Siegwerk acquires Van Son Liquids to strengthen water-based ink business

Van Son Liquids manufactures high-quality water-based flexo and gravure printing inks. The deal includes the transfer of all technical expertise, products and manufacturing equipment related to Van Son Liquids headquarters in Hilversum. Siegwerk will continue to produce and serve customers from the production site in Hilversum. As a new member of the Siegwerk family, Van Son Liquids will be renamed as Siegwerk Hilversum. The product brand name AquaBase+ will be kept. The companies will work together to ensure a smooth integration without any interference for current customers of both companies.

Siegwerk said the integration of the acquired products into its water-based ink offering will enable customers to benefit from a more comprehensive product portfolio and a wider technological expertise. The acquisition also strengthens its product and service portfolio to packaging printers.

Piet Deceunynck, regional sales director in Central and North Europe for paper and board at Siegwerk, said: ‘Van Son Liquids is one of the leading ink manufacturers in the Netherlands. The company is known for its high-quality inks with excellent consistency. Its ink and coating solutions perfectly fit into our water-based ink portfolio.

‘The merger enables us to expand our local footprint in the Benelux region and therefore to continue raising our profile as a supplier of water-based printing inks in Europe.’

Wim van Mastrigt, the departing managing director at Van Son Liquids, added: ‘We are delighted to have found in Siegwerk a great partner and new owner for our company that can integrate our quality inks into a significantly larger structure and thus advance it on the market.’

The acquisition of Van Son Liquids follows other strategic investments and disinvestments that Siegwerk has completed to enhance its position as a full-range provider for the packaging market. Siegwerk has acquired Hi-Tech Products, a specialist supplier of water-based inks and coatings located in the UK; purchased Actega Colorchemie; and opened a blending center for the production of water-based inks at its technical center in France.

Siegwerk stated that these targeted investments have enabled the company to enhance its water-based ink business, in line with its goal of devoting its resources to ‘the markets of tomorrow’ and focusing on its core business in packaging printing.

Royal Dutch Ink Factories Van Son in Hilversum, The Netherlands will continue to manufacture and distribute Van Son branded offset inks to the worldwide commercial printing and packaging market through the subsidiary Van Son Holland Ink Corporation in Chicago, Illinois and a global network of distributors.