At a celebration event at Komori’s European Headquarters in Utrecht, Komori International Europe has fittingly presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to its Chief Operating Officer, Neil Sutton to mark his retirement after 27 years with Komori Corporation.
Neil joined Komori in 1996 as UK Southern Area Sales Manager after previous sales positions in the mail processing and print finishing industries. As the Komori sheet fed range expanded to encompass increasingly sophisticated B2 and B1 offset presses including the world-renowned Lithrone long and double deck perfectors, Komori’s ground-breaking H-UV drying systems and constantly evolving KMS control software and KHS-AI press control systems. Neil’s renowned business prowess helped drive sales into new markets including the strengthening of Komori’s dominance in the print packaging field.
His role developed to take responsibility for sheet fed sales throughout the UK, Ireland and South Africa, culminating in his promotion, in 2004, to Komori UK’s Director of Sheet Fed Sales, then upwards to UK Managing Director, the role previously occupied by Martin Rickards after his move to head up Komori’s European operations in Utrecht.
For several years, Neil successfully navigated Komori UK through the nation’s periods of economic growth, the inevitable challenges of economic turbulence and Komori’s relentless new product launches. He also guided Komori UK’s vital support to Komori’s Currency Division during the embryonic stages of its entry into European Banknote production.
By 2018, his analytical, and pragmatic approach coupled with his proven sales and business management acumen proved a timely fit to the wider role of Chief Operating Officer for Komori Europe International B.V. headquartered in Utrecht, following the retirement of Martin Rickards.
High on the list of Neil’s many achievements for European HQ is the centralisation and strengthening of European sales strategy, technical, training and demonstration facilities – all combining to ensure that distributors and subsidiaries are now capitalising on the company’s growing product portfolio, which encompasses the flourishing Supplies Division, the innovative Impremia digital presses and an increasingly diverse range of print finishing solutions.
For many years, Neil has also served as an active and inspirational council member of Picon - the UK’s leading printing industry confederation, where his valuable, customer-focused input has always been universally welcomed and will surely be missed.
Impressively, Neil regularly featured high up in the UK print industry’s top 100 Power Portfolio of the most influential figures, his unflinching enthusiasm for the print business only unmatched by his avid enthusiasm for all things sport, in particular football and cricket – which, doubtless, will feature even more prominently on his daily agenda during his well-deserved retirement!
