Customers Benefit As Oce Eco Start Program Accelerates

TRUMBULL, Conn., May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Oce, a Canon Group company and an international leader in digital document management, today announced that the Oce Eco Start Program funded the planting of over 350,000 trees in 2011. The Oce Eco Start Program partners with Trees for the Future, planting trees on behalf of Oce U.S. customers to help offset CO2 emissions attributable to the energy usage from production equipment during the first year of operation.

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Through the Oce Eco Start program, Oce customers have the opportunity to enhance their environmentally responsible business practices and minimize the environmental impact of their production printing equipment. The Oce Eco Start Program also assists production printing customers in marketing their environmental sustainability initiatives. This program is part of a larger, holistic approach to environmental responsibility that includes sustainable products, practices and tools to promote a healthier environment.

As part of this holistic approach, Oce devotes substantial time and effort to sustainable engineering and manufacturing practices. Oce also maintains a dedicated Asset Recovery facility and participates in sustainable practices around the word.

As organizations seek out business partners with a proven record of environmental responsibility, Oce is proud to be one of the few companies for whom sustainability has been a defining philosophy from the very start. From the founding of the company in 1877, Oce has established a tradition of environmental stewardship that continues to raise the bar across the industry.

"Our customers are taking sustainability very seriously and looking for more environmentally responsible ways to do business, said Jodie MacLellan, Marketing Manager of Field Programs, Oce North America Production Printing Systems division, and member of the Oce Sustainability Council. "We are extremely proud of our leadership in this arena and of the Oce Eco Start Program in particular. We are delighted at the response we've gotten from our customers, who have contributed their ideas and feedback, which has been an essential component of honing our sustainability efforts."

What Customers Are Saying About Sustainability & the Oce Eco Start Program
According to Mari and Gary Reed, Owners at Dakota Press, "Our business is now a certified green business and that could not have been possible without the help from Oce. We were delighted that the Eco Start Program was in place as it showed us that together we can make a difference in the future!"

For Business Ink (BI), it's important that everything they produce and distribute is as environmentally friendly as possible. "We're pleased that Oce is a diligent steward of all Green Initiatives and that they are a strategic partner with our company, said Jim Goodwin, Executive Vice President at Business Ink.

Since 2009, Standard Register has been actively engaged in the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) Supply Chain program to reduce carbon emissions. Participation in the program helped Standard Register identify ways to realize significant energy savings from emissions reduction activities. So when Standard Register decided to upgrade outdated printing technology, Oce's Eco Start program and commitment to energy efficiency was a factor in their purchase decision. "Replacing our digital fleet resulted in tremendous productivity gains," said Steve McDonell, Vice President of Engineering. "But not only that – our new Oce fleet was a significant factor in reducing energy usage by 37%! Undoubtedly, without the Oce 6000 fleet it would have been difficult to realize that accomplishment."

Oce Eco Start Program – Better Business and a Better World
Francis McMahon, Vice President of Marketing at Oce North America Production Printing Systems, summed it up: "Our business performance is critical to everything we do, as well as exceeding our customers' expectations. But what's also very important to us is how we interact with the communities we live in, and the world we live in. That's why we developed the Oce Eco Start program and the partnership with Trees for the Future."

About Oce
Oce is one of the leading providers of document management and printing for professionals. The Oce offering includes office printing and copying systems, high speed digital production printers and wide format printing systems for both technical documentation and color display graphics. Oce is also a foremost supplier of document management outsourcing. Many of the Fortune Global 500 companies and leading commercial printers are Oce customers. The company was founded in 1877. With headquarters in Venlo, The Netherlands, Oce is active in over 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide.  Oce North America is headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in Chicago, IL and Boca Raton, FL.  For more information visit www.oceusa.com.

Oce and Canon: Stronger together
In 2010 Oce joined the Canon Group of companies with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, to create the global leader in the printing industry. Canon develops, manufactures and markets a growing line-up of copying machines, printers, cameras, optical and other products that meet a diverse range of customer needs. The Canon Group comprises over 198,000 employees worldwide. Global net sales in 2011 totaled USD 45.6 billion. Visit the Canon Inc. website at www.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With more than $45 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks fourth overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2010* and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

*Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Oce North America