HP announced September 13 that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire manufacturer of wide-format digital inkjet printers, MacDermid ColorSpan Inc, from MacDermid Printing Solutions LLC.
Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA, MacDermid ColorSpan isupplies of UV-curable inkjet printers for display graphics and is a key supplier to sign shop franchises, quick printers and other small to midsize sign-making and screen-printing businesses.
The acquisition extends HP’s presence into the sign shop and quick-printing market as well as its position as a one-stop partner for print service providers. In particular, HP plans to provide lower-cost platforms and UV technologies to print service providers that are expanding into outdoor applications and more industrial workloads.
The deal also broadens HP’s Graphic Arts portfolio of digital presses and wide-format printers and furthers HP’s Print 2.0 strategy to digitise analog prints by extending the company’s overall digital content creation and publishing platform.
"This acquisition broadens HP's presence in the production space where the digitisation of analog prints will happen," says Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP.
"MacDermid ColorSpan is a respected innovator in UV wide-format printing and should achieve tremendous synergies with our complementary wide-format platforms."
MacDermid ColorSpan president, Robert J. Wenzel, who will lead the new product line at HP, says, "The combination of HP and MacDermid ColorSpan will provide our customers and channel partners with an expanded mix of quality, value and choice that is unmatched in the digital graphics printing industry. Plus, MacDermid ColorSpan customers will continue to enjoy the same high levels of attention they are used to receiving."
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Upon completion of the acquisition, MacDermid ColorSpan will be integrated into the Graphic Arts organisation within the Imaging and Printing Group of HP.
