We talked with Stephen Buchanan who is Inkjet Business Manager for FuturePrint Partner Kao Collins Inc based out of Cincinnati Ohio in the US. In this interview, we catch up with him to gain his insight and opinion on inkjet development and how inkjet demand has changed in line with COVID.

Tell us about your Background

After graduating with a degree in Biochemistry, I began my career testing FDA and Pharmaceutical products before landing a position as an R&D Chemist with Kao Collins. I had no prior inkjet experience but dedicated myself to learning the industry hoping to become a leader in promoting innovation. I have been with Kao Collins for 6 years now. I have recently transitioned into an Inkjet Business Development role, which is a great fit for me having built strong relationships with our customers over the years.

At Kao Collins, we believe the best way to develop the right inkjet formulation is through close interaction with our customers. Our R&D Chemists are encouraged to visit print shops and offer field support along with troubleshooting assistance. By engaging this way, we learn from different conversations with commercial people as well as inkjet press operators. Our ability to listen, adapt, and deliver innovative solutions to our customers has helped Kao Collins become a leader in the inkjet industry.

This is unique, usually, Chemists are not allowed out, isn’t that right?!

Yeah, maybe for some! But customer interfacing is important in order to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of inkjet formulations. This is an important principle to Kao, as closeness with the customer is an integral aspect of our core philosophy.

So how has that gone during the lockdown?

We have adapted new ways to connect with our customers through video calls and conferencing. We have also engaged in virtual meetings to stay in touch while offering technical support remotely. Our core philosophy remains intact, but the execution is now different. Of course, we are hopeful it will only be a temporary state, and it is our expectation to return to on-site visits with our customers again in the future.

While we have many existing partnerships with OEM’s, Integrators, and Distributors, we supply Small End-Users as well. As you can imagine, COVID-19 has caused ripple effects across a variety of markets and has created financial challenges for many Small End-Users. During these difficult times, Kao has promoted the mentality that “we’re all in this together”, and we’ve done our best to provide support where we can. A little empathy goes a long way.

How has the entire business been impacted by COVID-19?

COVID-19 has impacted everyone. We have seen increased ink consumption within the food, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors due to the current focus on health and safety. In addition, the new emphasis on social distancing has yielded a dramatic shift towards online purchasing. Consumers were already exploring online retail and groceries, and COVID-19 has really accelerated this transition and e-commerce seems to be booming. Due to the closure of stores and restaurants, people are stocking more consumer goods like soaps, hand sanitizers, packaged foods, alcohol, etc. As a result of these pandemic shopping habits, we have seen a sharp rise in the label and packaging industries, leaving converters scrambling to keep up with the elevated demand.

We provide inks to a variety of digital converters in the CMYK space for labels, corrugated, and flexible packaging. The results have been amazing! The growing demand for faster turnaround has created a market shift for printing applications trending towards digital inkjet, and we don’t expect this transition to stop.

Meanwhile, the wide-format and signage markets have experienced challenges during the pandemic. A majority of retail, advertising, public events, and trade shows have been halted for the foreseeable future. However, the Graphics Industry has proven resilient. They have adapted by printing jobs related to Social Distancing – 6 Feet Apart, Floor Decals, Vinyl Stickers, Bathroom Signs, Safety Barriers – using their existing inkjet technology. This innovation and creativity has allowed the graphics and signage markets to maintain some volume and forge a new path forward. 

How are you adapting?

COVID-19 is forcing us all to adapt and evolve. Our R&D Chemists always have new chemistries in mind and remain busy working to develop novelty products. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we must continue to innovate. This is how we are going to expand the inkjet industry, by accomplishing things we thought were impossible in the past. 

Printing companies are now adapting to accommodate shorter print runs, complex packaging designs, and faster lead times for marketing campaigns. Meanwhile, Brand Owners are continuing to search for unique ways to distinguish themselves through customization. Ultimately, this is leading to the proliferation of SKU’s, which is driven by marketing concepts geared towards consumer personalization.

Is Kao pro-environment?

Yes, Kao is always praised for being eco-friendly. We don’t just want this to be a perception, we truly want to do what’s best for our environment. It is genuine, and this is pretty cool for us as we develop products that align with our larger mission to be kind to the environment.

 Kao is also a key supplier of consumer goods for personal care and cosmetics, so like everyone else, our concerns go beyond simply the printing industry. We recognize that everything in our world is dynamic and interconnected, so the concerns for the environment and societal health must go hand in hand. The emphasis on eco-friendliness is important to Kao, and our R&D Chemists are constantly adapting our inkjet chemistries to reflect this.

 So to sum up, the printing market has accelerated a transition to Inkjet. We expect to see a lot more digital applications for labels & packaging, while the graphics market will continue adapting as consumers trend towards e-commerce.

Contact Stephen by email here

See Stephen speak to us here in this video