Performance is everything to us at Heidelberg – Mr. Charles Ogbebor

Heidelberg Nigeria Limited is a one-stop company for publishing and printing equipment. It prides itself in offeringwide ranges of solutions which include Pre-press to finishing (Sheetfed, Digital Imaging, Digital, Web, Post-press (Finishing), Second hand/Refurbished equipment, after sales support (Parts & Repairs) and Consumables (i.e. Plates, Inks & Press Room Chemicals)

In this chat with Printers Buyers Guide, Heidelberg’s Customer Support Manager, Mr. Charles Ogbebor, talks about the company’suniqueness and commitment to offering to excellent service to clients.

Excerpts:

Heidelberg came to Nigeria 17 years ago. How has the journey been?

The journey has not been smooth. We had some ups and downs in the onset because the company was inherited from EAC, under Briscoe Graphics. Many things were not in place until Heidelberg came in 1998to correct such. Since Heidelberg took over, things have been okay.

What did Heidelberg do differently?

First, the structure of the company changed as new faces were brought into the system. Also, there were support and funding from the parent company. That changed a lot of things. We are segmented into different units. Wehave the Pre-press that deals with computer to plate machines.There is also the Press, and the Post- press.We also have the sales unit that sells all the equipment.

What do you think has encouraged customer loyalty to your company?

Our customers prefer us because of quality. Heidelberg products represent stability. Once you buy any of our products, you can go to sleep. We have high- end equipment that is very solid and comparable to none anywhere in the world.Also, there is a back-up service from the parent company which cannot be surpassed. If you have issues that concern our products,we have a 24-hour online service to resolve the issues. For instance, we have an SL 105-6 machine in Nigeria and the client that owns the machine cherishes it. It can produce times two of what the competitor’s machine is producing.

Despite these high quality equipment that can be bought from your company, some printers still take their jobs abroad?

Before now, printing in Nigeria was at its lowest ebb. We were not competitive enough because of the equipment that we had on ground. But when Heidelberg came and introduced those high-end equipment, you discover they the rate at which printers or print customers go abroad to print has reduced. We also do a lot of workshop and seminar to intimate people about the trends in the industry. Before now,we used to have chord 64 or subsea machines as the highest. This was like 1998 or 1999. Now, we have bigger A1 machine that can do any job. For instance, if you look at This Day newspaper on a weekend, the magazine inside is produced with Heidelberg machine. The same with Vanguard’sAllure and the Guardian’s Life. Those who are taking their jobs out know why they do so. It is not because the equipment is not on ground.

What are the benefits of Heidelberg Nigeria with its parent company in Germany?

Apart from the 24 hours back-up service I mentioned earlier, trainings are organized for the staffers of Heidelberg worldwide. What else can you ask for? When you are updated with the current trends in the industry, you don’t ask for anything more.

The economy is biting hard in the country. What will be your advice to printers?

They should do things with the right perspective.To be competitive in the industry, you need to buy new equipment. They may have to talk to the banks to get money. What we have done was to introduce some of our clients to banks and they have been funded.

What value does Heidelberg usually bring to the table for their clients?

It is the support we give them. No matter the equipment you buy, we support you. Even those that don’t buy from us, we support them with genuine spare parts. And it can be gotten within the 24hours from Europe. When I order spare parts, it will be arraigned few minutes in the aircraft coming to Lagos. You don’t need to start to get somebody abroad, you already have a link. Also, as way of saving the customers from future problem we do up-grade for equipment when they are necessary.

Are you saying everything is just rosy in your company?

There is no company that is 100 percent okay. There must have one or two things they are faced with. The only challenge we have is the way the economy has turned because it is affecting most of ourcustomers.In term of the job, we have none because we have up to date. For instance, I don’t lend to get anybody from anywhere to get prices. I just set my laptop and hook up. We have four hubs in the world. If I don’t get spare part in Germany, I can hook up with Japan or China and United States.