plastic manufacturers contending with competitive challenges such as energy and material costs, waste and scrap reduction, higher productivity, repeatable quality and inventory management, said Stephen Glancy, TSM Polytech’s sales manager. Especially by those that ‘don’t have the in-house engineering resources to perform trials, validations, process optimisation training or implement automation and digitalisation solutions’, he said.
The team will be ready for business very soon. Customers and business officials will have the opportunity to tour the new facility at a ribbon-cutting launch event planned towards the end of the summer.
According to Polymer Technology Ireland, the polymer industry in Ireland comprises more than 200 highly innovative companies, generating sales of €1.7 billion and €1.25 billion in exports. An advanced sector, it exhibits pronounced growth in the manufacturing of high-quality precision products and components used in high-tech industries like ICT, MedTech, automotive, and aerospace.