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MakerBot Partners with First Large Distribution Partner, Ingram Micro

Until recently, it was difficult to become a MakerBot retailer. To obtain a Replicator 2, one had to go to the MakerBot site, to their brick and mortar store or to one of their few (usually regional) resellers. This year, however, in a trend that began with the release of their products on Amazon and in Microsoft Retail Stores, MakerBot seems to be scaling up distribution of its printers onto the market.  And, more recently, MakerBot has partnered up with Ingram Micro, marking the first large, independent distributor in the country that the company has allowed to handle its merchandise. As a result, resellers across the US will be able to sell MakerBot Replicator 2 3D Printers and the Makerbot Digitizers, along with the proprietary filaments and MakerWare software, just in time for the holidays.

Mark Schulze, vice president of sales for MakerBot, explains how this new relationship indicates a shift in the way MakerBot is sold, saying, “Teaming with Ingram Micro is expected to allow us to reach more resellers in the US that can now sell our products directly. We get calls every day from direct marketers and resellers asking for a relationship with MakerBot, and now, we can work with more of these companies through Ingram Micro, and expand the MakerBot 3D Printing Ecosystem. It’s a pretty exciting time as we see more rapid adoption of 3D printing and scanning not only in the engineering, architecture and industrial space, but also with more cutting-edge consumers.”

The agreement between Makerbot and Ingram Micro, regarding reselling and distribution, is effective immediately and retailers are going to be stocked with the MakerBot brand starting this fall. This news comes just after word that 3D Systems has begun expanding its distribution in the UK by partnering with Midwich.

Source: The Wall Street Journal