Heraeus Kulzer announces exclusive sales partnership with Gunz Dental

Heraeus Kulzer, a leading manufacturer of dental products and materials for the clinic and dental laboratory, has announced an exclusive sales and distribution partnership with Gunz Dental for the Australian and New Zealand marketplaces. Commencing on December 1, 2013, Heraeus Kulzer Dental Australia will take a step back from frontline product sales to focus on product support, marketing and education with distribution being tasked to Gunz Dental. In New Zealand, Gunz Dental will assume distribution responsibilities from February 1, 2014.

The change in distribution follows the acquisition of Heraeus Kulzer, based in Hanau, Germany by the Japanese Mitsui Chemicals Group in July and is inline with a new global sales strategy.

"To remain competitive and achieve further growth in the Australasian market, Heraeus Kulzer clearly needs a broader sales force in the region," said Jeff Lauretti, Manager and Director of Heraeus Kulzer Dental Australia. "The strategic partnership with Gunz Dental enables us to broaden our growth opportunities and ensures future sustainability for the Kulzer brand in Australia and New Zealand.

"With Gunz Dental at our side, we will benefit from our partner's strong market presence to foster our own brand visibility and our customers will benefit from the partnership as well, as we now have direct sales representatives and support in all Australian states."

Heraeus Kulzer provides dental professionals worldwide with a broad range of materials for clinicians and technicians. Gunz Dental is the largest Australian-owned dental distributor in Australia and New Zealand, drawing on over 75 years of experience in the dental community.

Trevor Martin, Managing Director of Gunz Dental said "The partnership with Heraeus Kulzer Dental Australia will continue to strengthen the Gunz brand and capability to help dental professionals provide the best possible care. We are delighted to be partnering with Heraeus Kulzer, an established leader in the dental market around the world.

"Heraeus Kulzer has an outstanding product set that strengthens and complements our existing product range and further enables us to be a single supplier for all products used by dental practitioners and dental technicians."

As part of the new partnership, a number of existing direct sales force members from Heraeus Kulzer Dental Australia will transfer to Gunz Dental to retain the knowledgebase and continuity of customer relationships.

Heraeus Kulzer's existing distribution partners focussed on the laboratory sector, Stradent Australia in South Australia and Durodent Dental Supplies in Victoria, will remain in place and work in unison with Gunz Dental to strengthen an already strong brand awareness and market share.

In addition, Heraeus Kulzer Dental Australia will continue to manage the Cara and iBridge digital dentistry businesses as well as sales of precious alloys. Distribution of non-precious alloys and all other laboratory materials will now form part of the new distribution partnership.

Heraeus Kulzer GmbH is one of the world's leading dental companies with an extensive product range covering cosmetic dentistry, tooth preservation, prosthetics, periodontology and digital dentistry. Major clinical brands include Venus and Charisma restorative materials; iBond adhesives; iCem cements; Gluma desensitisers; and Flexitime impression materials. On the laboratory side, Pala prosthetic teeth and denture acrylics as well as HeraCeram ceramics and Signum bonds are market leaders together with the company's full suite of products for casting and investing.

With around 1,400 employees, Heraeus Kulzer's product turnover in 2012 exceeded 350 million Euros.

Heraeus Kulzer has been part of the Japanese Mitsui Chemicals Group since July 2013. Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (MCI) is based in Tokyo and has 13,000 employees in more than 90 countries.