Siegwerk Expands Water-based Ink Business by Acquiring Hi-Tech Products Ltd.

Siegwerk has signed a contract to purchase UK-based Hi-Tech Products Ltd. The specialist supplier of water-based inks and coatings develops and manufactures high-quality water-based flexo inks, mainly for printing on corrugated board packaging.
 
By making this purchase, Siegwerk is once again expanding its product and service offering for the packaging market.
 
“Hi-Tech Products Ltd is an established and well-known water-based ink supplier in the UK. The company’s ink solutions and coatings perfectly complement our water-based ink portfolio,” said Dirk Weissenfeldt, VP Paper & Board and Liquid Food Packaging at Siegwerk. “This merger enables us to expand our local footprint in the UK and therefore to continue raising our profile as a supplier of water-based printing inks in Europe.”
 
Hi-Tech Products Ltd was formed in December 2004 by Wade and Helen Brealey. With 25 years previous experience managing another UK ink company and working in the New Zealand and Australian ink industry, the Brealeys decided to put that experience to good use. Year on year Hi-Tech Products have grown 40-50% and has increased factory size from the original 1,200 sq. ft. to the current site of 16,000 sq. ft. The company now produces more than 100 tons of water-based ink every month.
 
“We are delighted to have found in Siegwerk a great partner and a new owner for our company. Over the last years we have built a solid company with innovative technology and excellent customer service. I’m convinced that Siegwerk can integrate our offering into their larger structure and thus advance it on the market. After 12 years, I would like to thank all of our customers for their support and to our staff for the many years of dedicated service. In the future, we hope to spend more time closer to our family in New Zealand,” says Wade Brealey, managing director of Hi-Tech Products Ltd.
 
The acquisition of Hi-Tech Products Ltd follows other strategic investments and disinvestments that Siegwerk has completed to enhance its position as a full-range provider for the packaging market. In 2016 Siegwerk, for example, purchased ACTEGA Colorchemie (today Siegwerk Buedingen) and opened a new Blending Center for the production of water-based inks at its Technical Center in France.
 
The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details.