Omet has appointed Printpac as its official distributor for the UK and Ireland, giving label and packaging converters in the region direct access to the Italian manufacturer's narrow and mid-web printing and converting machinery portfolio, with dedicated local sales support for manufacturers investing in press upgrades.

Neil Stephenson leads Printpac's activities in the UK and Ireland, bringing more than 25 years of printing industry experience to the role; Printpac was incorporated in October 2025 to provide installation of industrial machinery and equipment, and is registered in Middleton, Manchester.

Sergio Villa, export sales manager at Omet, said: "We are delighted to welcome Neil and the Printpac team to the Omet sales network." He said Stephenson and Printpac's extensive knowledge of the industry and local market would be invaluable in bringing Omet's technology, expertise and support closer to label and packaging converters across the UK and Ireland.

Omet, headquartered in Molteno, Italy, has more than 60 years of experience manufacturing modular, multi-technology press platforms that combine printing, finishing and converting in a single pass.

The appointment reflects established European press manufacturers refreshing UK and Ireland distribution channels as converters invest in narrow-web machinery capable of combining printing, finishing and converting in a single pass, reducing changeover time and floor space requirements at a time when UK printing industry revenue has been gradually contracting.

The timing coincides with the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation entering application in August 2026, adding new compliance obligations that flow into label design and production, as the global label printing machine market is forecast to grow from $8.21bn in 2025 to $11.57bn by 2030, with flexographic systems still accounting for the largest share of installed narrow-web capacity even as digital adoption accelerates.

For the sector, appointing a newly formed, dedicated distributor rather than an established multi-brand agent signals Omet is prioritising focused local technical support over broad market reach in the UK and Ireland.

The wider signal for the sector is that UK and Ireland label and packaging converters are gaining renewed direct access to European multi-technology press platforms at a moment when regulatory and e-commerce pressures are pushing converters to modernise machinery.

Source: Labels & Labeling / FlexoTech / Mordor Intelligence / IBISWorld