- INX International signs purchase agreement for the acquisition of RUCO Druckfarben
- Investments at the Eppstein site and advancement of the RUCO Druckfarben portfolio planned
- Moritz Hartmann takes over as sole managing director after completion of the transaction
Eppstein, 20 January 2020. INX International, the third largest North American manufacturer of printing inks, plans the acquisition of RUCO Druckfarben, A. M. Ramp & Co. GmbH. A corresponding purchase agreement was signed at the end of December 2019. The agreement is part of the future strategy of the long-established German company and it secures the succession of the current owners, the Menke family. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of 2020.
"We are very pleased that with INX we have found a partner who shares our values and wants to lead the RUCO Druckfarben brand into the future," says Heinz Walter Menke, owner and Managing Director of RUCO Druckfarben. INX has built up a strong market presence over the last decades, especially in Southern Europe, and was now looking for a strengthening to better serve customers in Central and Eastern Europe. "RUCO's excellent market position and the expertise of its employees as well as the opportunity to build up additional capacities at the Eppstein site convinced us", adds Peter Lockley, President of INX Europe.
In the area of flexible packaging, both companies want to jointly expand their capacities and thus better meet an increasing demand. "In addition, the know-how of our employees in screen and pad printing optimally complements the portfolio of INX, which is not yet active in these areas," explains Menke.
"By investing in the Eppstein site and advancing the portfolio, we want to expand RUCO Druckfarben's leading position as a supplier to the toy, pharmaceutical and packaging industries under the ownership of INX," says Lockley. Both companies are committed to formulating state-of-the-art, environment-friendly products that deliver unsurpassed performance and quality while minimizing their negative impact to the environment.
As a result of the acquisition, RUCO Druckfarben’s customers will have access to the global network and thus to the extensive distribution channels of INX. "Our customers can continue to rely on our commitment to combine best quality with excellent service – in the spirit of our mission: Printing inks made with passion", says Menke.
Upon completion of the transaction, Moritz Hartmann will take over as sole managing director and manage the company together with the current leadership team. Mr. Hartmann has been a member of the RUCO Druckfarben management team since 2015.
About INX International
INX International is the third largest producer of inks in North American with full-service subsidiaries in Europe and South American and is part of Sakata INX worldwide operations. We offer a complete line of ink and coating solutions technology for commercial, packaging and digital applications. As a leading global manufacturer of inkjet inks, we provide a full palette of digital ink systems, advanced technologies and integrated services.
Together with Sakata INX, INX International has annual sales of more than $1.4 billion. Over 4,300 employees located at 32 subsidiaries across 18 countries working together every day to meet the needs of our customers by providing quality, service and innovation the printing and packaging markets. In Europe, INX has production sites in Italy and the Czech Republic (inkjet), Spain (flexible packaging) and the UK (metal decoration).
About RUCO Druckfarben
As a leading medium-sized manufacturer and system provider of highly specialised, industrial inks for screen, pad, gravure, flexo and dry offset printing, RUCO Druckfarben is nationally and internationally renowned for outstanding performance, innovative products and impressive results. The company is based in Eppstein, Germany, and employs around 150 people.
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