07.21.21
283-1, Chikumazawa, Miyoshi, Iruma
Saitama, Japan, 354-8577
Tel: +81-49-259-6518
www.tk-toka.co.jp/english/
E-mail: overseas.tk@toka-global.com
Sales: $382 million (¥42,205 million) (consolidated)
Major Products: UV offset, UV flexo, UV letterpress, energy saving UV ink, UV waterless ink, conventional offset ink, powder-free conventional offset ink, waterless offset ink, UV inkjet, water-based inkjet.
Key Personnel: Kazuhiko Nakama, chief of Ink Business HQ; Ryuichi Kurimoto, deputy chief of Ink Business HQ; Akihiro Takamizawa, GM, Overseas Ink Sales Division; Hirofumi Ozaki, department manager, Overseas Department.
Number of Employees: 2,000.
Comments: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted virtually every ink company, and T&K Toka, a global leader in UV inks, was no exception. Still, T&K Toka (the T&K in the company’s name stands for Technology and Kindness) reported solid results in 2020, seeing growth in North America as well as from the Royal Dutch Van Son acquisition.
“Our business expansion in North America went well,” said Akihiro Takamizawa, GM, Overseas Ink Sales Division for T&K Toka. “Van Son’s presence is contributing to sales expansion of our printing inks.
“However, restrictions on economic activities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic posed negative impacts on demands for printing, mainly for commercial printing,” added Takamizawa. “Also, demands for offset printing ink in Japan and other Asian regions remained sluggish. In addition, a change in global demand structure, such as demands for hygiene and home use, have affected some of supply chains, leading to soaring shipping costs and raw material costs.”
UV ink is T&K Toka’s core market, and its emphasis on environmental excellence is paying off.
“Sales of our UV-curable inks with a full 100/100 score in the INGEDE-standard deinkability test continued to expand,” Takamizawa reported.
COVID-19 had a major impact on raw material pricing and availability.
“As for raw materials, it is not only the pandemic which had an impact on it,” noted Takamizawa. “Countless factors such as environmental regulations, logistics and weather-related problems all have a role to play. We are facing difficulties with rapid increases in costs and adjustments in our production plan, for example. As for stabilization, we are estimating that things will settle down at the earliest by the third quarter this year.”
T&K Toka has introduced some interesting new products, beginning with bio-based UV-curable inks for flexographic, offset and letterpress printing, and rice ink for sheetfed offset printing. Takamizawa noted that the rice ink uses inedible rice brand oils, which are normally treated as industrial waste, and it does not contain cobalt and phenol.
T&K Toka has also expanded its lineup of deinkability score 100/100 products by launching a new UV-curable ink which can be used in UV/H-UV/LED system, with ERPC’s 100/100 deinkability score in INGEDE Method 11 test.
“T&K Toka will contribute to improvement of production efficiency and reduction of waste prints by designing trouble-free products with even higher performance,” added Takamizawa.
Takamizawa said that T&K Toka anticipates that the ink markets will improve as 2021 continues on.
“A drop in demand for commercial printing arising from digitalization and economic impacts caused by COVID-19 pandemic has been continuing,” he observed. “However, we are expecting that UV curable ink demand will recover in Asian markets, which is starting to move, as well as in other regions.”
Saitama, Japan, 354-8577
Tel: +81-49-259-6518
www.tk-toka.co.jp/english/
E-mail: overseas.tk@toka-global.com
Sales: $382 million (¥42,205 million) (consolidated)
Major Products: UV offset, UV flexo, UV letterpress, energy saving UV ink, UV waterless ink, conventional offset ink, powder-free conventional offset ink, waterless offset ink, UV inkjet, water-based inkjet.
Key Personnel: Kazuhiko Nakama, chief of Ink Business HQ; Ryuichi Kurimoto, deputy chief of Ink Business HQ; Akihiro Takamizawa, GM, Overseas Ink Sales Division; Hirofumi Ozaki, department manager, Overseas Department.
Number of Employees: 2,000.
Comments: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted virtually every ink company, and T&K Toka, a global leader in UV inks, was no exception. Still, T&K Toka (the T&K in the company’s name stands for Technology and Kindness) reported solid results in 2020, seeing growth in North America as well as from the Royal Dutch Van Son acquisition.
“Our business expansion in North America went well,” said Akihiro Takamizawa, GM, Overseas Ink Sales Division for T&K Toka. “Van Son’s presence is contributing to sales expansion of our printing inks.
“However, restrictions on economic activities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic posed negative impacts on demands for printing, mainly for commercial printing,” added Takamizawa. “Also, demands for offset printing ink in Japan and other Asian regions remained sluggish. In addition, a change in global demand structure, such as demands for hygiene and home use, have affected some of supply chains, leading to soaring shipping costs and raw material costs.”
UV ink is T&K Toka’s core market, and its emphasis on environmental excellence is paying off.
“Sales of our UV-curable inks with a full 100/100 score in the INGEDE-standard deinkability test continued to expand,” Takamizawa reported.
COVID-19 had a major impact on raw material pricing and availability.
“As for raw materials, it is not only the pandemic which had an impact on it,” noted Takamizawa. “Countless factors such as environmental regulations, logistics and weather-related problems all have a role to play. We are facing difficulties with rapid increases in costs and adjustments in our production plan, for example. As for stabilization, we are estimating that things will settle down at the earliest by the third quarter this year.”
T&K Toka has introduced some interesting new products, beginning with bio-based UV-curable inks for flexographic, offset and letterpress printing, and rice ink for sheetfed offset printing. Takamizawa noted that the rice ink uses inedible rice brand oils, which are normally treated as industrial waste, and it does not contain cobalt and phenol.
T&K Toka has also expanded its lineup of deinkability score 100/100 products by launching a new UV-curable ink which can be used in UV/H-UV/LED system, with ERPC’s 100/100 deinkability score in INGEDE Method 11 test.
“T&K Toka will contribute to improvement of production efficiency and reduction of waste prints by designing trouble-free products with even higher performance,” added Takamizawa.
Takamizawa said that T&K Toka anticipates that the ink markets will improve as 2021 continues on.
“A drop in demand for commercial printing arising from digitalization and economic impacts caused by COVID-19 pandemic has been continuing,” he observed. “However, we are expecting that UV curable ink demand will recover in Asian markets, which is starting to move, as well as in other regions.”