PRINTITRESELLER.UK 29 NEWS FEATURE PC: CTS is the master distributor for the UK. They’re also the parts and spares distributor for the UK, and the Authorised Service Partner. They’re a one-stop-shop for dealers. CTS’s product feed is distributed across multiple platforms, ensuring that Pantum products and all related information are readily available to dealers in the way they are used to receiving it. They have also got a new dedicated OA team and that team has total flexibility to work with dealers to help them win business. PITR: What support will Pantum provide to on boarded resellers, and how will the brand be supported and promoted in the UK? PC: All of that will be physically delivered via CTS to start with. We have a promotional plan in place that’s going live at the beginning of Q2, so there are going to be dealer promotions across all of the devices. And there’s also the revamped UK‑specific partner rewards program, which will be launched during Q2, that will include different levels of rebates and benefits that partners receive depending upon their purchases. https://www.pantum.uk/ We’ve also got our own MPS monitoring software, which is called PiPME, this is free, but there’s nothing to stop the dealer charging the customer for that as-a-service. We’ve also partnered with NDD. Certain devices within the Elite Pro series have NDD print management software embedded, although it’s embedded, it’s not activated. So, the dealer would need to buy a license to activate that. PITR: When will the devices be available to purchase? PC: Stock arrives towards the end of Q1. PITR: What do you see as unique selling points that differentiate Pantum’s offering? PC: Our new pricing strategy is very competitive, and we hope it will rank among the lowest running costs in the industry. In addition, Ninestar’s manufacturing scale gives Pantum a powerful advantage in competitive tenders. In a larger deal/ special bid situation, what often happens is dealers will get some support from the vendor, but then they have to work on a tiny margin on their side. We are committed to offering highly competitive pricing that helps dealers win business while protecting their margins. Reliability is another key USP. All of the technology and the engines are our own self developed engines. The machines are very robust and reliable. Sustainability is equally central to our value proposition. Ninestar has achieved an MSCI AA ESG rating, in 20241, sales of clean technology products accounted for 44% of the group’s total revenue, and certain Pantum devices are ENERGY STAR and RoHS Compliant accredited. PITR: UK distribution will be handled through CTS. How will this work, and what advantages will it offer resellers? PrintIT Reseller (PITR): To begin, could you share a brief history of Pantum for those who may be less familiar with the company? Paul Callow (PC): Pantum, which was founded in 2010 is owned by the Ninestar Group. In terms of shipments, it is the fourth largest manufacturer of printing devices globally, according to IDC’s 2024 global printer shipment rankings. The brand is either number one, number two or number three in the majority of the markets that we operate in, with the exception of Europe. So, they’ve brought me on as Regional Director for Northern Europe to replicate the success they’ve had in other regions worldwide. PITR: So, what have you done to date in the UK and what’s the plan for this year? PC: The first thing has been to establish a correct brand strategy in terms of the product positioning and pricing. What we want to do in the UK is to establish a robust channel and a robust channel‑only sales model. The other thing we’ve had to do is to overhaul the product positioning so it resonates with how UK dealers sell. Another key part of our strategy has been to simplify our route to market. We’ve decided to appoint one master distributor for each country. And that’s CTS in the UK. The plan now is to start engaging with the copier dealer channel. PITR: Which Pantum products will be available to the UK market? PC: There’s a range of A4 and A3 colour and black and white devices. The A4 models range from 220ppm to 42ppm and the A3 devices have print speeds ranging from 22ppm to 35ppm. There are plans to expand the range with a faster range of A3 models in the following few years. Standard warranty in the UK is one year. And then there’s a new range of extended warranty products that the customer can extend to three years. Pantum sets its sights on UK and European growth Pantum may be a relatively new name to some UK resellers, but globally the brand is strong. PrintIT Reseller caught up with Paul Callow, Regional Director for Northern Europe, to discuss the OEM’s growth plans and its strategy for expanding across the UK and wider European market in 2026 Reference: 1. https://www.pantum.uk/about-us/ news/2011368506219610114.html
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