Chairman of Mimaki Europe retires

Mimaki has announced that its chairman, Sakae Sagane, retired on June 28, after leading Mimaki Europe since 2005.

Mr Sagane grew Mimaki Europe from a small Mimaki subsidiary to the business unit that contributes the most revenue in comparison to its other subsidiaries.

Under his leadership, Mimaki Europe grew its network of dealers and distributors across the region, completed acquisitions and established Mimaki Eurasia in Turkey to more specifically address the needs within that region. In addition, Mimaki Europe positioned itself as a major industry player under his leadership, strengthening its position in signs and display graphics and textiles, while also beginning to establish a foothold in 3D printing. Annual turnover for Mimaki Europe was €46 million in 2006, growing to €125 million by the end of Mimaki’s fiscal year in March 2018, contributing more than 31% of total Mimaki turnover.

Yuji Ikeda, managing director at Mimaki Europe, said: “Mimaki Europe has truly prospered under Mr Sagane’s leadership, as have our customers. His vision took us from a small regional player to a force to be reckoned with in the markets we serve. He also helped us successfully navigate through and overcome the difficulties of the European debt crisis. Mimaki Europe started out with only five employees back in 2005 and this number has grown to more than 100 today. We sincerely thank him for his many years of service. He will be missed.”

Peter Mitchell, director of Mimaki’s exclusive UK and Irish distributor, Hybrid Services, added: “We are immensely grateful for the help and support that Mr Sagane has given to the UK and Irish market and in particular, in the last 12 months, with the introduction of the Mimaki Tiger 1800B industrial textile printer. We wish him well in his richly deserved retirement.”

Mr Sagane said: “The time I spent developing Mimaki Europe has been extremely rewarding. We have an outstanding team that has been a delight to work with, and a cadre of loyal and innovative customers that both pushed us to higher performance levels and rewarded us with their business. It is with mixed emotions that I leave this vibrant and growing business to take on the next phase of my life.”