Sericol to be Acquired by Fuji Photo Film

Fuji Photo Film Co. has signed an agreement to acquire Sericol, the producer of inks for wide-format digital printers, screen-printing systems, and the narrow web printing market. Sericol will be become a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Photo Film and will operate as one of its key business units. Current Sericol management, including CEO Ed Carhart, will remain with the company.

“The acquisition will further expand and develop Fujifilm's printing business, one of the company's core businesses, into other areas of industrial and package printing which are expected to grow steadily in demand,” Fuji reports.

Currently owned by investment group Saratoga Partners, which purchased the company in January 2003, Sericol has its main manufacturing facilities in England and Kansas City, MO. It has other plants in Australia, India, China and Brazil as well as offices around the world. The company has 1200 employees worldwide.

In addition to manufacturing inks, Sericol is also the distributor for Inca Digital Printers (www.incadigital.com). The acquisition of Sericol by Fuji will not affect this distribution arrangement, Sericol reports: “Sericol and Inca will continue to be strategic partners in the sale of Inca flatbed digital presses.”
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The deal is expected to close in late February. (Fuji Photo Film: www.fujifilm.com, Sericol: www.sericol.com)