In a move that sees its expand into the textiles printing sector as well as widening its international’s reach, German ink manufacturer Marabu has acquired Chinese company Icon Inks.
‘We have high hopes for this acquisition,’ said Jon Bultemeyer, executive vice president, Business UnitScreen and Pad Printing Inks. ‘We are always looking to identify segments with strong future prospects. Until recently, our focus had consciously not included textiles. But the market environment is very dynamic, and it is important that our business is broadly based. Textile printing remains one of the largest global screen printing segments. Icon Inks is a leading brand, and this acquisition gives us access to new markets and new skills. Icon Inks has a high profile in Asia and is a valuable addition to our existing Marabu ink offering. By expanding our product portfolio, we are now able to offer screen printing inks for textiles, in addition to our pad printing solutions.
The integration of Icon Inks into the group is intended to enable Marabu Shanghai to extend and improve its services in Asian markets, tailoring formulations to local customer requirements and enhancing business agility with the use of locally sourced raw materials. Marabu added that local manufacturing and logistics will also ensure greater customer centricity and make a key contribution to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Going forward Marabu will split its Asian staff across three sites. Eastern China will be advised and assisted from the regional headquarters in Shanghai, and South China from Shenzhen with a third site located in Hong Kong. All three report to Alexandra Taulin, general manager of Marabu Shanghai.
