07.21.21
Gutenbergstrasse 5
86356 Neusäß, Germany
Phone: +49 821 4603-0
www.epple-druckfarben.de
Email: info@epple-druckfarben.de
Sales: $48 million (€42.4 million).
Major Products: Commercial, UV and packaging sheetfed inks, varnishes and printing additives.
Key Personnel: Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the executive board; Dr. Carl Epple, member of the executive board; Stefan Schülling, member of the executive board.
Number of Employees: 230.
Comments: The sheetfed ink market is a challenging one right now, particularly during COVID-19, but Epple Druckfarben AG continues to innovate and find new opportunities for success.
A family-owned sheetfed ink specialist, Epple Druckfarben AG is combining new partnerships, products and acquisitions to move forward. One such move was the addition of PCO Europe B.V., a Dutch printing chemicals manufacturer for the offset printing industry. Epple Druckfarben AG acquired the rest of the shares of PCO Europe B.V. in July 2020.
“By taking over a leading producer and supplier of printing chemicals for the offset printing industry, Epple will be able to offer printers worldwide a very broad and process-optimized portfolio of printing materials for sheetfed offset printing,” said Stefan Schülling, member of the executive board.
In another significant move, Epple Druckfarben Benelux BV was founded and started operations in Turnhout, Belgium in August 2020. This allows Epple to maintain a more direct contact to printers and customers in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Danny Quermia, who has been working with and for Epple for more than 20 years, leads the subsidiary.
Epple Technology, a new subsidiary, is another major step. Founded in 2020, Epple Technology is a specialist for product development and consulting services in the chemical industry.
“Epple Technology can offer everything from gas chromatography and HPLC to migration tests or application-specific tests such as electrochemical testing; they also have the corresponding accreditations,” said Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the board. “We have well-founded know-how regarding certifications for machine-related corrosion and polymer swelling tests, chemical regulations (REACH, etc.), and also in the production of food packaging (food compliance). Whether customers need advice on the entire process, on individual sub-steps or even on production, Epple Technology will support them.”
Since May 2021, Epple Druckfarben AG and Zeller+Gmelin GmbH are collaborating in the field of UV ink technology. As a first result of the partnership, LightStar UV LE/LED, a UV LED ink for the sheetfed offset sector, was developed together. More products for different areas of application are being developed under the LightStar brand. Further ink series are already being planned and coordinated.
Gunther Gerlach noted that raw material price and availability issues have had an impact on Epple.
“The increase in raw material prices has affected the main part of all substances and therefore most areas of our product portfolio: printing inks, coatings and chemicals,” he said. “We continuously optimize and streamline our formulations and raw materials regarding technical and economic aspects. We have to invest more time and effort in the day-to-day raw material purchase, due to shortages and delays of most of the materials, shortage on transport options and searching for replacements for the highly affected raw materials. A stabilizing of the current situation is not visible before the end of 2021.”
86356 Neusäß, Germany
Phone: +49 821 4603-0
www.epple-druckfarben.de
Email: info@epple-druckfarben.de
Sales: $48 million (€42.4 million).
Major Products: Commercial, UV and packaging sheetfed inks, varnishes and printing additives.
Key Personnel: Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the executive board; Dr. Carl Epple, member of the executive board; Stefan Schülling, member of the executive board.
Number of Employees: 230.
Comments: The sheetfed ink market is a challenging one right now, particularly during COVID-19, but Epple Druckfarben AG continues to innovate and find new opportunities for success.
A family-owned sheetfed ink specialist, Epple Druckfarben AG is combining new partnerships, products and acquisitions to move forward. One such move was the addition of PCO Europe B.V., a Dutch printing chemicals manufacturer for the offset printing industry. Epple Druckfarben AG acquired the rest of the shares of PCO Europe B.V. in July 2020.
“By taking over a leading producer and supplier of printing chemicals for the offset printing industry, Epple will be able to offer printers worldwide a very broad and process-optimized portfolio of printing materials for sheetfed offset printing,” said Stefan Schülling, member of the executive board.
In another significant move, Epple Druckfarben Benelux BV was founded and started operations in Turnhout, Belgium in August 2020. This allows Epple to maintain a more direct contact to printers and customers in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Danny Quermia, who has been working with and for Epple for more than 20 years, leads the subsidiary.
Epple Technology, a new subsidiary, is another major step. Founded in 2020, Epple Technology is a specialist for product development and consulting services in the chemical industry.
“Epple Technology can offer everything from gas chromatography and HPLC to migration tests or application-specific tests such as electrochemical testing; they also have the corresponding accreditations,” said Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the board. “We have well-founded know-how regarding certifications for machine-related corrosion and polymer swelling tests, chemical regulations (REACH, etc.), and also in the production of food packaging (food compliance). Whether customers need advice on the entire process, on individual sub-steps or even on production, Epple Technology will support them.”
Since May 2021, Epple Druckfarben AG and Zeller+Gmelin GmbH are collaborating in the field of UV ink technology. As a first result of the partnership, LightStar UV LE/LED, a UV LED ink for the sheetfed offset sector, was developed together. More products for different areas of application are being developed under the LightStar brand. Further ink series are already being planned and coordinated.
Gunther Gerlach noted that raw material price and availability issues have had an impact on Epple.
“The increase in raw material prices has affected the main part of all substances and therefore most areas of our product portfolio: printing inks, coatings and chemicals,” he said. “We continuously optimize and streamline our formulations and raw materials regarding technical and economic aspects. We have to invest more time and effort in the day-to-day raw material purchase, due to shortages and delays of most of the materials, shortage on transport options and searching for replacements for the highly affected raw materials. A stabilizing of the current situation is not visible before the end of 2021.”
