Welcome in the world of ARMOR THE

Welcome in the world of ARMOR

THE COMPANY Date of establishment : 1922 Structure : S. A. au capital de 10 299 450 Euros Head office : Nantes - France Deux activités : Ø Thermal Transfer : Ribbons’ manufacture for barcodes printers and direct printing on flexible packaging. Ø Office and Computer Supplies : Manufacture of Toner cartridges, Inkjet cartridges, ribbons for printers. Production units Ø Thermal Transfer : • Nantes – France : 20. 000 m² transfered at La Chevrolière in July 2006, • La Chevrolière - France : (South of Nantes) 90. 000 m 2 in which 30. 000 m 2 of production buildings, Cincinnati - USA : 2. 800 m 2, Singapor : 1500 m², Xiaolan - China : 1. 500 m 2, Johannesburg – South Africa : 1000 m² (March 2006). • • Ø Bureautique et Informatique • Casablanca - Maroc : 4. 000 m 2, • Dortmund - Germany : 2. 500 m 2, • Prudnik - Poland : 7. 000 m 2.

80 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE The group has nearly 80 years of know-how and innovations: 1922 Creation of the “GALLAND & BROCHARD” company. 1925 Launching of the ARMOR brand. 1964 ARMOR was the first company to manufacture carbon films (solvent ink base) in France. 1975 Launching of the first ribbon cartridge. 1983 1992 1993 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 ARMOR becomes the first company in Europe to have “Thermal Transfer” technology. Creation of a unit to manufacture Toner cartridges for Laser and LED printers. ARMOR starts to develop its own ink for Ink-Jet printers and launches its own cartridges. ISO 9002 certification N° 1995 / 3718. ARTECH, a technical center for cartridges design, mould making and plastic-part injection moulding joins the Armor group. Creation of 3 retail subsidiaries (Italy, Poland, Czech. Rep. ). Opening of a subsidiary in Asia: ARMOR ASIA IMAGING SUPPLIES Pte Ltd (Singapore). Creation of 1 new subsidiaries: ARMOR JAPAN KK (Japan) Armor launches its first colour inkjet cartridge with a memory chip. Armor launches its first Laser colour cartridge. ISO 9001 certification version 1994. ISO 9001 certification (2000 version). Opening a subsidiary in China: ZHONGSHAN ARMOR INDUSTRY CO. , LTD Opening of ARMOR Imaging Supplies South Africa (AISSA)

ORGANISATION

A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE • THE MAKING OF INKS AND INK TRANSFER • INK CHEMISTRY: THE BASIS OF OUR EXPERTISE Constant development of our ink formulas over the past 75 years enables us to meet the demands of the various technologies and applications in the market today: Ink-Jet, Laser, TT and Impact. • INK TRANSFER, THE KEY TO PERFORMANCE Before any character or image can be created, the ink must be: • Coated on to the right medium (Fabric, Polyethylene film, polyester film then converted into a ribbon or filled into a cartridge). • Put in a cartridge (Ink-Jet, Laser, Impact). Our perfect expertise in coating, slitting, assembling cassettes and filling cartridges enables us to overcome all difficulties and offer you the best guarantee of quality. The creation of ARTECH, for the manufacture of plastic parts and empty cartridges, gives us greater control over the products and allows us to be flexible.

THE CAPABILITY TO INNOVATE • WITH AN EXPERIENCED R&D TEAM Our aim is clear: to give you the exact answer you require for tomorrow’s printing needs. • 15 chemists to create new formulations, • 7 specialists in measuring and analysis, • 14 technicians involved in: development, technical support and future technologies, • 25 engineers and technicians from ARTECH Gmb. H for the design of Ink-Jet cartridges and fabric cassettes, • Over 1 million Euros invested over 4 years in the research and development, • An annual budget of 3 % ARMOR's turnover. • A FOCUS ON QUALITY • 25 people for Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Calibration, • Self checking throughout the production process, • ISO 9001 certification (2000 Version) N° QUAL/1995/3718 b.

INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES THERMAL TRANSFER Thanks to a continuous investment programme ARMOR has the industrial tools adapted to its ambitions: – Over € 50, 000 invested the last 8 years in new equipment & buildings, – 40 million Euros will be invested from 2005 to 2008. • INK MANUFACTURING – 1 unit with 6 wax grinders, – 3 units for grinding solvents with 4 automatic high capacity grinding facilities, – 25 tones of ink per day: TT wax, TT solvent, fabric, thermoprint, • INK COATING – 10 machines for wax coating, – 17 machines for solvent coating, – 2500 km of film coated each day (7 days per week). • RIBBONS SLITTING – More than 50 slitting machines to satisfy our client’s needs in the world, devided in 5 slitting centers.

INDUSTRIAL RESSOURCES OFFICE AND COMPUTER SUPPLIES • IMPACT AND FAX: Morocco – – 5 slitters for film quality, 2 slitters for fabric quality, 35 automatic and semi-automatic assembling machines, 4 packaging lines. • LASER: Morocco – 2 production units for cartridges, – 3 automatic filling machines. • INKJET: – 1 fully automated injection unit, (Artech Garmany) – 1 factory for pre-assembly, filling and packaging Ink-Jet cartridges. (Artech Poland) Capacity of 2 million cartridges per month.

OFFICE AND COMPUTER SUPPLIES • IMPACT: – – – Ribbons & cassettes for typewriter, Ribbons & cassettes for printers, Correction tapes, correcting fluid, Ink rollers, Carbons, stencils. • LASER: – Laser cartridges, – Toner kits. • INKJET: – Ink. Jet cartridges for office printers, – Ink. Jet inks for wide format, – Ink. Jet inks for industrial applications. • COMPLEMENTARY PRODUCTS: – Fax rolls, – Cleaning products, – Special supports.

THERMAL TRANSFER MARKET • INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS Ribbons & cassettes for barcode printers & for direct printing on flexible packaging: – AWR®, wax base for standard applications, – AWX®, wax base for premium applications, – APR®, wax/resin base (premium), – AXR®, resin base (super premium) very high mechanical and chemical resistance. • TICKETING – Multiuse ribbons for ATB printers, and other label printers. • OTHERS APPLICATIONS – Plastic card printing, – Textile printing.

STAFF

DEVELOPMENT OF TURNOVER

ARMOR DIFFERENCES Product – High Quality PATENT FREE products, 100% compatible to the OEM Complete assortment - over 90% of installed base covered Certificates – ISO 9001, ASTM, ISO 19752, DIN 33870, IS 0 14001 (in process) Pricing – 30% less in comparison to OEM Guarantees – 2 Years Warranty; full capacity guarantee, reaction to OEM „non guarantee“ policy = printer guarantee, compatibility guarantee, hot line Services – short delivery time, e-shop (with fulltx compa. list), marketing and active personal support Sales – NOT to End Users Retails – Blister packaging, easy identification of the product, compa. lists for stores, merchandising tools Ecology – free „take back“ of used cartridges and its eco. destruction

MERCHANDISING POS STAND COUNTER POS FAX BOX PAL BOX

MERCHANDISING

REFERENCES

ARMOR IN THE WORLD