MakerBot and Alloys Partner to Bring 3D Printers, Scanners & Materials to 1,000 Australian Resellers

As fierce competition heats up on the consumer side of the 3D printer market, the major players within the industry continue their torrid rate of expansion by signing new distribution deals, raising research and development budgets, and hiring new talent.

Last week, 3D systems announced a few key distribution deals with the likes of Canon, Impression Solutions Inc., and Henry Schein Inc. These deals were manly aimed at the industrial side of their business, but also did include some of their desktop consumer-oriented machines like their Cube line of 3D printers.

This week it seems like it may be Stratasys and their subsidiary, MakerBot’s turn to expand their global footprint, and in a big way. Last evening, the company announced a large distribution agreement with one of Australia’s oldest and largest electronics distributors, Alloys.

In an agreement reached with the Melbourne company, Alloys will now distribute MakerBot’s line of 3D printers, scanners and materials across Australia. This includes the company’s MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer, Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer, and Replicator Z18 3D Printer, in addition to their Replicator 2X Experimental machine. Alloys will also become an official distributor of the MakerBot Digitizer™ Desktop 3D Scanner, MakerBot’s ABS and PLA filaments, in addition to other 3D printing and scanning accessories.

“We believe that with a network of more than 1,000 resellers and four showrooms in major cities throughout Australia, Alloys will help us expand our business in Australia,” noted Mark Schulze, general manager of the Americas and Emerging Markets for MakerBot. “Alloys has 30+ years of experience in technology distribution and has close connections to the education, design and engineering vertical markets that align with MakerBot’s core customers. This approach is exactly the kind of mindset we were looking for to help us make further headway into the Australian market.”

In addition to utilizing their network of 1,000 distributors across Australia, Alloys will also be hosting several MakerBot 3D Ecosystem showcases throughout the month. These showcases will include showrooms of the products, networking opportunities, product demos and presentations. If you are interested in attending one of these showcases, the dates are as follows: Melbourne on March 5, Brisbane on March 10, Sydney on March 12 and Adelaide on March 19. If you are with the press or a reseller looking to attend any of these events, you are asked to contact the company (+61-1300-118-308 or info@makerbot3d.com.au.) before attending.

“We’re thrilled to partner with MakerBot, a market leader in the 3D printing industry, to offer our resellers a comprehensive 3D printing portfolio,” stated Paul Harman, CEO of Alloys. “Alloys has a long history of working with resellers in traditional and large-format printer channels, catering to design and engineering professionals, a market sweet spot for MakerBot. We think partnering with MakerBot will provide us with a great starting point to grow the 3D printing market in Australia. The MakerBot 3D Ecosystem is a market distinguisher and helps make 3D printing accessible in more ways than any other 3D printer brand on the market, which is a key selling point in what our resellers are looking for.”

Compared to the United States and Europe, 3D printing has yet to really take Australia by storm. This partnership should help expand both MakerBot and the technology’s presence in the Land Down Under. Let’s hear your thoughts on this deal. Discuss in the MakerBot/Alloys Target Australia forum thread on 3DPB.com.