1225 N. Michael Drive
Wood Dale, IL 60191
Tel: (866) 969-8696
Fax: (630) 628-1769
Sales: $112 million.
Major Products: Sheetfed and web offset inks; UV and EB inks; conventional and UV waterless offset; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; digital inks; toner; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives and special function coatings; and plastic colorants.
Key Personnel: Toyo Ink America, LLC: Hideki (Jeff) Okaichi, CEO; John Copeland, president/COO; Hideki (Luke) Ohba, GM, paste ink sector; Mike Keegan, sales management, paste ink; Darren Oakes, sales management, liquid ink; Joe Sentendray, sales management, PSA; Kevin Garland, pigment sales. LioChem: Naoto (Nick) Sumiya, president; Hudson Moody, GM, colorants division; Terry Hall, GM, gravure division. Advanced Materials Division: Kotaro (Kody) Osato, sales management.
Comments: Toyo Ink America, LLC enjoyed solid growth in 2012, with sales increases coming from a wide range of products, including the commercial sheetfed market.
“Toyo Ink America had a better year in 2012 than 2011,” John Copeland, president and COO of Toyo Ink America, LLC, said. “Sales in several areas did very well, including UV inks, flexographic inks, plastic colorants and pressure sensitive adhesives.
“Major growth areas continue to be energy curable inks and coatings, pressure sensitive adhesives, plastic colorants and our flexographic inks,” Mr. Copeland added.“Although the commercial sheetfed business segment in our industry continues to lose some ground, Toyo’s lithographic ink sales were up in 2012.”
In order to streamline Toyo Ink America’s operations, the company implemented several major changes in its organization.
“In 2013 Toyo Ink America, LLC, welcomes the company’s pigment and pressure sensitive divisions as part of Toyo Ink America, LLC,” Mr. Copeland noted. “These changes will allow us streamline communication and utilize all marketing streams as we focus on our core technologies in the market place.”
While the commercial printing business seems to be softening, Mr. Copeland said Toyo Ink America sees opportunity in the high-end market.
“The good news is that high-end commercial printing continues to bring new energy and creativity to printing,” Mr. Copeland added. “Some of our customers are growing the business in this market with energy curable printed pieces that are amazing. This spurs growth in the commercial print market.”
While raw materials costs and supply issues have stabilized in general, Mr. Copeland added that Toyo Ink is still working on improving its operations to ensure its sourcing.
“We have seen an overall stabilization of raw materials in 2012,” Mr. Copeland noted. “This is good news, and yet I don’t believe Toyo or our industry feels the same type of security in material supplies as we have in the past. We continue to improve our purchasing department’s internal communications and have recently improved communications on a worldwide basis. This helps us with our strategic sourcing supply stream and improves our leverage in regards to raw materials.”
Overall, Mr. Copeland sees opportunities ahead in 2013, but these come with challenges as well.
“We are optimistic that 2013 will be a great year but with many challenges,” Mr. Copeland said. “We have a good team of employees that will help in achieving our targets and goals.”
