Ubix is back in the New Zealand market after an absence of eight years.
Australian owner CSG is relaunching the venerable copier brand under a franchise model, targeting the small to medium business sector.
“We thought there was room for another brand in the market,” says Ubix general manager Allan Craig.
Ubix will resell Develop, which Konika Minolta OEMs. Develop has been a prominent copier brand in Europe since 1948. It was bought by Minolta before it merged with Konika in 1994.
“We think it’s really suited to New Zealand,” says Craig, who was headhunted to set up the Ubix operation in New Zealand. He had spent 30 years with Xerox.
“We believe the buying public is ready for a new brand.”
New Zealand will be divided into 18 territories. Craig says that, so far, two thirds of Auckland has been franchised, along with Wellington and Dunedin.
“We’re looking at people who aren’t just copier salesmen. We want people who have been successful and who have an aptitude for business and will take equity participation.”
Ubix will help the franchises with marketing and assist with training. Konika Minolta will provide service support and the consumables.
“The differentiator is that the franchisees can make their own decisions at the point of sale about pricing,” Craig says.
He expects to launch an advertising campaign in the next few weeks.
