Major Products: Commercial, UV and packaging sheetfed inks, varnishes and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 230 (Ink World estimate)

Comments: Epple Druckfarben AG, Neusäß, Germany, is a family-owned sheetfed ink specialist that is growing both its portfolio as well as its presence throughout Europe in recent years. One particular area of focus on the ink side is its BoFood series of low-migration inks for food packaging.

As for adding companies, Epple Druckfarben has expanded its presence through Europe in recent years, acquiring PCO Europe B.V., a Dutch printing chemicals manufacturer for the offset printing industry, and opening Epple Encre France in 2019 and Epple Druckfarben Benelux BV in 2020.

Major Products: Commercial, UV and packaging sheetfed inks, varnishes and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 230 (Ink World estimate)

Comments: Headquartered in Neusäß, Germany, family-owned Epple Druckfarben AG remains strong in the sheetfed ink market, adding new products and some companies in recent years.

As for the future, Dr. Carl Epple, member of the executive board, said at the end of 2022 that in the face of sales and raw material pressures, Epple is well positioned for growth in the sheetfed ink segment.

“For us and many market players, there is no other option than to pass on the price increases from our supply chain, at least in part,” he reported. “This is the only way to retain a sustainable, healthy business and meet our responsibilities towards our employees and the market. But, as long as we continue to convince our customers with the well-known benefits offered by our product quality and service, I still see the overall Epple package to be competitive.”

There was some turnover in the leadership at Epple Druckfarben in the past year.

Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the Executive Board, left the company at his own request on July 31, 2022. Andreas Köpnick was appointed to the Executive Board, with responsibility for commercial management, purchasing, human resources and legal affairs.

“The printing and printing inks market is absolutely challenging and finds itself in the middle of a transformation,” Köpnick said upon his appointment. “Functioning standards and lean processes are essential for the success of the company. I want to contribute to this with my decades of experience from the process-oriented supplier industry.”

In addition, Stefan Schülling, member of the executive board at Epple Druckfarben AG and responsible for the Sales, Logistics and Product Line management divisions, left the board at his own request at the end of February 2023. Dr. Epple assumed responsibility for the Sales division in collaboration with the head of sales Wilfred Bauder.

Major Products: Commercial, UV and packaging sheetfed inks, varnishes and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 230 230 (Ink World estimate)

Comments: A family-owned sheetfed ink specialist whose history dates back to 1870 , Epple Druckfarben AG is continuing to grow through a combination of new products and partnerships.

Epple Druckfarben AG has been making significant moves in the past few years, acquiring PCO Europe B.V., a Dutch printing chemicals manufacturer for the offset printing industry, in 2020, and opening up new subsidiaries. To meet future needs, the company announced that it had successfully completed a financing round of €10 million, with an eye on new product development and further expansion in key growth markets.

Raw material prices and availability continue to impact Epple, which announced that it was increasing the prices of its sheetfed offset printing inks, coatings and printing chemicals on Feb. 1, 2022.

On the technology front, in September 2021, Epple Druckfarben AG launched its BoFood DFC system as a new offset printing ink system for printing on paper packaging.

Major Products: Commercial, UV and packaging sheetfed inks, varnishes and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 230

Comments: The sheetfed ink market is a challenging one right now, particularly during COVID-19, but Epple Druckfarben AG continues to innovate and find new opportunities for success.

A family-owned sheetfed ink specialist, Epple Druckfarben AG is combining new partnerships, products and acquisitions to move forward. One such move was the addition of PCO Europe B.V., a Dutch printing chemicals manufacturer for the offset printing industry. Epple Druckfarben AG acquired the rest of the shares of PCO Europe B.V. in July 2020.

“By taking over a leading producer and supplier of printing chemicals for the offset printing industry, Epple will be able to offer printers worldwide a very broad and process-optimized portfolio of printing materials for sheetfed offset printing,” said Stefan Schülling, member of the executive board.

In another significant move, Epple Druckfarben Benelux BV was founded and started operations in Turnhout, Belgium in August 2020. This allows Epple to maintain a more direct contact to printers and customers in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Danny Quermia, who has been working with and for Epple for more than 20 years, leads the subsidiary.

Epple Technology, a new subsidiary, is another major step. Founded in 2020, Epple Technology is a specialist for product development and consulting services in the chemical industry.

“Epple Technology can offer everything from gas chromatography and HPLC to migration tests or application-specific tests such as electrochemical testing; they also have the corresponding accreditations,” said Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the board. “We have well-founded know-how regarding certifications for machine-related corrosion and polymer swelling tests, chemical regulations (REACH, etc.), and also in the production of food packaging (food compliance). Whether customers need advice on the entire process, on individual sub-steps or even on production, Epple Technology will support them.”

Since May 2021, Epple Druckfarben AG and Zeller+Gmelin GmbH are collaborating in the field of UV ink technology. As a first result of the partnership, LightStar UV LE/LED, a UV LED ink for the sheetfed offset sector, was developed together. More products for different areas of application are being developed under the LightStar brand. Further ink series are already being planned and coordinated.

Gunther Gerlach noted that raw material price and availability issues have had an impact on Epple.

“The increase in raw material prices has affected the main part of all substances and therefore most areas of our product portfolio: printing inks, coatings and chemicals,” he said. “We continuously optimize and streamline our formulations and raw materials regarding technical and economic aspects. We have to invest more time and effort in the day-to-day raw material purchase, due to shortages and delays of most of the materials, shortage on transport options and searching for replacements for the highly affected raw materials. A stabilizing of the current situation is not visible before the end of 2021.”

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 230

Comments: Epple Druckfarben AG had a solid year in 2019, with sales holding fairly steady, and the family-owned sheetfed ink specialist is well-positioned to make further inroads in the packaging field.
In major news, Epple Druckfarben AG announced in July 2020 that it acquired the rest of the shares of PCO Europe B.V., a Dutch printing chemical manufacturer for the offset printing industry.

“The acquisition of PCO Europe is a milestone in the development of the Epple group of companies. We are strengthening our product portfolio in the area of printing chemicals enormously,” said Stefan Schülling, member of the executive board at Epple Druckfarben AG and responsible for sales and finance, in announcing the acquisition.

Epple also launched two new operations. In 2019, Epple Encre France was founded, led by managing director Hervier Drapier. EPPIC Asia Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Epple Druckfarben AG and PULSE Printing Ltd., was officially launched in Thailand in January 2020.

With an eye on the growing importance of low migration inks for food packaging, Epple Druckfarben and Sun Chemical announced that they signed an exclusive agreement to combine their resources to make Epple’s migration harmless series of sheetfed offset inks for direct food contact, BoFood Organic, available to a global audience.

Under the agreement, ownership of the intellectual property in BoFood Organic remains with Epple, which has granted Sun Chemical a license to market BoFood Organic under the name of SunPak Organic, reflecting the ink’s food-safe qualities. The two companies have also agreed to work together to further develop the platform technology for other potential applications.

“We see ourselves as pioneers in the development of sustainable sheetfed offset printing inks and are particularly proud of having created a worldwide patented offset ink that has been approved for printing on the inside of food packaging,” Dr. Carl Epple, member of the Executive Board, Epple Druckfarben, noted. “It’s, therefore, gratifying that Sun Chemical, the world’s largest manufacturer of printing inks, has recognized the quality of our technology and we look forward to cooperating with them around the marketing and potential future development of the inkset for the benefit of common customers and printer.”

In an important personnel move, Epple Druckfarben AG appointed Schülling to the Executive Board. Schülling will be responsible for the division’s sales and finance in his function as a member of the board. The Board of Epple Druckfarben AG will thus consist of three members: Schülling; Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the Executive Board and responsible for production, purchasing and human resources; and Dr. Carl Epple, responsible for development and innovation.

Epple is preparing for the future and realigning the company.

“Product line managers and their teams will from now on support and develop the different product areas,” said Ramona Bösch, head of marketing communication for Epple Druckfarben. “This enables us to better analyze and develop markets and business areas and to work on them in a more target-oriented way.”

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 200 (Ink World estimate)

Comments: It has been an active year for Epple Druckfarben AG. The Neusäß, Germany-based family-owned sheetfed and UV ink specialist had a solid year driven by new alliances, further international expansion and new products.

In major news, Epple Druckfarben took shares in two ink and coatings companies. In October 2018, Epple announced that it had acquired shares in Pulse Printing Products Ltd., Bristol, UK, a specialist in coatings and adhesives. Pulse had previously been the exclusive distributor of Epple inks in the UK. Pulse will also produce Epple’s varnishes.

“From the beginning, this relationship is founded on a shared philosophy of providing high-quality products to the UK print market,” said Gunther Gerlach, chairman of Epple Druckfarben AG, in announcing the move. “Here we take another step forward by acquiring shares in Pulse. In the partnership, we want to benefit from synergy effects, created through joint business activities and the exchange of know-how.

In August 2018, Epple Druckfarben acquired shares in PCO Europe B.V., a printing chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Etten-Leur, The Netherlands. This move was made with an eye toward the Asian printing market, courtesy of PCO EastGate, a subsidiary with locations in Malaysia and Thailand.

“PCO Europe has found a strong shareholder in Epple, and Epple will be able to expand its main business thanks to the strong presence PCO has in Asia, particularly through PCO EastGate,” noted Stefan Schülling, head of corporate development at Epple Druckfarben AG.

Epple Druckfarben also is looking to make inroads in the North American market. In order to better serve its customers, Epple Printing Inks, Inc. opened its new distribution facility and ink lab in Lombard, IL in June 2019.

As for its inks, Epple continues to advance its environmentally friendly inks, beginning with PURe, a quick-drying, environmentally friendly sheetfed ink system that is mineral oil-free and avoids metal dryers and photoinitiators.

Meanwhile, BoFood Organic, Epple Druckfarben’s migration harmless ink designed for the inner sides of primary foodstuff packaging, received the WorldStar Packaging Award for 2019 in the Packaging Materials & Components category.

“The selection of the jury demonstrates that inner side printing of packaging is in demand and that our low migration printing inks are absolutely future-orientated for the global printing market,” Gerlach said after announcing the award.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 214

Comments: A family-owned sheetfed and UV ink specialist, Epple Druckfarben AG, Neusäß, Germany, had a successful year in 2017, with sales on the rise, partially driven by new packaging inks and partnerships. UV inks were a contributor to these gains, with UV AtmosFair, Epple’s ink series for UV low energy and UV LED systems, being particularly successful.

On the R&D side, Epple Druckfarben launched two new environmentally friendly ink series: its new cobalt-free and PURe ink systems. PURe is a quick drying, environmentally friendly sheetfed ink system, eliminating metal dryers and photoinitiators. It is also totally free of mineral oil.

“Between the conventional and UV print, PURe is new, a third offset ink technology,” added Dr. Carl Epple, Board member responsible for development and innovation at Epple. “PURe as Epple in-house development combines the best of both worlds and thereby ecology and economy to a highly sustainable product.”

Like the rest of the ink industry, Epple Druckfarben is facing higher raw material costs, with pigment costs particularly impacted.

Epple Druckfarben is enjoying growth in new markets as well, as the company expands into new geographical markets and builds up new technical partnerships. For example, the company formed Epple Druckfarben Italia S.r.l., headquartered in Milan, which will serve Italy.

“We are happy to serve the Italian market as an experienced and very service-oriented partner,” said Gunther Gerlach, Epple’s chairman of the Executive Board.

With its entrance into the metal deco segment, Epple is partnering with Italy-based INK Maloberti.

“Epple Italia has started well in the demanding Italian print market; the quality of Epple’s printing inks has been very well received by the customers. What will make it even better is that we now have a further Italian partner on our side and that we are able to expand our range with the metal decoration segment and can offer this outside of Italy as well,” said Gerhard Janssen, head of sales at Epple.

All in all, Epple Druckfarben is well prepared for the coming years.

“We are set up very well for the long term with our continuous development in product innovation and targeted investments in the operational structures,” Michael Berz, chairman of the Supervisory Board, concluded. “The shareholder families fully endorse and support the strategy of the Board. These facts, coupled with the innovative products, assure the company’s independence for the long term, in a volatile environment.”

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 228

Comments: Epple Druckfarben AG, Neusaess, Germany, is a family-owned sheetfed and UV ink specialist. The company is overcoming the challenges facing the sheetfed ink market through new products and partnerships.

Coming off an excellent drupa 2016, where the company launched a wide variety of inks. For food packaging, the new systems included BoFood Organic ink system, a migration harmless ink system for printing on the inside of food packaging; BoFood Organic varnish, which pairs with the ink; and BoFood MU Next Generation, a migration harmless ink for the outside packaging.

Epple followed up with an excellent interpack 2017, where it was part of the PrintCity Alliance booth and highlighted its food packaging systems.

“Epple products for food packaging printing are migration harmless, organically neutral and at the same time they guarantee the highest quality standards in color intensity, precision and printability,” said Gunther Gerlach, chairman of the Executive Board of Epple.

Epple Druckfarben has been adding new subsidiaries and distribution partners throughout the past year. This allows the company to better meet the quality and service requirements of multi-national printers.

For example, dua Druckfarben now operates as Epple Druckfarben Österreich GmbH, and distributes the complete product portfolio of printing inks and varnishes for Epple. Epple Druckfarben Italia S.r.l., based in Milan, will bring the quality of the leading German offset printing inks to Italy. Epple Druckfarben AG also added sales partners in the UK (Pulse Printing), Benelux (Quermia Graphics) and Scandinavia (Coloro).

“Being a market leader for sheetfed offset inks in Germany, we want to considerably push our export activities by a stronger on-site presence in important European markets,” Gerlach noted.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 228

Comments: A family-owned sheetfed and UV ink specialist, Epple Druckfarben AG, Neusaess, Germany, was founded in 1889. Despite the challenges in the sheetfed segment, Epple Druckfarben enjoyed a good year in 2015, with sales increasing 2.1% to $185 million.

Epple Druckfarben showcased a wide variety of new products to attendees during drupa 2016 under the slogan, “Essence of Passion.”

“Our experts are permanently developing products that completely accomplish various customer requirements regarding the quality of inks, runnability, further processing, and moreover our responsibility for man and nature,” said Dr. Carl Epple, member of the board of Epple Druckfarben AG.

Food packaging inks were an important topic at drupa 2016, and Epple Druckfarben introduced its BoFood Organic ink system, a migration harmless ink system that can be used to print on the inside of food packaging. BoFood Organic varnish, which pairs with the ink, consists of food components and food additives. Epple Druckfarben also showcased its migration harmless BoFood MU Next Generation for printing on the outside packaging, thus avoiding cross-contamination.

For commercial printers, Epple Druckfarben introduced its Stability and Stability Plus inks made up of renewable resources, which are designed to meet future environmental guidelines.

UV LE and UV LED inks were also important topics during drupa 2016, and Epple Druckfarben highlighted its Atmosfair low energy sheetfed ink systems designed for leading press manufacturers. These include Heidelberg (Atmosfair LE), KBA(Atmosfair HR), Komori (Atmosfair H-UV) and manroland sheetfed (Atmosfair LEC-UV). For UV LED curing, UV LED Star was introduced.

A series of low migration varnishes, including the BoFood Organic varnish, was also launched by Epple Druckfarben, including Finishfit, a dispersion varnish for sheetfed and label printing.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 228

Comments: Epple Druckfarben AG, Neusaess, Germany, is a family-owned sheetfed and UV ink specialist. The company, which began operations back in 1889, enjoyed a strong 2014, with sales increasing 2.1% to $195 million. The company is considering acquisitions and joint ventures with other ink manufacturers in order to further grow its business.

Raw materials remain a challenge throughout the industry, and Epple Druckfarben officials are implementing cost cutting projects as well as bringing in new raw materials from Europe to improve on shrinking margins.

Epple Druckfarben officials noted that rising material costs without increasing sales prices reduces margins. Meanwhile, the company is minimizing the impact of the higher prices by bundling raw materials, examining alternative raw materials and improving its internal processes.

Epple Druckfarben’s renowned R&D team introduced a wide range of new products during the past year, including the UV H-UV/ LE series, UV LED, BoFood Next Generation, Bopack GAMA Next Generation, Premium PSO and the Fastdry series.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 200

Comments: Headquartered in Neusaess, Germany, Epple Druckfarben AG is a family-owned sheetfed ink specialist whose roots date back to 1889. The company enjoyed an excellent 2013, with sales increasing 3.2% to $191 million.

The company is looking to further expand its business, and is looking to either acquire or set up a joint venture for inks or consumables with other printing ink manufacturers.

Raw materials are a challenge for every ink manufacturer, and Epple Druckfarben is no exception. Epple Druckfarben officials noted that rising material costs without increasing sales prices reduces margins. Meanwhile, the company is minimizing the impact of the higher prices by bundling raw materials, examining alternative raw materials and improving its internal processes.

Epple Druckfarben launched a variety of new products in the past year, successfully introducing its UV HUV Series, UV LED, BoFood Next Generation and Premium PSO ink series.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Key Personnel: Joachim Erlach, executive board; Edgar Buck, executive board; Dr. Carl Epple, executive board; Michael Glaser, executive board.

Number of Employees: 200

Comments: Epple Druckfarben AG is a family-owned sheetfed ink specialist headquartered in Neusaess, Germany. The company enjoyed an excellent 2012, with sales increasing 5% to $185 million. Epple Druckfarben is looking to grow its business, both organically and through acquisitions or joint ventures with other printing ink manufacturers.

Raw materials have been a challenge for every company throughout the ink industry. Epple Druckfarben officials noted that rising material costs without increasing sales prices reduces margins. Meanwhile, the company is working on way to minimize the higher costs, through bundling raw materials, seeking alternative raw materials and improving internal processes.

Epple Druckfarben emphasizes R&D, and has successfully introduced many new products in recent years, such as MyInk, Atmos Fair, New Series, UV LE Series and UV HUV Series. In particular, the company released its BoFood MH inks, which are noteworthy as they are migration harmless and low migration and are made of natural ingredients. BoFood Organic, another successful launch, takes BoFood MH a step further, as it is approved for usage in food and the inside of food packaging.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 200

Comments: A family-owned sheetfed ink specialist headquartered in Neusaess, Germany, Epple Druckfarben AG enjoyed another strong year in 2012, as the company’s sales grew 7% to $180 million. With an eye on expanding its operations, the company continues to express interest in acquisitions and joint ventures in the coming year.

Raw material cost and supply remain major concerns, as company officials noted that rising material cost without corresponding rising sales price reduces margins. To compensate for this, Epple Druckfarben is bundling raw materials, seeking raw material alternatives and improving internal processes.

Epple Druckfarben continues to emphasize the importance of R&D, and released a host of new products during the past year. These included the MyInk customizable scale as well as four new inks: Atmos Fair, BoFood MH and BoFood Organic and Granit Protect.

Atmos Fair is Epple Druckfarben’s newest UV ink. Because no short-wavelength UV radiation is required, there is no heat development in the stack, no ozone formation and the energy demand is very low.

Reflecting its interest in UV and LED technology, Epple Druckfarben joined ILUVA, a new international association dedicated to UV LED market development. Granit Protect sets fast and shows fast through drying. The Granit Protect series is based on a binding agent combination of vegetable and mineral oils.

Food packaging inks are a key emphasis for Epple Druckfarben. BoFood MH is migration harmless in contrast to traditional low migration systems. This enables the usage of BoFood MH ink for the production of primary food packaging. It is also scent reduced.BoFood Organic is described as the first offset printing ink that can be used for inside printing of food packaging, as all of the raw materials used for BoFood Organic are approved for the usage in food.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; inks for perfecting presses; UV inks; varnishes, fountain solutions and printing additives.

Number of Employees: 200

Comments: Epple Druckfarben AG, a Neusaess, Germany-based family-owned sheetfed ink specialist, enjoyed an excellent year in 2010, as its sales grew 10% to $168 million. As a result, the company is looking to invest in its production capabilities in the coming year.

Raw materials remain a serious concern throughout the industry, and Epple Druckfarben is no exception. Besides the company’s efforts to pass a fraction of the rise in material costs to the market, Epple Druckfarben is using the options it has after the expansion of its new production line to bring in alternative raw materials to absorb the cost rise. Similarly, the company cut costs within its organization and business process structure.

R&D is a major emphasis at Epple Druckfarben, and the company launched a number of new environmentally friendly products during the past year. Novel Intense Process Inks utilize a pure vegetable binding agent. BoFood is the first migration harmless sheetfed ink for food and tobacco packaging, and UV-MA is Epple Druckfarben’s new migration-reduced UV ink.