3D Printer Distribution: Ultimaker’s North American Resellers Up By 350%, Nano Dimension Hits Q1 Beta Customer Goal

3D printers are making waves with customers around the world – but it all hinges on their getting from manufacturers to customers. Some companies rely on resellers, while others take a more direct approach in their distribution. This week is full of good news for those interested in some of the dynamic names in desktop 3D printing as we’ve heard about forward progress in getting their products out into the world, both in terms of resellers and in a quickly growing beta program.

Last April, Dutch company Ultimaker crossed the ocean once again to open their third North American office, based in Boston. It was a big move, accompanied by the naming of John Kawola as the company’s North American president, but it’s a move that has paid off, as resellers of Ultimaker’s popular desktop 3D printers have increased by 350%. It doesn’t hurt that the company’s latest model, the Ultimaker 3, introduced in October, has been such a hit, with customers extending from the automotive and aerospace industries to healthcare, education and more.

“The launch of the Ultimaker 3 marked a significant milestone in our expansion into the professional and enterprise space. To meet the growing demand for Ultimaker printers in the marketplace, we’ve strategically built out our channel partner network across the U.S. and Canada,” said Kawola. “We are replicating the success that Ultimaker has had in the European market by setting up our North American headquarters in Boston, as well as an office in New York City, and by partnering with trusted resellers.”

Ultimaker is so ubiquitous that it’s easy to forget that they’re a relatively young company, having been established only six years ago. They’re especially new to the professional market, having spent the majority of their time so far as a beloved supplier to hobbyists.

“The Ultimaker 3 is part of the attempt to break more into the professional market, with its WiFi, automatic bed leveling, and dual extrusion capabilities,” Kawola told 3DPrint.com when we spoke with him last month at SOLIDWORKS World. “It’s been on the market for about a quarter now, and it’s been very well received. The professional market values the ability to push a button and pick parts up off the bed. This year we have another year behind our belts in this market.”

Ultimaker’s hobbyist base shouldn’t worry about being left behind, despite the recent news that the open source company filed for their first patent. An expanded market means more accessibility for all of Ultimaker’s customers, professionals and hobbyists alike. As the company’s resellers continue to multiply, more customers will have local access to not only products but service and support, thanks to Ultimaker’s intensive reseller training program.

Ultimaker now has 26 resellers in North America, including:

• Dynamism
• MatterHackers
• DesignBox3D
• STEMfinity
• 3D Universe
• Adafruit
• MCM Electronics
• Technology Education Concepts
• DELRAY Systems

You can see the full list of Ultimaker’s resellers here.

Speaking of companies that have been having a good year so far, Nano Dimension has announced that they’ve delivered yet another one of their DragonFly 2020 electronic circuit board 3D printers to a new beta customer. If it sounds like we just reported on this, that’s because we did; this delivery makes six so far this year – the same number of beta customers that the company delivered to in all of 2016. With this delivery, Nano Dimension has met their 2017 Q1 target. While Nano Dimension has not revealed the name or location of the latest customer, they identified the recipient as one of the 10 largest contract manufacturers in the world.

The news of this latest delivery comes less than two weeks after Nano Dimension delivered two of the printers to customers in Israel within a few days of each other: Syqe Medical, maker of medical marijuana inhalers, and an unnamed PCB design bureau. The growing base of beta customers is supplying Nano Dimension with valuable feedback about the DragonFly 2020 while benefiting from faster product development, greater intellectual property security, and, of course – if they haven’t chosen to remain anonymous – bragging rights. Discuss in the Ultimaker forum at 3DPB.com.