Epple Druckfarben AG, Neusäß, Germany, has taken shares in the Dutch printing chemicals manufacturer PCO Europe B.V. Epple‘s objective, alongside the strengthening of its product range, is the expansion of its activities in the international market environment, in this case the Asian market.
 
There are opportunities, especially in the food packaging printing sector, for sustainable print production. With this background and the experiences gained from their previous tight cooperation, it was a logical step for Epple Druckfarben AG to take a financial share in PCO Europe, the specialist for printing chemicals in the graphics industry, to strengthen and expand this cooperation. As an example, this applies to the expansion of sales of printing inks in Asia. Epple wants to exploit the comprehensive Asian agent network of the PCO branch PCO EastGate, with locations in Malaysia and Thailand, as well as their strong local market know-how.
 
“PCO Europe has found a strong shareholder in Epple, and Epple will be able to expand its main business thanks to the strong presence PCO has in Asia, particularly through PCO EastGate,” said Stefan Schülling, head of corporate development at Epple Druckfarben AG.
 
“Now, I can focus completely on the further development of our product range and the technical support of our customers, in order to remain a competent and reliable partner for printing houses over the coming years,” added Ben Van Loon, current technical director at PCO Europe. Schülling is the new managing director at PCO Europe.
 
PCO Europe B.V., Etten-Leur, Holland, was established in 1976 and is a leading producer and supplier of printing chemicals for the offset printing industry. A branch of PCO Europe, PCO EastGate Sdn Bhd was established in 2009 in Selangor, Malaysia. It ensures a strong local presence in the Asian-Pacific region.