Throughout its 70 years, Wikoff Color has made a name for itself as a respected leader in the ink industry. From its beginnings in 1956 to today, where Ink World places Wikoff as the 13^th largest global ink manufacturer with an estimated $200 million in annual sales, Wikoff has stood for exceptional quality and service.

The ink industry has changed along with its printer customers during the past seven decades since Fred Wikoff founded the company. Starting as a lithographic ink specialist serving the commercial print segment, Wikoff has made major strides into the packaging field.

Wikoff is a unique company in many ways. In particular, it is an employee-owned company, a decision that Fred Wikoff had made decades ago. This gives employees additional incentive to grow the company the right way.

Two years ago, then president and CEO Geoff Peters retired, with Mark Lewis coming in to head the company. Lewis has extensive experience in the specialty chemical field, including key positions at Honeywell and Vertellus, and he and the Wikoff team see opportunities ahead for the company.

With an eye on the future, Wikoff is now sharpening its focus on the packaging segment. In line with this, Wikoff Color is rebranding as Wikoff, complete with a new logo and redesigned website.

This move underscores the company’s expansion beyond traditional ink manufacturing into advanced coatings, digital technologies, technical services, and prepress graphics. Wikoff supports all parts of the graphics and printing workflow, including inks, varnishes and supplying photopolymer plates from Asahi. The company also works with customers to improve their processes and helps with supporting projects.

Wikoff’s Growth Over the Years

Lewis is excited about the changes at Wikoff, and where the company is headed.

“Being a mid-tier player, we are positioned a little bit differently,” Lewis says. “We have a hands-on approach and truly engage with our customers and troubleshoot their business. We also think of ourselves as an innovation partner. We listen and understand our customers. Inks are our foundation, but we are so much more than that – we are not one-dimensional.”

Lewis says that Wikoff’s greatest attribute is its people.

“Our greatest strength is our people,” Lewis notes. “Everyone brings in a unique perspective. They have a voice, and we tap into their experience every day. We pride ourselves on technical knowledge and responsiveness, from prepress to the finished product. Our knowledge of ink on press is unmatched. We have a lot of lifelong employees, which is one of the advantages of employee ownership.”

Wikoff is also adding new people to its mix, which is bringing in new perspectives and experiences.

“We are bringing in outside talent that matches up well with long tenured Wikoff employees,” Lewis says. “This leverages our strengths and adds experienced expertise to execute and accelerate our growth strategies.”

Another advantage that Wikoff offers is its physical locations globally. The company has 24 sites worldwide, with bulk manufacturing facilities at its Fort Mill, SC headquarters as well as Alpharetta, GA, and Milwaukee, WI, where there is also Wikoff’s Center for Excellence with demonstration units. This allows the company to operate more effectively and efficiently.

“Our company has grown over the years by being in close proximity with our customers, but we also have to be efficient,” Lewis observes. “Absent a physical location, we have people who support customers in every aspect. Our people pride themselves on being available any time, day or night, weekdays or weekends. We have a highly skilled commercial team in the field, augmented by our technical team. We have the experience of our people who understand the needs of our customers.”

The shift to packaging has been an important move for Wikoff.

“The industry has evolved a lot in the last 10 and 20 years,” Lewis notes. “We understand where the growth is coming from. We have expanded in flexible packaging, narrow web, and label segments. We see a lot of opportunity on the digital side of the business and have a lot of good capability and good people there. We continue to build out that team. This plan resonates with our customers and suppliers.”

Lewis points out that customers are looking for performance and not just looking for lower prices.

“Our customers are not just looking at price, but at how we can simplify things and create value for our partners and us,” he says. “There is a world of opportunity for this approach. We have a commitment to our customers, many of whom we have long-standing relationships with. We understand the regulatory environment. We are more than just color – it’s symbolic of the other things we are bringing to our customers. We don’t want to be thought of as just an ink producer.”

Wikoff’s Plans for the Future

As for the future, Lewis sees growth potential. This includes adding new branch operations in the US and internationally, as well as potentially new acquisitions.

“We look at possibilities for expansion, but we also look at relocating facilities that can better support customers and growth in the region,” Lewis notes. “We operate a facility in São Paulo, but we know there is additional opportunity in South America. We are looking at expanding in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest US, as well as continental Europe. We are combining organic as well as inorganic growth through acquisitions. The future is very bright.”

“Wikoff is a great company, very unique, and in a great place in the industry,” Lewis concludes. “We are really well-positioned for the future. I inherited a really strong industry participant with a strong history. We have a very rich heritage, and we are preparing for our 70^th anniversary. We are positioning the company to make sure we are equipped to meet the demands of our customers and evolving with the industry to meet future challenges and preparing for decades to come. It’s a very exciting time for our company and the industry.”