When we first met them, we were impressed by their ambition of becoming one of the few (for now) Romanian print machine designers and producers. We are talking about the Intelligent Labs team from Bucharest, a young and talented group of people very serious about innovating together. Trying to build such a business from scrap might have had looked like a plan with very few chances to succeed. Yet, when we got to talk to them we realized that not only had they began to work on fulfilling their ambition, but they have already had their first taste of success.
Cristian FAUR
Programming at the age of 9
That is the age when Cristian Petrişor, the manager of Intelligent Labs, discovered his passion and skills for technology. These two qualities have never left him and he is still in this business ever since in some form or another. He began by working on software development at that early age first like a hobby and later he started to make money from it. Then he moved on to microprocessors, then he wanted to combine the two and from there it was just one more step to industrial design, machine development and production and especially automation solutions, the things that the company he leads is doing now.
Print machines represent just a fraction of what the ever-growing solution portfolio of Intelligent Labs has to offer, as can be read below. But we didn’t know that in the beginning. The Print Magazin team went to meet them because we found out that there was a new company in town that not only offered print machines under a new brand, but that they actually designed and built them themselves! Talking to them was a must. You don’t get to hear a lot of times about initiatives like these in our region, although we would like to. And we do not only like to hear about them, but also to offer them the support we can so they can grow and show the world what Romanian education and talent can do. At the end of our first conversation, we were enthusiastic. We had just talked to guys who could do that.
Intelligent Labs in their own words
They say about themselves that what they offer is called integrated solutions for technological processes control. The command and control systems that are installed on industrial machines are implemented in close collaboration with the customer, so that they match his specific customized needs. As technology specialists, they know quicklythe pace at which the solutions in this field evolves. So, what they offer is a long-term relationship with their clients, that can help minimize time, investments and efforts required to keep up with what the competition has to offer and to have the latest technologies available all the time. Their philosophy about customer support has very little to do with sales. Support begins usually a long time before any contract is signed and the collaboration never ends, or it lasts as long as the customer wants to be up to date with the technical solutions he has from Intelligent Labs.Their experience in technology will ensure that they will know all the time what kind of technology the client wants and needs, because they already speak that language.
The offer
So, what does actually this company mean by these so-called integrated solutions for technological processes control? Well, it means a lot and they can do a lot of innovative stuff for different industries. But we went to meet them so we could see what they can do for the industry that we work for, the print industry. Thus, we found out that they have a pretty impressive portfolio especially for finishing equipment, and none of them were in their early versions. We are talking about solutions for industrial printing, but also for packaging and signage. Their complete list can be found on the website of the company, www.intelligentlabs.ro.
But aside from the list itself, the most important thing about this offer is the freedom it provides, both for the customer and the producer of the machines. They can take customization to another level, because they don’t feel yet the constraints of standardization that the big producers feel. They still have more time for the customer and can offer more choices regarding things like the dimensions of the equipment and even the choice of the brands of the components that will work inside the machine for most of the print equipment they offer.
Are the localprint solutions competitive when compared to those from the West?
“Absolutely yes. We can see the growing demand for locally designed and produced machines with our own eyes. As long as the machines feature quality components, of course, and as long as they pay the same attention to details like alignment as we do. Those details usually make the difference between Chinese equipment and Western equipment and this is where Western companies gain more added value. Our machines are designed to be strong, stable and precise and with the same great degree of attention to details that makes the difference between East and West.
Of course, there is always the question of the price. From that point of view, ours are only slightly higher than those of the Chinese. But when you look at the quality of the same type of machines that we offer and realize that we are similar in standards to what the Germans or the Swiss have to offer (I know that, I even saw where and how they make them), you will definitely want to check our prices, too. And then you will realize that our prices are a fraction of those of the Western producers. They still benefit from their already established brands, from more exposure in the media and more participation at trade fairs, those are the real differences, but that is about to change”, says Mr. Petrişor.
Business the right way
There is a big banner that says Made in Romania in the production hall of Intelligent Labs. From the attitude of the manager of the company, one can see that he would like to see that Made in Romania logo in more places. He makes no secret from the fact that he has set his eyes on the international markets. And it is not just a dream from youth. Now a mature entrepreneur, Cristian Petrişor deals with the success he already has by thinking about the future. Aside from continuously developing the portfolio and updating the solutions, Intelligent Labs meets the growing demand from the market by enlarging their production facilities and (how else?) automating even more their own production tools.
But the Intelligent Labs team knows that their core business is developing and building technology. That is why they decided to outsource most of the sales and marketing activities of the organization to specialist companies who have the experience to find markets and develop them locally in other countries and they, themselves, to stick to what they know best: developing together with the customers the best solutions that suit their needs.
So, pretty soon at a print machine dealer near you, you will be able to see equipment on offer from Intelligent Labs.
