Control Print acquires Netherlands-based Markprint for € 1.5 million

Control Print expands its business in the European region to boost technological capability

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Control Print |Markprint
Control Print acquires Netherlands-based Markprint BV for € 1.5 million. Photo Control Print

Control Print expands its business in the European region to boost technological capability acquires 75% of Netherland-based Markprint BV through its Dutch Holding Company Control Print BV. Through this acquisition, the company plans to make the Markprint technology available to the Indian Market and develop targeted applications with localized solutions using these technologies India, Control Print, India’s premier integrated coding & marking solutions provider recently announced the acquisition of Markprint BV, supplier of high-speed printing and coding solutions. As part of the deal, Control Print has acquired 75% of Markprint B.V. for €1.5 million through its Dutch Holding Company ControlPrint BV. This is a strategic acquisition for Control Print both in terms of adding technical capabilities as well as getting a toehold in the European market. The acquisition gives Control Print complete access to Markprint’s technology related to high-quality single-pass printing for packaging and industrial applications and will expand its product offering and integrated solutions for applications such as inventory control, branding, and traceability.

Based in Amstelveen in The Netherlands, Markprint BV develops high-end but easy-to-use coding and marking solutions that offer precise and high-quality printing on any material. Charles Vrolijk, managing director, Markprint is a long-standing industry veteran and will continue to hold the other 25% shareholding.

Speaking on the acquisition, Shiva Kabra, joint managing director, Control Print, said, “At Control Print, we are constantly looking to add capabilities that enhance our unique value proposition to our customers. This acquisition is strategic for Control Print and will pay a multi-fold dividend to us over the years. It will enable us to enhance our organic growth rate for a longer time within the core Indian Market as well as give us an entry into newer territories. We will continue to work with the existing leadership to leverage their technological expertise and market reach, and build deeper relationships with existing and potential clients.” “Control Print plans to immediately make the Markprint Technology available in the Indian Market and develop targeted applications with localized solutions based upon Markprint’s technology over the next 12-18 months. Control Print will also support Markprint with geographical expansion and in-house capabilities to increase its direct revenues to 10 million Euros over the next 6 years,” Kabra further added.

Speaking on this partnership, Charles Vrolijk, managing director, Markprint, said, “Markprint is delighted to become a part of the Control Print family. With this, we look forward to contributing to the growth of both companies. Their business model, technical capability, and market reach offer a tremendous opportunity to our customers and partners.” Control Print is the only fully integrated ‘Made in India’ manufacturer, offering cutting-edge, indigenous coding and marking products and solutions Control Print offers a full gamut of in-house coding and marking solutions that include equipment, consumables, and spares and services. Control Print provides customized, industry-specific, integrated solutions to enhance customer value for clients across more than 20 sectors. Control Print owns two state-of-art factories in Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Guwahati, Assam. They have 11 branch offices in Pan India, an extensive presence in 3 countries, and over 400 employees including service and field staff. They have the widest service network in India covering 1,700 cities in pan India. They also manufacture and supply USFDA-approved surgical masks under the brand name ‘The Mask Lab’. ‘The Mask Lab’ is only the 4th brand in India to be awarded US FDA 501K certification for its 3-ply mask.

2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India

Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.

The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry. While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.

The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.

Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.

Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.

Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.

– Naresh Khanna

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