Valencia, Spain. July 2022.. After the successful introduction of Kento Hybrid® – the world’s first and only hybrid printing line on corrugated board – and establishing a strong presence in Europe in 2021, Kento launched its North American subsidiary to spread the word about the future of packaging.
“We are very proud of the machine we designed and built with Celmacch – our industrial partner – and we are also extremely grateful for the recognition of the technical community. Our first Kento Hybrid® is already active in a state-of-the-art plant in Spain, and we recently signed an acquisition agreement with an Iowa customer, so it’s the right time to set up our formal presence in the United States” – said Javier Quesada, Kento’s CEO.
The North American operation
The local office will be in the capable and experienced hands of Lloyd Kent, VP of Sales and Operations, leading all aspects of Kento’s business including sales, service, and technical support for what is expected to be a rapid expansion into North America.
Beyond sales, Lloyd will focus on bringing on board the right people with the right skills in order to service our installed base as we expand. Building a North American service and support team is paramount to both Kento’s and our customers’ success.
The first Kento Hybrid for North America will be shipped by November 2022, and it will be active in the first quarter of 2023, serving also as a demo center for all interested parties.
Kento Hybrid: an innovative approach
Kento Hybrid® combines flexographic printing and single-pass inkjet printing into the same production line, incorporating the advantages of analog and digital. This received an innovation award at the 2021 technical seminar of the European Federation of Corrugated Manufacturers – FEFCO.
The analog section prints solid background colors and large masses, also white ink, special or metallic colors. The digital section prints high-resolution full-color images and customized content. All this with a patented high-quality register control system that monitors each printed sheet using artificial vision technology.
This hybrid printing equipment for corrugated board offers new opportunities for mass customization and creativity, both for existing clients and new potential customers in the packaging, signage, and display graphics businesses.
Challenges and assets
Expectations are high for the demanding North American market, and we count on the game-changing concept of hybrid printing and our passionate team, locally led by Lloyd Kent, a seasoned professional with 30+ years of commercial experience in the corrugated packaging industry.
Plant owners and managers are welcome to schedule live demos – both on-site and remote – to see a fully operational Kento Hybrid at Grupo La Plana’s high-tech facility near Valencia, Spain. Additional information and downloadable tech sheets are available at kentodigitalprinting.com