Mark Andy has announced its Student Open House at the company’s Technology Center in Warsaw, Poland, was a resounding success.  This year’s event, which took place on April 11, gathered a record number of participants, with more than 170 students attending from print-oriented high schools and technical universities, accompanied by faculty representatives.  

Five institutions were represented at the event: the Department of Printing Technology at the Institute of Mechanics and Printing at Warsaw University of Technology, the Armia Krajowa Printing and Mechanical School Complex in Katowice, the Center for Vocational and Continuing Education in Pionki, the Ignacy Moscicki School Complex in Zielonka, and Technical School No. 11 named after Piotr Wysocki in Warsaw.

“Events devoted to young people entering the world of print are always special to us,”  comments Lena Chmielewska-Bontron, European marketing manager for Mark Andy, who welcomed guests to the Technology Center.  “We’re thrilled to announce that this year’s event exceeded our greatest expectations. We enjoyed record-breaking attendance, with more than 170 students and pupils visiting us in a single day. That’s 50% more than we hosted last year in two separate events.”

Chmielewska-Bontron says the attendance reflects the growing appeal of the printing and labeling industry and an increasing awareness among educational institutions that practical experience is as important as theoretical knowledge.

Mark Andy held live demonstrations for two of the narrow web printing presses installed at the Technology Center.  The presentations, led by sales manager Lukasz Chruslinski, introduced students to the unique features of each press. The demos included Mark Andy’s Digital Series HD HighSpeed 1200 – the world’s fastest hybrid UV inkjet press dedicated to label production; and Mark Andy’s ProSeries flexo model. The ProSeries demos were supported by DuPont, a partner for the event, who supplied the flexo printing plates.

Lukasz Chruslinski explained the construction of each press, their target markets and applications, and how these impact on Mark Andy’s diverse product portfolio. In his introduction, he also referred to the current trends in the label industry. He said, “Our lives, both personal and business, are driven by constant change. We’re bombarded with stimuli and factors beyond our control. This naturally affects our behavior as consumers responding to packaging and labels. Ultimately, technological change affects production for printers and converters. That’s why we’re seeing the growing popularity of linerless labels, fueled by increased demand for food-to-go/ready-to-eat meals, and RFID tags, which are becoming standard in a wide range of retail stores.” 

He adds that as a leading manufacturer of narrow web presses and complementary solutions, Mark Andy is focused on staying ahead of these changes, aligning with its belief that “Your Growth is Our Growth.”  

Mark Andy sales, printing, and service specialists made themselves available for several hours to engage with students, and the interest was high. “To see so many students and pupils actively engaged, asking questions, joining discussions, and looking closely at the presses made for a great day,” added Chmielewska-Bontron.”

Przemyslaw Polkowski, general manager at Mark Andy Europe, concluded, “We’d like to thank all the students, pupils and faculty staff for their attendance.  Their interest, enthusiasm and engagement were of a truly high level this year.  This fills us with pride and gives us hope for the future development of our industry.  Training and education are key factors in this process, and we are committed to playing an ongoing role, which means we are already looking forward to welcoming print-oriented schools and universities to the next Students Open House in 2026 – so, see you then!”