Baldwin scores QuadTech to create colour rego giant

Dec 10, 2017 at 01:55 am by Staff


After nosing around the colour registration segment with two earlier acquisitions, cashed-up Baldwin Technology has picked up QuadTech from its US printer owner Quad/Graphics.

The deal takes them further into an increasingly competitive market in which former partners such as manroland have become competitors, developing their own systems.

QuadTech is Baldwin's fifth acquisition since its acquisition by Barry-Wehmiller investment arm BW Forsyth Partners in 2012, and the fourth of 2017. Baldwin already owns Web Printing Controls and PC Industries, which it will "strategically unite" with QuadTech to create a new Baldwin Vision Systems segment, to be led by current QuadTech president Karl Fritchen.

With installations in more than 100 countries, the acquisition creates one of the largest businesses in the process automation solutions segment for print, packaging, textile and corrugated. QuadTech's desire to move further into the packaging print sector was apparent at last year's DRUPA trade show, when it was packaging - and not its core newspaper involvement - which dominated its press conference.

In key markets in India and the Asia-Pacific, QuadTech and Dutch rival QI Press Controls have been hard on each other's heels, despite growing competition. Apart from press maker manroland, players in the register automation segment include Scandinavian developer DCOS - which shares ownership with Tensor - and Spain's 3TControl, which announced a partnership with ABB ahead of October's IfraExpo.

QuadTech, which has locations across the Americas, Europe, China, Japan and India, claims a worldwide network of sales and service operations covering more than 100 countries. Product technologies for the expanded Baldwin Vision Systems will span closed-loop automation for registration, inking, colour management, web handling and 100 per cent inspection for the commercial, newspaper, labels, packaging, converting and publication gravure.

"The combination of products and expertise held within both companies will enable us to reach areas of the market we were unable to reach individually," says Fritchen. "From an international operations and market perspective, each party's strengths are highly complementary.

"This is definitely a situation where we can accomplish much more together than we could have as independent companies."

Baldwin president and chief executive Brent Becker says the acquisition will greatly enhance the company's ability to provide a comprehensive automation portfolio: "Together, we provide our customers an unmatched portfolio in commercial and newspaper automation, and I am very excited about the additional capabilities we will gain in the packaging markets."

BW Forsyth Partners founder and managing director Kyle Chapman says BW "will continue to support Baldwin's strategy execution", as looks to expand its reach into new industries and new geographic markets.

Pictured: All together now - (from left) John Woolley (PC Industries), Herman Gnuechtel (Web Printing Controls), Brent Becker and Karl Fritchen

Sections: Print business

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