Over this period, he has achieved significant sales milestones, including over 700 machines sold.
Early Career and Major Sales
Alfonso began his professional journey in December 1984 at INTERGRAFICA/MAN ROLAND, the Spanish agent for MAN ROLAND, at the age of 22.
He started in the packaging and commercial sector, specializing in packaging, and sold large-format offset printing machines like the legendary ROLAND 800 (100 x 140 cm) to companies such as Gráficas JORBA, INDUSTRIAS DEL CARTONAJE, ALZAMORA, and CARTONAJES SUÑER. One of his notable sales was the largest printing machine to Cartonajes RAKOSNIK (now part of Grupo SAICA) at Graphispag 1989.
Advancing in Graphic Packaging
In 1993, Alfonso joined GRAPHIC PACKAGING (RIVERWOOD) in Spain, where he served as the Sales Manager for the Multipackaging Beverage department.
He sold machines to major breweries and companies like COCA COLA and PEPSI COLA, gaining extensive knowledge in multipack applications and understanding the importance of well-crafted packaging for optimal machine performance.
Joining BOBST and Achieving Market Leadership
In 1995, Alfonso joined BOBST, where he has spent nearly 30 years. Under his leadership, BOBST became the market leader in Spain. A key factor in this success was the continuous training provided to clients’ operators.
BOBST donated a die-cutter and folder-gluer to the Barcelona School of Graphic Arts, training hundreds of operators over 29 years.
This training extended to BOBST’s Packaging Center in Switzerland, ensuring operators were well-prepared before machines arrived at their industries.
In 1996, the company KAIRA from Bilbao bought an SP 102 EII, and we had to repurchase an old AP 900 from 1941.
The machine was sold to the company ALBRU in Madrid, being at that time one of the oldest functioning AUTOPLATINAS in the world.
Notable Achievements and Installations
Alfonso’s efforts led to the installation of some of the largest machines in Spain, including:
• The Largest Stamping Machine: EGISA acquired the first Bobst SP 102 BMA (70×100 cm) and later the SP 126 BMA (92×126 cm), still the largest stamping/autoplatina machine in the market.
• The Largest Die-Cutting Machine: CARTONAJES BERNABEU, part of Grupo Hinojosa, purchased the first MASTERCUT 1.65 in Spain, capable of die-cutting from 300 g/m² folding carton to 7 mm corrugated board.
• The Largest Folder-Gluer: CARTONAJES LANTEGI acquired the MASTERFOLD 350, the largest folder-gluer in Spain, capable of folding boxes up to 3.50 meters.
Legacy of Innovation
Alfonso’s career has been driven by a desire to elevate the technological level of the graphic arts sector and modernize the carton industry in Spain.
His dedication and efforts have significantly contributed to the industry’s development, and he extends his gratitude to the sector’s entrepreneurs for embracing new technologies over the years.
Alfonso Mateo and corruga.expert
