Business: U FIll No Spill

 The printing/copying buisness has been for the past decade one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, and shows, according to most analysis, no signs of slowing. worldwide, according to a study published in industry trade publication, The Recycler, the global office stationery and supply magazine, The Recycler, is projected to surpass US$217 billion through 2019.

Of course, with a potential market and windfall that massive, there are many seeking to "cash in" and thus market differentiation becomes that much more of a challenge.



Through a decade of learning, experimenting, risking and ultimately, leading, Edward Chin Mook of Global Ink has been espousing and living his dedication to producing environmentally responsible products and constantly adapting and upgrading to meet the corresponding needs of the industry.

"All businesses have expenses," the founder points out, " and as business expands, so too these expenses. among them printing and copying. These tend to be quite deceptive, and subject to a lot of misinformation."

In the face of such a culture, Global Ink has sought to take the proverbial road less travelled, that is, of stating atthe top of the industry curve and embarking on the re-manufacture of toner cartridges for H-P printers. He has been vigorously been beating the "quality perception" trap in terms of people saying that local manufactures are intrinsically inferior. 'You will hear a lot of 'snake oil' stories about lube and liquids from the 'bore-and-fill' guys' he points out. "What they dont tell you is the damage that your printer can sustain because of those practices. When we give you a product, you are getting all-new components, so its not going to break down over time, because of untimely component failure."


The Global Ink commitment, Chin Mook repeats, is to supply the best quality cartridge at a competitive price. "There are persons going around selling finished cartridges, almost totally imported from China, but when you look into the numbers more closely, it leads me to the inescapable conclusion  that either some massive dumping or some kind of laundering is taking place."

Further, Global Ink's commitment to continuous quality improvement meant that in in 2011, Global Ink participated in a an extensive Quality Managerment Systems Workshop fort MSMEs, organized by Jamaica Promotions (JAMPRO), the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality and the national Certification Body of Jamaica. Even so, it would be another three arduous years before he would negineer a formula to produce what he calls "a premium re-manufactured Toner" using the industry's Total Rebuild Standard in partnership with a leading ISO-certified supplier out of the US.

Global Ink now also offers an Equipment Warranty Guarantee in response to concerns that potential customers may have in relation ot he infringement on their OEM but also, going further to establish mini-franchisees, building on a model that has already proven

The service has proven successful for the likes of  Dolphin Cove (tourism), Blue Power (manufacturing) and John R Wong (retail) among others. In fact, an analysis of its Top 8 customers across several sectors show that using the products over the past 2 years (2013-15) saved them a combined $4 million in actual cash and reduced waste that would have been headed for the landfill.

Working with a "Buy Jamaican" may not prove immensely popular right now, but Chin Mook remains convinced that it is the only sustainable route. "We're building something of great value for the economy and therefore to every Jamaican," he states. "If Governments are really serious about growth, then the logical starting point is encouraging greater consumption of homemade."

In pursuit of the economic ideal, he also launched a unique product, branded U-fill, No-spill" for ink cartridge printers. With U-fill, owners can replace the ink in their cartridges - under condition, and with initial training from Global Ink - with the use of a purpose-designed, simple kit. Having had positive initial response, Chin Mook is already heading to the next level, expanding the availability of the product in select retail outlets and even further, through a micro-franchising model such as that successfully applied by Jamaica Producers and others.

No doubt the experience will offer firther learning curves, but the genial entrepreneur is ready for that which is to come. "Were investing in building our capacity, people-wise, technology-wiser and staying in tune with the industry globally," he says. "We're long-haul people, that's all we know"


Looks like a success formula.