Siegwerk on the take-over prowl in the growing packaging market

Ink manufacturer Siegwerk is clearly on the take-over prowl. Earlier this week they acquired Shekolin´s plastic packaging business unit and it now announced the acquisition of Hi-Tech Products Ltd.

Both acquisitions show that Siegwerk is working toward becoming a bigger player in the growth market packaging. A market which is interesting also for manufacturers of specials inks and media.

Read more about both acquisitions in the press releases below.

Press Release
Siegwerk acquires plastic packaging business from SCHEKOLIN AG

The international ink manufacturer Siegwerk acquires SCHEKOLIN’s business unit “Plastic Tubes and Laminates” and further expands its portfolio of UV inks and varnishes.

Siegburg, Germany, and Bendern, Liechtenstein, February 28, 2017. – Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, one of the leading international suppliers of printing inks for packaging applications and labels, has signed a contract to purchase the business unit “Plastic Tubes and Laminates” from SCHEKOLIN AG, a globally leading provider of packaging lacquers located in Liechtenstein. With this acquisition, Siegwerk broadens its portfolio by adding specialty UV varnishes suitable for plastic packaging including rigid tubes. The varnishes can be applied on a wide range of laminates and tubes based on plastic substrates like PE, PP, ABS, PC and PS. This product line expansion further strengthens the company’s position as full-range provider for packaging applications.

“The purchase of SCHEKOLIN’s plastic packaging business complements our portfolio with high quality varnishes and reinforces our position in UV curing solutions,” says Michael Mueller-Samson, Head of BU Narrow Web EMEA at Siegwerk. “By integrating SCHEKOLIN’s products we expand our offering for customers asking for specialty solutions for high-end packaging, and are able to target our customers’ individual needs even more effectively.”

Siegwerk’s purchase offer includes the transfer of all technical expertise and product portfolio as well as the manufacturing equipment related to SCHEKOLIN’s business unit “Plastic Tubes and Laminates”. Both companies will work closely together to ensure a handover of business without any interference for the customers of both companies. Therefore, SCHEKOLIN will manufacture on behalf of Siegwerk as part of a toll manufacturing agreement for at least four months to support a smooth transition for customers.

The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details.

Press Release

Siegwerk expands its water-based ink business by acquiring Hi-Tech Products Ltd

With the acquisition of UK-based Hi-Tech Products Ltd, Siegwerk is further expanding its water-based ink business and thereby enhancing its product and service portfolio for packaging printers.

March 01, 2017. – Siegwerk, one of the leading international suppliers of printing inks for packaging applications and labels, 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”, says Dirk Weissenfeldt, Vice President 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.”

The integration of the acquired products into Siegwerk’s water-based ink offering will enable customers from Hi-Tech Products Ltd to benefit from a more comprehensive product portfolio and the wider technological expertise offered by Siegwerk as well. Both companies target their solutions specifically at the customer’s individual needs. This perfect cultural fit will support a smooth transition and will simplify the integration process going forward.

“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. These investments have enabled the company to enhance its water-based ink business in line with its goal of clearly devoting its resources to the markets of tomorrow and focus on its core business in packaging printing.

The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details.