Gurpreet Singh, Gurpreet Overseas

For Gurpreet Overseas, business was pretty stable throughout the year. “In contrast to the sudden decline in rupee v/s dollar in mid-2013, 2014 saw a stable rupee and therefore, buying and selling had fewer complications. 2015 promises to be great with PrintPack 2015 being held in February. We are assuming the market will be even better,” says Singh.
 

While price remains a major factor in determining used machinery, Singh adds that there are a number of other factors which determine the price. “Printers should consider those factors. Factors such as impression count of a machine and the country from which it is imported are often neglected. The major factor considered is the year of manufacturing, whereas many a time two machines of the same age can be very different when their impression counts and the country where they have been run are compared. Therefore, there will be a cost difference,” says Singh. Gurpreet Overseas offers trial mechanical and electrical runs for presses in its warehouse.

“Inspection of the machine is very important. Therefore, we request our clients to see the overall condition of the machine and then finalise the deal. We also obtain a chartered engineer certificate about machine inspection and the same is provided to our clients on request,” Singh says.

 

Ajith Kumar, Heidelberg India

 In the present scenario, according to Kumar, buyers would like to consolidate their facility and offer a better solution to their existing customer or expand their portfolio by buying an aqueous or UV coater machines or a six colour press with coater. Hence, pre-owned. “It is a replacement, which is happening presently, in a cost-effective way,” says Kumar.
 

Speaking for Heidelberg, Kumar says brand name definitely matters. “When you say Heidelberg presses, whether used or new, it conveys a lot of things like quality, consistency, operational ease and efficiency,” he adds.
 

Heidelberg sells used machines that are under 15 years old. “The CD 102 and CD 74 are the favourites among packaging printers, the commercial printers prefer the SM 74 and SM 52,” he says.
 

According to Kumar, in the last financial year, the company sold seven used machines and prospects look good for the current year as well.
 

Price difference apart, most buyers of pre-owned equipment look at features, impression counter, country of origin of the machine and how it has been maintained. “It is fortunate that we know the history of the used machines we sell as these come from the Heidelberg network. We pass on this advantage to our prospect buyers,” says Kumar.
 

Heidelberg sells re-marketed equipment or RE with the same care that one would put in a brand new press. Heidelberg machines remain a favourite among used equipment buyers because of the attention the company pays to details. “Our engineers do the due diligence by inspecting the machine and discussing with the buyer before finalising the deal. Our additional strength comes from the spares and service warranty for the RE we sell,” he adds.