The International Rankings (Ink and Graphic Arts Sales)
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Dainippon Ink & Chemicals/Sun Chemical | $3.85B |
Flint Ink | $1.6B |
Sakata Inx | $781.3M |
SICPA | $685M |
Toyo Ink | $662M |
BASF Drucksysteme GmbH | $616.9M |
Tokyo Printing Ink | $429.4M |
Huber Group | $380M |
Siegwerk Druckfarben AG | $343.6M |
Inctec Inc. | $341M |
Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals | $230M |
Sericol International | $200M |
Akzo Nobel Inks | $172M |
Royal Dutch Printing Ink Van Son | $150M |
Hindustan Inks and Resins | $112M |
Epple Druckfarben | $60M |
Zeller+Gmelin | $55M |
Trenal Ltd. | $45.2M |
Environmental Inks & Coatings | $44M |
Ruco Druckfarben | $43M |
Cromos S.A. Tintas Graficas | $32M |
Encres Dubuit | $26M |
Brancher Company | $25M |
Dainippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc. (Including Sun Chemical Corporation)
DIC Building, 7-20
Nihonbashi 3-chome, Chuo-ku
Tokyo 103-8233
Japan
Phone: +81-3-3272-4511
Fax: +81-3-3278-8558
Internet: www.dic.co.jp
E-mail: webmaster@dic.co.jp
Sales: $3.85 billion U.S. (512.036 billion yen) in graphic arts, including Sun Chemical, which has $3.2 billion in printing ink sales. Total sales: $7.37 billion (979.779 billion yen).
Major Products: Offset, gravure, flexo, news, letterpress, digital inks and metal decorating inks for cans.
Key Personnel: Kozo Okumura, president; Kazuhiko Yoshida, senior managing director; Koji Oe, managing director, president of graphic arts materials business operation; Toshiro Sugai, division president, printing inks and supplies division; Yougi Togo, division president, liquid inks division; Yasuhiro Horikoshi, division president, news ink division; Yoskikazu Aoyagi, general manager, graphic arts materials business planning department.
Number of Employees: 28,399.
Comments: Dainippon Ink & Chemicals (DIC) felt the impact of the economic downturn, as total sales in the graphic arts segment fell 3.9 percent in 2001. In Japan, domestic sales fell 4.5 percent, as offset inks and organic pigments were particularly hard hit, while gravure and news inks sales increased. In the U.S. and Europe, Sun Chemical’s sales declined 4.4 percent as economic difficulties and weakened demand led to reduced sales for printing inks and pigments.
Kozo Okumura, Dainippon Ink & Chemicals’ president. |
In addition, the company’s Nantong DIC Color organic pigment and ink intermediate production and sales subsidiary is expected to go on-stream by the end of 2002.
In another move, DIC agreed to purchase the performance organic pigments business of Bayer Corporation in the U.S., which includes its Bushy Park, SC organic pigment plant, R&D and testing facilities and pilot plant.
DIC and its subsidiary, Sun Chemical, also had an active year in R&D, particularly in response to increasingly stringent environmental standards initiated by government organizations and leading corporations. DIC is focusing on the development of low-volatile organic compound (VOC) offset inks and no-toluene, non-MEK gravure inks.
Flint Ink Corporation
4600 Arrowhead Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2773
U.S.A.
Phone: (734) 622-6000
Fax: (734) 622-6131
Internet: www.flintink.com
E-mail: webmaster@flintink.com
Sales: $1.6 billion
Major Products: Cold and heatset web offset, sheetfed offset, flexographic, gravure, UV and ink jet inks and coatings for publication, news, package, commercial and digital printing applications. Dry, flushed and presscake pigments and aqueous dispersions.
Key Personnel: H. Howard Flint II, chairman and CEO; Leonard D. (Dave) Frescoln, president and COO; David B. Flint, executive VP; Paul Schroeder, president, Flint Ink North America; Damian Johnson, president, Flint Ink Asia/Pacific; Jerko E. Rendic, president, Flint Ink Latin America; James J. Mahony, CEO, Flint-Schmidt; Dr. Helmut Schmidt, COO, Flint-Schmidt; Dr. Kenneth Stack, VP, digital division; W. Rucker Wickline, president, CDR Pigments & Dispersions; Dr. Joseph W. Raksis, senior VP, research and new product development; Michael J. Gannon, senior VP and CFO; Dr. Graham C. Battersby, VP, research and development; Glenn T. Autry, VP, human resources; Craig J. Foster, VP, materials management; Lawrence E. King, VP, general counsel and secretary; Kathryn P. Marx, VP, marketing and strategic planning; Donald G. Barnowski, VP and CIO; James A. Steel, VP and treasurer.
Number of Employees: 5,000 worldwide.
H. Howard Flint II, left, chairman and CEO of Flint Ink, and Leonard D. (Dave) Frescoln, president and COO. |
First, Flint Ink announced its merger and acquisition agreement with Gebr. Schmidt Druckfarben GmbH, which was the 11th largest printing ink manufacturer worldwide, forming Flint-Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG. The new company, which is the second-largest European ink company, gives Flint Ink much greater access to the sizable German marketplace.
Headquartered in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, the new Flint-Schmidt organization has a significant market share in Germany, a combined workforce of approximately 1,400 employees and revenues of approximately 450 million euros ($440 million). Gebr. Schmidt’s operations in Canada were acquired as part of the agreement, and became part of Flint Ink North America.
Jim Mahony, president of Flint Ink Europe, now serves as CEO of Flint-Schmidt and is responsible for driving the integration of the company. Dr. Helmut Schmidt, who was managing director and a principal shareholder of Gebr. Schmidt GmbH, is now COO.
“We are extremely pleased that Flint Ink and Gebr. Schmidt have come together as a single company in Europe. The combined business gives us a strong number two position in Europe and gives Flint Ink a solid presence in Germany,” said H. Howard Flint II, chairman and CEO of Flint Ink.
In China, Flint Ink signed a joint venture agreement in June to manufacture printing ink in Beijing. The first part of the agreement creates a joint venture between Flint Ink and Graphic-Tech, Flint Ink’s long-time product distributor in Hong Kong and China. In the second level of the agreement, Flint Ink – Graphic Tech Holding Company Limited becomes a majority partner with four major Beijing newspapers to establish Flint Ink (Beijing) Printing Ink Company Ltd., and build an ink manufacturing and heatset blending plant there. Participating newspapers are the Beijing Youth Daily, Economic Daily, Workers Daily and Army Daily.
Pending regulatory approvals, construction on the plant is expected to begin in the fourth quarter 2002 in the Daxing Industrial Development Area, Beijing, and is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter 2003.
“The combination news ink/heatset ink manufacturing joint venture outside of Beijing is an excellent beginning to our ink business in China,” Mr. Flint said. “A joint venture that involves both customers and our agent minimizes our risk in such an undertaking.”
Adding its new Chinese operations to its March 2001 acquisition of Incowax, a liquid ink manufacturer in India, gives Flint Ink a much greater international presence.
Flint Ink has been putting tremendous resources into the digital market, and appointed Dr. Kenneth Stack vice president/general manager of the company’s digital division. Dr. Stack will direct global market and product development in this rapidly growing market segment.
On the R&D front, Flint Ink has introduced its line of MatrixCure UV-curable inks with new proprietary chemistry. The inks offer excellent performance, printability and handling characteristics, with easier clean up than many formulations. The most recent addition to the line is MatrixCure-NP inks, formulated especially for use on non-porous substrates. Flint Ink’s Gemini hybrid UV inks allow printers to achieve many of the performance benefits of UV printing with only minimal investment in additional equipment.
Sakata Inx Corp.
1-23-37 Edobori, Nishi-Ku
Osaka 550-0002
Japan
Phone: +81-6-447-5847
Fax: +81-6-447-5849
Internet: www.inx.co.jp
E-mail: intl-sales@inx.co.jp
Sales: $781.3 million (Japanese yen 103.093 billion) consolidated; $439.3 million (Japanese yen 57.962 billion, non-consolidated basis).
Major Products: Commercial offset, sheetfed, heatset, and newspaper offset inks; gravure inks for flexible packaging; flexo inks for corrugated carton and paper bag; metal decorating inks; UV/EB varnishes; and inks for ink jet printers.
Key Personnel: Kazumi Suzuki, president; Masao Ikemoto, executive vice president, CFO, international operation; Mitsuo Matsuzawa, managing director and chairman, INX International Ink Co.; Kunitaka Fujiwara, managing director, production, research and development; Hiroshi Ohta, managing director, purchasing, new product marketing, electrographic and information products; Saburo Araki, director, newspaper ink, offset printing ink and graphic arts; Kiyoharu Nishimura, director, human resources; Jyunzou Matsuki, director, packaging ink; Mitsugu Kojima, director, production; Hirotsugu Takamaru, director, gravure ink; Masaaki Komori, director, corporate planning and information system; Tetsuya Toda, director, president, Sakata Labostation Co. Ltd.
Number of Employees: 2,735 (consolidated basis); 898 (non-consolidated).
Kazumi Suzuki, president of Sakata Inx. |
Despite the slow economy in Japan, Sakata Inx has shown strength in some key segments, particularly in packaging ink in Japan. The company is also trying to ensure the profitability by continuing further rationalization measures.
Sakata Inx has developed a number of new products in 2002. Perhaps most noteworthy is Belle Color, a non-toluene and non-MEK gravure laminating ink for reverse gravure printing for flexible packaging, which has been launched to meet the requirement of rising concern toward environmental issues such as improving working environment at the press and eliminating air pollution problems.
SICPA Group
de Florissant 41
1008 Prilly
Switzerland
Phone: +41-21-627-5555
Fax: +41-21-627-5515
Internet: www.sicpa.com
E-mail: sicpa@sicpa.com
Sales: $685 million (1.1 billion CHF).
Major Products: Security inks for currency, valuable documents and other securities; offset inks for packaging and publication; flexo, gravure and screen inks for packaging.
Key Personnel: Jean Daloglou, president and CEO, SICPA Group; Daniel Braun, CFO, SICPA Group; Lando Ferretti, managing director, SICPA Security Systems; Michel Rostagno, managing director, Europe and Africa, commercial inks business unit; Juan-Carlos Salaberry, managing director, Americas, commercial inks business unit; Philip Pryor, managing director, Asia, commercial inks business unit.
Number of Employees: 3,600 worldwide.
Jean Daloglou, president and CEO of the SICPA Group. |
The company offers a variety of new inks: Tempo (for sheetfed offset); Access, (nitrocellulose-based solutions for flexible applications), Option (nitrocellulose-based, totally ester-free for flexible applications) and Focus (the PVB system for technically demanding applications) in flexo and gravure; Uni (for all paper and board water-based flexo applications): and Sicura UV letterpress and screen inks.
Toyo Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd.
3-13 Kyobashi
2-chome, Chuo-Ku
Tokyo 104-8377
Japan
Phone: +81-3-3272-5741
Fax: +81-3-3278-9897
Internet: www.toyoink.co.jp;
www.toyoinkus.com (U.S.)
E-mail: master@toyoink.co.jp;
master@toyoinkus.com (U.S.)
Sales: $662 million (87,991 billion yen) in printing ink; consolidated results: $1.67 billion (222,359 billion yen).
Major Products: Heatset/coldset web, sheetfed, waterless and UV/EB, news offset; solvent and water-based packaging, solvent publication gravure; solvent-, water-based and UV/EB flexo; letterpress; solvent-based and UV screen; dry and liquid toners and ink jet inks.
Key Personnel: Mutsuo Nagashima, chairman; Kunio Sakuma, president; Tsuneo Tanaka and Yoshio Usui, senior managing directors; Keizou Yamaguchi, Norio Fukumura, Kazumi Shiina and Yasukuni Odaka, managing directors.
Number of Employees: 6,508 (group in total).
Kunio Sakuma, president of Toyo Ink. |
While the domestic sheetfed market remained sluggish due to the economic downturn and resulting decrease in demand, sales fared much better in China, Asia and the Middle East. In news ink, sales domestically fell.
UV remains a mainstay for Toyo Ink, as the company continues to emphasize environmentally friendly solutions. Gravure inks made gains in Thailand and Indonesia, and toluene-free gravure inks for film-laminated cans and soft packaging materials were strong domestically for the first half of 2001 before tailing off in the second half of the year.
In order to maintain leading market shares, the company is developing a number of new products, including UV cure and soybean oil-based inks, and expanding market shares of the environmentally friendly gravure inks and aroma-free newspaper inks.
Toyo Ink is continuing with the second step of its Take Off 2007 long-term business plan, which has the objective of establishing the top brand in the company’s fields of operation. Toyo Ink is also intensifying its efforts to develop its business in key growth areas, including China, the Middle East and Vietnam.
BASF Drucksysteme GmbH
Sieglestrasse 25
70469 Stuttgart-Feuerbach
Germany
Phone: +49(0)711/9816-0
Fax: +49(0)711/9816-700
Internet: www.basf-printingsystems.com
E-Mail: info@basf-drucksysteme.d0
Sales: $616.9 million (E625 million)
Key Personnel: Jürgen Steinmetz, president; Dr. Stefan Wegener, business director, offset, PG; Dr. Paolo Zumaglini, business director, liquid inks; Dr. Thomas Telser, business director, printing plates.
Major Products: K+E and Fishburn web coldset, web heatset, sheetfed and UV offset; solvent-, water-based and UV flexo; publication and packaging gravure; letterpress; fountain solutions, overprint varnishes, specialties and printing plates.
Number of Employees: 2,500.
Jürgen Steinmetz, BASF’s president. |
As its customers create greater efficiency in print processes by using newly developed presses, BASF Drucksysteme GmbH is developing advanced ink series and improving the use of synergies between inks and plates.
BASF Drucksyteme GmbH has also implemented business unit structuring in the BASF group, and is focusing on further investment in market positions overseas.
Tokyo Printing Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd.
2-7-15, Tabatashinmachi
Kita-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Phone: +03-5692-7314
Fax: +03-5692-7341
Internet: www.tokyoink.co.jp
E-mail: ftd@tokyoink.co.jp
Sales: $429.4 million (53.841 billion yen).
Major Products: Sheetfed and heatset offset inks; gravure inks for paper, plastic film and other applications.
Key Personnel: Atsuo Ohashi, president; Kenzou Kawaziri and Yoshihiko Yokota, senior managing directors; Yasumori Tanaka, managing director; Michio Takao and Shigeru Katabami, directors
Number of Employees: 786.
Comments: Tokyo Printing Ink was affected by the downward trend in the economy, as its sales declined 5.7 percent. The company is looking for a rebound in 2003, led by its Zipset offset line, including sheetfed, heatset, UV, metallic, rubber-based and magnetic inks and process and Pantone colors.
The company manufactures specialty chemicals including printing inks, color and additive concentrates and compounds, and the company’s expertise in color formulating and polymer modifying technology offers customers best solutions for improving their products.
Huber Gruppe
Feldkirchenerstrasse 15
D81111 Kirchheim Heimstetten
Germany
Phone: +49-89-9003-0
Fax: +49-89-9003-222
Internet www.huber-gruppe.de
Sales: $380 million (approximately E390 million).
Major Products: Sheetfed, coldset and heatset offset inks; water- and solvent-based gravure packaging inks; water and solvent-based flexo packaging inks; letterpress inks; security and intaglio inks; heat transfer inks; and toners for laser printers and copiers.
Key Personnel: Heiner Ringer, CEO; Winfried Gleue (Hostmann Steinberg Canada/U.S.)
Number of Employees: Approximately 1,800 worldwide.
Comments: Part of MHM Holding Group, the Huber-Gruppe consists of 21 international companies, including Hostmann-Steinberg Printing Inks, Stehlin + Hostag AG and Gleitsman Security Inks GmbH. Overall, the company is an industry leader in both the offset and packaging markets in the domestic market and abroad, where the company earns more than half of its sales.
Siegwerk Druckfarben AG
Alfred-Keller-Strasse 55
D-53721 Siegburg, Germany
Phone: +49-(0)2241-304 732
Fax: +49-(0)2241-304 330
Internet: www.siegwerk.com
E-mail: uk@siegwerk.de
Sales: $343.6 million (E350 million).
Major Products: Packaging inks and special inks for flexographic and gravure printing, publication gravure printing inks, web offset heatset inks, news inks (coldset), UV/EB curable ink systems, printing varnishes and printing additives.
Key Personnel: Herbert Forker, president and CEO; president, business unit print-media; Ralf Hildenbrand, member of the board, president, business unit packaging; Dr. Oliver Wittmann, member of the board, CFO.
Number of Employees: 1,100 worldwide
Comments: Siegwerk Druckfarben AG had an extremely active 2002, beginning with Siegwerk’s conversion to a public limited company in August. By doing so, the company is focusing on foreign markets with strong growth potential as well as improving efficiency, and is securing its independence.
“In Europe, we just founded Siegwerk Ink in Great Britain, a new distribution company,” said Herbert Forker, chairman of the board of directors. “A new production site opened in Poland in September. The establishment of our own company in Brazil is about to take place. We will also intensify our presence in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal this year.” To implement these plans, investments amounting to e75 million are planned by 2004, of this e20 million this year.
In Germany, Poland, the U.S. and Thailand, the Siegwerk group possesses its own production sites, and produces 150,000 tons of ink annually. The company plans to construct world-class facilities in Germany in the near future.
In a significant move, Siegwerk Druckfarben transferred ownership of its sheetfed offset printing ink division to the newly-formed Sicolor GmbH Neusass/Augsburg, which is partially owned by Epple Druckfarben as of Jan. 2, 2002. Sicolor has a license to produce the original Siegwerk formulations at Epple Druckfarben and will take over all selling activities as well as R&D for the sheetfed offset market.
By becoming a public limited company, in which all shares remain in private hands, Siegwerk plans on remaining independent.
"Siegwerk Druckfarben AG will remain operating as an independent company thanks to modern organization and effective processes and, in the future, be even more successful than before,” Mr. Forker concluded.
Inctec Inc.
450, Aoto-Cho, Midori-ku
Yokohama
Japan
Phone: +8-45-932-5121
Fax: +81-45-933-7422
Internet: www.dnp.co.jp/inctec/home.htm
Sales: $341 million (42.630 billion yen).
Major Products: Sheetfed, web offset (heat, coldset), waterless, UV offset, news, solvent-based and water-based gravure, UV/water-based flexo, digital ink and toner.
Key Personnel: Shigemitsu Hatakeyama, president; Tomio Koike, senior executive officer, sales division; Takao Suzuki, senior executive officer; Takeo Muranaka, executive officer, manufacturing and technical division.
Number of Employees: 860.
Comments: 2001 was a challenging year for Inctec Inc. The downturn in the economy in Japan has taken a toll on printing, and thereby, ink sales. The sales of Inctec Inc.’s news and offset inks had a gain, but overall sales decreased slightly.
In its five-year plan, Inctec Inc. is expanding into the field of non-ink products such as etchant, photoresist and color resist, while maintaining its strong position in the traditional ink business, where it yields 60 percent of its total revenues.
For that purpose, Inctec Inc. has reorganized the engineering units into three groups: the core ink business, chemicals and others. In addition, another group integrated with the purpose to speed up development of new products of information media supplies as well as keep close contact with potential customers has been formed.
In its core ink business, Inctec Inc. has continued to emphasize its commitment to environmentally friendly products with its work to be certified for ISO 14001 in February 2002.
Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals
7-6 Bakurocho 1-chome
Nihonbashi, Chuo-Ku
Tokyo 103-8383
Japan
Phone: +81-3-3662-7111
Fax: +81-3-3669-3936
Internet: www.daicolor.co.jp
Sales: $230 million (Ink World estimate).
Major Products: Sheetfed, heatset, waterless and UV offset, gravure and specialty inks; security and banknote inks; and overprint varnishes.
Key Personnel: Osamu Takahashi, president.
Comments: Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals Mfg. Co., Ltd. manufactures heatset and sheetfed offset, gravure, UV and specialty inks. The company specializes in color-related technologies and products, particularly inorganic and organic pigments and colorants, which it supplies to a wide variety of industries.
Sericol International
Pysons Road
Broadstairs, Kent, U.K. CT10 2LE
Phone: +44-1-843-866668
Fax: +44-1-843-872126
Internet: www.sericol.com
Sales: $200 million (Ink World estimate).
Major Products: UV flexo, screen printing and digital inks.
Key Personnel: Ed Carhart, CEO; Jerry Avis, director of strategy and business development; Bob Watson, area director – Europe; Tony Sleight, area director – Asia Pacific; Mitch Bode, area director – North America.
Number of Employees: 1,200 (estimated).
Comments: The worldwide economy has proven to be a challenge for the printing ink market in 2002. In spite of these adverse conditions, Sericol International, a global leader in its segments, has strengthened its position by bringing a number of groundbreaking products and initiatives to market. These include Uvijet UV ink jet inks and the UVivid family of rotary screen, flexo and letterpress inks for the narrow web market.
As a result of these and other initiatives, the company made significant market share gains in many segments and geographies, more than offsetting the general downturn in the market.
Among the new developments are Sericol’s new UVantage inks, which are designed to provide a single screen ink solution for many point-of-purchase applications. This step-change innovation allows P.O.P. printers to greatly reduce ink inventories and minimize press downtime.
The company’s UVivid family of UV flexo, rotary screen and letterpress inks offers high color density and consistent viscosity across the color range. A complete Pantone formula guide produced through physical matches has greatly improved UVivid’s market penetration.
The company is also working on a number of strategic partnerships in the digital printing field. It is the exclusive worldwide distributor of the Eagle 44 flatbed digital press manufactured by Inca Digital Printers, Ltd. This press, the first commercially proven flatbed digital UV printer, utilizes Sericol's patented Uvijet pigmented UV inks. Uvijet inks cure instantly but remain stable in the print head.
Following a sustained period of year-on-year growth in Sericol’s U.S. operation, Ed Carhart was promoted from president of Sericol, Inc. to CEO of Sericol’s global organization, Sericol International, in November 2001. Under his leadership, Sericol’s global management team is focused to expand the company's business internationally.
Akzo Nobel Inks
Box 1003
S-231 25 Trelleborg
Sweden
Phone: +46-410-59200
Fax: +46-410-44094
Internet: www.aninks.com
E-mail: info@hq.aninks.com
Sales: $172 million (E192 million).
Major Products: Full range of web offset inks; sheetfed offset inks; liquid inks; metal deco; and narrow web inks.
Key Personnel: Peter Koivula, president and CEO; Niclas Nystrom, CFO and IT coordination; Börje Börjesson, cash management and HSEQ; Bertil Ahlberg, marketing and communication; Leif Svensson, material administration; Mikael Aspelin, legal affairs; Peter Håkansson, production and engineering. business unit managers: Jens P. Pipper (web offset inks); Allan Humphris (sheetfed offset ink); Fredrik Danielsen (liquid inks) and Ewald Draajer (narrow web inks).
Number of Employees: 880.
Comments: It has been a very active 2002 for Akzo Nobel Inks, highlighted by its management buy-out with the involvement of the Dutch venture capital company NeSBIC, which was finalized on March 1. As a result, Akzo Nobel Inks is now an independent, privately owned company led by Peter Koivula, president and CEO.
As Akzo Nobel Inks did not fit into its parent company’s core business structure, Mr. Koivula, who joined Akzo Nobel Inks in spring 2000 from Sun Chemical, said that the management buy-out was the best option for all concerned, including the staff. Mr. Koivula has said that the company’s goal is to make Akzo Nobel Inks a major European and global player in the printing ink industry.
With the new management in place, the company has been organized into four business units: web offset, sheetfed offset, liquid and narrow web inks. The company has maintained its high share of the Scandinavian ink markets, and strong positions in niche areas in Europe and the U.S.
Akzo Nobel Inks was busy in the Asia Pacific region, opening a new production site in June 2002 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with expanded laboratory facilities and modern ink dispensing units, especially for liquid inks.
Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son
P.O. Box 44, 1200 AA
Hilversum
Holland
Phone: (+31) 35 688 44 11
Fax: (+31) 35 688 44 04
Internet: www.vanson.nl
E-mail: info@vanson.nl
Sales: $150 million (Ink World estimate).
Major Products: Quickson Signature, Special Fresh and Special offset inks; water-based and solvent-based flexo inks, including the EV series for envelopes and AH series for packaging; digital inks; ink jet inks.
Key Personnel: Paul M. Brouwer, president; W.J. van Mastrigt, marketing director; W. Rosé, marketing director; W.H. De Boer, technical director.
Number of employees: 300.
Comments: Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son enjoyed a strong year in 2001, as the company’s sales grew 8 percent. This growth is particularly noteworthy due to the changing marketplace. Van Son had long been a leader in the small offset segment, and that market has been impacted by the advent of digital technology and gains being made in flexo. Van Son has adapted to these changes in variety of ways, developing ink jet technology, entering the middle and large offset markets and opening a flexo division in the U.S.
Hindustan Inks and Resins Ltd.
Bilakhia House,
Muktanand Marg,
Chala,Vapi-396191,
Gujarat, India.
Phone: +91-260-460284/461786
Fax: +91-260-463733
Internet: www.hindustaninks.com
E-mail: info@hindustaninks.com
Sales: $112 million (5,217 million rupees).
Major Products: Heatset inks (low, medium and high tack), base black for heatset (low, medium and high tack), news black, sheetfed offset, no-heat web offset inks; liquid inks (flexo and gravure); coatings (aqua-base and UV). Resins (modified hydrocarbon, hybrid, high molecular weight structured phenolics, alkyd resins). vehicles (flushing and gel). Pigments (alkali blue, azo, phthalocyanine and flush pigments). Flushes (alkali blue, phthalocyanine blue and others). Wax compounds (microcrystalline and polyethylene).
Key Personnel: Main Board: Yunus Bilakhia, chairman; Anjum Bilakhia, managing director; Prashant Desai; M.L. Bhakta; K.K.Unni; Hasmukh Shah; Shivram Angne. Executive Board: Ramakrishna Kamat, director, domestic marketing; Zakir Bilakhia, director, technology; Zainul Lakdawala, director, technical services; Vinay Pandya, director, finance; Sanjay Shah, director, commercial; Snehal Shah, director, business development.
Number of Employees: Approximately 1,050.
Comments: 2002 was another terrific year for Hindustan Inks and Resins Ltd., as the company’s sales increased more than 50 percent during the year. In particular, the company’s rapid expansion into international markets, presently reaching 70 countries, accounted for a 168 percent growth in sales last year. Micro Inks, Hindustan Inks and Resins’ U.S. subsidiary, has made inroads, particularly in the heatset and sheetfed industries.
Hindustan Inks and Resins prides itself on developing new technologies, including the creation of a single stream plant for heatset inks. Most recently, the company has developed a unique technology for manufacturing publication gravure using pre-dispersed powder.
Hindustan Inks and Resins is strengthening its focus on its Six Sigma initiative.
Epple Druckfarben AG
Postfach 10 15 25
86005 Augsburg, Germany
Phone: +49-821-4603-0
Fax: +49-821-4603-200
Internet: www.epple-druckfarben.de
E-mail: info@epple-druckfarben.de
Sales: $60 million (Ink World estimate).
Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses.
Key Personnel: Karla Berz-Epple, managing director and owner; Rudolf Epple, managing director and owner.
Number of Employees: Approximately 200.
Comments: It has been a busy year at Epple Druckfarben GmbH. In January, Epple Druckfarben acquired Siegwerk Druckfarben’s sheetfed offset division. Epple Druckfarben and its partners in the acquisition then formed Sicolor, which will independently market Siegwerk’s sheetfed products using Siegwerk’s distribution system. Under license of Sicolor, Epple Druckfarben will manufacture the inks in compliance with the original Siegwerk formulas.
In 2001, Epple Druckfarben launched Starbrite, a hybrid color series. Starbrite inks combine the properties and advantages of conventional offset inks and UV inks. This kind of ink has been developed in order to reduce the well-known problems of the wet in wet UV varnishing on conventional offset inks, and guarantees high brilliance.
The company has expanded its research and development operations, and is working on a variety of new applications.
Zeller+Gmelin GmbH
Schlossstrausse 20
73054 Eislingen, Germany
Phone: +49-7161-8021
Fax: +49-7161-802-355
Internet: www.zeller-gmelin.de
E-mail: a.stevenson@zeller-gmelin.de
Sales: $55 million.
Major Products: UV offset, UV sheetfed, UV flexo, UV letterpress, intaglio, security and dry offset for plastic containers.
Key Personnel: Dr. Andreas Mahlich, group managing director; Alex Stevenson, head of printing ink division; Marcus Ruckstaedter, marketing director, Germany; Dirk Natho, marketing director, export; Damon Geer, marketing director, U.S.; Mark Bowman, marketing director, U.K. (Intercolor); Dr. Heinz Schweiger, group technical director; Steve Lazure, technical director, U.S.; Clive Surridge, technical director, U.K. (Intercolor);
Number of employees: 220.
Comments: In a year where practically every major printing ink manufacturer saw a decline in sales, Zeller+Gmelin’s sales rose 10 percent due to its complete dedication to the UV marketplace. In particular, the company’s gains have been made through the growth in UV flexo and increased demand for security and brand protection. However, Zeller+Gmelin is keeping its focus on the future. “There is a future demand for printable electronic, increased demand for project management - consistent branding etc. – and demand for ‘blind’ color matching,” said Alex Stevenson, head of Zeller+Gmelin’s printing ink division. “All create the necessity to develop products and services in line with speed of technology. The company has introduced a number of new products in 2002, most notably its Xpress offset and UV rotary screen inks. These join Zeller+Gmelin’s wide variety of UV inks, including Xpress offset inks for UV continuous and direct mail; Uvalux for UV sheetfed printing; Uvaflex UV flexo inks for narrow web labels and cartons; Euracur UV letterpress inks for rotary label printing; Uvarolid dry offset inks for UV printing of plastic containers; and security products and intaglio for banknote printing. Zeller+Gmelin is planning a number of major capital initiatives, including automation and safe systems, state-of-the-art laboratory and surface “mapping” equipment. More importantly, the company is also increasing its technical sales staff.
Zeller+Gmelin added a number of key people in 2002, including John Fehrenbacher (technical sales, narrow web, Germany), Jurgen Walther (technical sales offset, Germany) and John Kilbo (UV flexo and screen ink development, U.S.)
Trenal Ltd.
Rue Rene Magritte 165
7860 Lessines
Belgium
Phone: +32-68-33-49-21
Fax: +32-68-33-49-25
Internet: www.trenal.be
E-mail: info@trenal.be
Sales: $45.2 million (E46 million).
Major Products: Web offset coldset, web offset heatset, sheetfed and rotary letterpress inks.
Key Personnel: Inge De Keyser, marketing director; Jerome Godin, technical director.
Number of Employees: Approximately 100.
Comments: Trenal had a strong year in 2002, with sales up 6.5 percent. The company’s strength is in coldset and heatset, and this year Trenal started up new production lines, bringing its capacities in coldset to 11,000 tons per year, coldset black to 18,000 tons per hear and heatset colors to 10, 000 tons per year. Trenal also has two tank cars for the delivery of coldset color inks in bulk.
Sales were also helped by the launch of some key new products, including the Morgana coldset color and black series for waterless printing and the Volcano speed series for heatset printing on high-speed presses.
Environmental Inks and Coatings Corporation
#1 Quality Products Rd.
Morganton, NC 28655
Phone: (828) 433-1922
Fax: (828) 438-9513
Internet: www.envinks.com
E-mail: marketing@envinks.com
Sales: $44 million (Ink World estimate).
Major Products: Water-based flexo, gravure, UV flexo, UV rotary screen and UV letterpress inks, and overprint varnishes.
Key Personnel: Edward G. Redman, president and CEO; Gary Nance, COO and CFO; Richard J. Gloeckler, senior vice president and sales manager; Don Matthiesen, marketing manager; Kirk Franklin, technical director.
Number of Employees: 230.
Comments: In 2001, Environmental Inks and Coatings (EIC) made its first major move outside of the U.S. by constructing a major manufacturing facility in Sneek, Holland. The new facility, which is now fully operational, allows EIC to bring its expertise in water-based and UV inks and coatings directly to the European market, and it is paying dividends for EIC.
Environmental Inks and Coatings is finding good opportunities for water-based inks because of increasingly strict environmental regulations. In particular, EIC’s new Ultra Flex III UV flexo technology is creating great interest.
Environmental Inks and Coatings is also finding new export opportunities beyond Europe because of the Netherlands location. To help meet customer requirements, EIC hired several experienced technical sales representatives.
EIC engaged in several initiatives in 2001 to increase overall productivity and manufacturing efficiency. The positive outcomes realized from those initiatives have made it possible for EIC to sustain sales volume by responding to the changing needs of the printing ink market. EIC expects to fully realize the impact of these changes in 2003 as the business climate improves.
EIC has developed a wide variety of new products, including the Ultra Flex III inks for the wide-web and narrow-web flexographic printing industries. Ultra Flex III inks combine high color strength with very low viscosity. These intense inks pack the color strength required to print process colors on 800 to 1000+ line aniloxes and print line/solid copy with 600 to 800 line aniloxes. Company officials said the viscosity of Ultra Flex III is the lowest known for UV flexo inks.
In addition to its Ultra Flex III, the company has launched its Aqualope X water-based inks for the envelope industry.
Ruco Druckfarben/
A.M. Ramp & Co. GmbH
Lorsbacher Strasse 28
D-65817 Eppstein, Germany
Phone: +49-61-98-3040
Fax: +49-61-98-32288
Internet: www.ruco.de
E-mail: info@rucoinks.com
Sales: $43 million (Ink World Estimate).
Major Products: UV dry offset inks, publication gravure inks, packaging gravure inks, full line of packaging solvent, water-based and UV-based flexo inks, silkscreen inks, letterpress inks and pad printing inks.
Key Personnel: Heinz Walter Menke, managing director; Reiner Schietinger, managing director.
Number of Employees: 200.
Comments: Based in Eppstein, Germany, Ruco Druckfarben emphasizes environmentally-friendly products, particularly in UV flexo, where company officials say its products help to avoid waste and reduce noise, wastewater and gas emissions.
Cromos S.A. Tintas Graficas
Rua Senador Mozart Lago, 51
Acari 21530-210
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
Phone: +55-21-2472-2500
Fax: +55-21-2471-3438
Internet: www.cromos.com.br
E-mail: mail@cromos.com.br
Sales: $32 million (Ink World Estimate).
Major Products: Metal decorating, heatset, coldset, security, UV and flexo inks.
Key Personnel: Theodor Jagodits, president; Jacques Aubry, vice president; Francisco Veloso, marketing director; Gero Pluecker, technical director.
Number of Employees: 260 (estimated).
Comments: Cromos had a solid year in 2001, as the company continues to supply inks to the offset, metal deco and flexo markets.
Cromos S.A. Tintas Graficas’ headquarters and factory are located in an area of more than 78,000 sq. ft. on the industrial estate of the Fazenda Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro, a factory in São Paulo, and a service station in Curitiba, in the State of Paraná.
Cromos S.A. Tintas Graficas also owns 50 percent of the shares in Cromar Vernizes Graficos Ltda., located in Guarulhos, São Paulo, which specializes in varnishes and water-based additives.
Encres Dubuit
ZI Mitry Compans
1 Rue Issac Newton
77292 Mitry Cedex, France
Phone: +33.1.64.67.41.62
Fax: 33.1.64.67.11.77
Internet: www.encresdubuit.com
E-mail: export@encresdubuit.com
Sales: $26 million (E26.5 million).
Major Products: Screen printing, offset, flexo and specialty inks.
Number of Employees: 160 (estimated).
Key Personnel: Jean-Louis Dubuit, president; Philippe Duminy, executive manager; Arnaud Maquinghen, commercial and marketing manager; Olivier Cocagne, export manager; Jean-Pierre Vives, R&D manager; Guy Massé, research and development; Catherine Boucher, technical coordination; Jean-Claude Mauvais, quality control manager; Franck Meyer, administration and financial manager.
Comments: Encres Dubuit is having an excellent year in 2002, with sales rebounding more than 5 percent. New UV products, improvements in the technological market and gains made in international markets, particularly in Brazil, China and Canada, bolstered the company’s sales. These gains offset the 8.5 percent decline in sales from 2000 to 2001. The first half of 2002 witnessed a growth in sales of 7.4 percent
The company’s efforts outside of France are accounting for 60 percent of its business. In particular, the UV side of the company’s sales grew more than 30 percent during the first half of 2002. Sales in Asia increased 90 percent, to 27 percent of its exports. In Brazil, Dubuit Color acquired a company in Rio de Janeiro to strengthen its presence.
In Canada, the company’s 2000 acquisition of DDI, the leading independent Canadian manufacturer of screen printing inks, gave Encres Dubuit its first industrial operation in North America. That, added to the growth in the company’s Brazilian operations, has given the company solid footholds in the Americas.
Brancher Company
Parc d’activite du Saule
28170 Tremblay les villages
France
Phone: +33 2 37 38 91 00
Fax: +33 2 37 38 91 21
Internet: www.brancher.com
E-mail: export@brancher.com
Sales: $25 million.
Major Products: Offset, flexo and UV inks.
Key Personnel: Olivier Brancher, president; Stephane Atoumo, international development director; Jean Marie Planchon, purchase director; Guillaume Proust, finance director; Thierry Dabadie, technical director.
Number of Employees: 150.
Comments: Brancher had a solid year in 2001 as the company completed a major move to its new industrial complex in the Eure-et-Loir Department in France (100 km from Paris). The new state-of-the-art facilities will allow the company to further its efforts to have its scientists, engineers and technicians develop new products and work directly with their counterparts in our supplier companies.
The company specializes in offset, flexo and UV inks, and traditionally spends 6 percent of its turnover into R&D. This has led to a wide variety of new products, including this year’s launches of Quark UV flexo, Hadron waterless UV inks and Verso 8C inks for eight-color sheetfed machines.These join the company’s established offset (Logo, Kappalux, ATQ, Verso, Edito, Symbole and Kromoplast), flexo (Amiral, Lagon, Atlanta and Oceanis) and UV (Photon and Quasar) lines.
Brancher exports 25 percent of its production in almost 50 countries worldwide through its exclusive distributors. The company set up Brancher Central Europe in Warsaw in 2000, which serves as its operations in the region. The company also has color mixing centers to meet increasing demand worldwide.