Germany-based go4copy.net - a reprographics "cooperative" (comments updated)

(Note:  updated comments appear at the end of the post)

Yesterday, Ed Avis, Managing Director of the IRgA, put up a post on IRgA.com announcing that a Germany-based “cooperative” has become a member of the IRgA.

At the beginning of that post, here’s what Ed says:

The German, Swiss, and Austrian reprographics cooperative go4copy.net has joined IRgA. The cooperative, which was formed by the German reprographics association Motio, is comprised of 65 members. 

Here’s a link to the complete post:

http://www.irga.com/blogs/Repro-Industry-News/german-group-go4copy.net-joins-irga/

Being curious about a “cooperative” of reprographers – i.e., what that’s all about - I visited go4copy’s web-site, using Google Translate to translate German to English.  Below, you will find some of the information I found on go4copy’s web-site.

But, first, a couple of comments:

Apparently, this – go4copy.net - is actually a real-live cooperative, rather than just an association.  In the sense that even though there are 65 member companies in the cooperative, all independently owned, the member companies, apparently, do not compete with each other, rather, they join together to serve customers whose businesses operate in and around Germany, Austria and Switzerland.  Apparently, for larger customers who may need the services of go4copy members in different parts of the region, go4copy will put together a “framework” agreement, and, under this sort of agreement, prices for services - ordered by any customer with a framework agreement – from any go4copy member company – will be the same.  That’s an interesting level of cooperation, for sure.  Perhaps ReproMAX and RSA Corp offer a similar arrangement to larger customers in the U.S. who operate in multiple markets?  I’ve never heard of that happening, but, then again, how would I know for sure.

Here’s some of the  info on go4copynet’s web-site that I translated:

The company go4copy.net eG

go4copy.net stands for professional services such as digital printing, copying, plotting, finishing (laminating / laminating) and more. Our operations are professionals in dealing with digital information.

Acquisition and transmission of data, scanning, document management and archiving, as well as project-based document management, can we manage everything for you - with high quality, with dedicated staff and a contact person.

Our company blanket coverage for you at over 70 operating locations in Germany and Austria.

With the "Federation of European Reprographic Associations" (Eu-re) merged business colleagues in Europe, we work just as intense as the "International Reprographic Association" (IRGA), whose members execute your orders in North and South America professionally.

Framework agreements with go4copy.net eG

Our framework contracts offer coverage a binding description of services and uniform prices and a web-based 24-hour order system.

Our strength: 70 million euro annual sales

The combined in go4copy.net service companies have a combined annual turnover of 70 million euros - a sound and economically strong group!

Over 800 professionals in 70 locations

go4copy.net farms are run by owners. They guarantee, commitment, punctuality and flexibility. In go4copy.net establishments operate over 800 trained professionals. Our members are training companies and have hundreds of young people as "media designer, specializing in media technology" enables a future-proof training.

Certified Quality Management »REQM"

All go4copy.net-businesses operate under the strict quality standard "REQM" of the trade association copy & Media Technology eV Compliance with this standard is monitored by the go4copy.net eG.

Credentials

Nationwide framework contracts

•  Siemens AG

•  German Railroad, Inc.

•  Ed. Züblin AG / Strabag

•  Allianz AG Germany

•  Kaufland goods Handel GmbH & Co. KG

•  Max Bögl Bauservice GmbH & Co. KG

•  d & b-Bau GmbH

Selected Projects

•  Cologne Arena (Esch group)

•  Rhein Energie Stadion (Cologne)

•  Exhibition Halls Cologne-Deutz (Esch group)

•  ICE line from Cologne to Frankfurt (German Railways)

•  Cologne-Bonn Airport Terminal 2 (Cologne-Bonn airport)

•  Media Park Cologne

•  Nuremberg Messe

•  Franken Stadium Nuremberg (proper operation Frankenstadium)

•  Maglev Munich (German Railways)

•  Dusseldorf Airport (airport company)

•  MSV Duisburg Arena (MSV Duisburg)

•  Stuttgart 21 (German Railways)

•  New Stuttgart Trade Fair (Projektges. "New Mass")

•  Sparkassen AG v -. New headquarters

•  IKEA furniture store Kamen (IKEA)

•  Clinics Gelsenkirchen

•  Air Freight Leipzig-Halle (Leipzig-Halle Airport)

•  New university campus Leipzig (State Sächs. Immobilen- and Construction Management)

•  State Central Bank BaWü

•  Munich Airport Terminal 2

go4copy.net eG

Fürstenbergerstraße 151

60322 Frankfurt

Tel .: 069-95 96 36 40

Fax: 069-95 96 36 11

go4copy.net

Follow-up comments, based on input from someone – in Europe - who knows a lot more about go4copy.net than I do:

Apparently, go4copy.net’s members do, regularly, compete with each other for business.

While go4copy.net may, in fact, have “framework” (pricing) agreements with major customers, those customers are also doing business with non-go4copy reprographers, and it may well be that the other reprographers are actually doing more business with those major customers than go4copy members are doing with those major customers.