Major Products: Sheetfed inks; HUV/UV, LED and EB inks and coatings; HUV/UV, OPV varnishes and strikethrough, conventional and UV waterless offset inks; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; inkjet inks; pressure-sensitive adhesives; special function coatings; pigments; and plastic colorants.

Comments: The fourth-largest global ink manufacturer, Toyo Ink Group reported sales of $1.37 billion (¥147.4 billion) from its Printing and Information and Packaging Materials businesses, its primary ink divisions, and consolidated sales of $2.7 billion (¥290.2 billion) overall  in 2018.

Toyo Ink America is the North American subsidiary of Toyo Ink Group. Headquartered in Wood Dale, IL, Toyo Ink America was founded in 1976, and offers a full range of liquid, paste and UV inks as well as coatings. It consists of four divisions: Liquid, Paste, Advanced Materials and Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSA).

Toyo Ink Group has put an emphasis on energy curing inks and coatings in recent years, most recently featuring its LED and HUV applications at Print UV 2020. The company is also featuring its line of laminating packaging inks, including its solvent-based REXTA series and general-use XJK series for flexo, as well as the multi-purpose LIOALPHA series of toluene-free, MEK-free gravure inks, and inkjet inks.

Each year, Toyo Ink Group honors divisions from throughout the company with its Toyo Ink Group’s Excellence Award. Toyo Ink America’s PSA Division received a 2019 Excellence Award.

“This award is a wonderful achievement for our group,” Toyo Ink Americas, LLC CEO Yuki Abe said. “We are deeply honored to receive this award in recognition for all of the excellent efforts of our PSA team.”

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; HUV/UV, LED and EB inks and coatings; HUV/UV, OPV varnishes and strikethrough, conventional and UV waterless offset inks; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives; special function coatings; pigments; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America, Wood Dale, IL, is the North American subsidiary of Toyo Ink Group, Tokyo, Japan. Toyo Ink Group is the fourth-largest global ink manufacturer, with $1.3 billion in sales of printing ink and graphic arts supplies in 2018.

Toyo Ink America (TIA) had a good year in 2018, with new products leading the way.

“TIA had a strong year throughout the organization, led by new product offerings in 2018 in all four divisions, from inks to adhesives,” said Vipul Shah, GM, Liquid Ink Division. “We launched our digital ink manufacturing in the US, introduced multiple high-performance lamination ink products for both flexo and gravure into the North American market, introduced Toyo Morton laminating adhesive solutions into North America and continued strengthening our pressure sensitive products business.”

The raw material market was particularly challenging for the ink industry in 2018, from price increases and raw material shortages to tariffs and trade barriers.

“The Blue Sky initiative continues to curb production in China, and availability of products remains a concern,” said Jyoti Gidvani, corporate purchasing for Toyo Ink America. “ The price of many products increased due to shortage and additional 10% tariff implemented in September 2018. Toyo Ink America continues to source raw materials produced outside of China to reduce the dependency of direct purchases from China and lessen the impact of the 10% tariff.” Gidvani added that the decision on the proposed additional 15% tariff implementation on goods from China has yet to be concluded.

Shah noted that Toyo Ink was able to overcome these concerns, and will continue to develop solutions to these issues.

“Primary challenges in 2018 were on our energy curable markets and the uncertain nature of the effects and timing of US tariff policy,” Shah noted. “Both areas represented margin challenges for the business. However, through targeted price increases and leveraging the Toyo global footprint, we have been able to weather the situation while maintaining the integrity of the business.

“The business today requires us to be vigilant in our understanding of not just our marketplace but also on the dynamic global political climate,” added Shah. “The issues that we see affecting our business in the near-term include but are not limited to, tariffs, environmental regulations and the winds of political change taking place in countries across the globe. The one constant in each of these areas is that the solutions will require an open mind and nimble organization.”

Developing environmentally friendly products is one area of growth for Toyo Ink America.

“TIA continues to spend time and resources in alternative technologies to enhance our conventional offerings,” Shah said. “These technologies are focused on the increasing demand for products that leave behind smaller environmental footprints while maintaining the performance needs of a growing population.”

Overall, Shah and Toyo Ink America are optimistic about 2019.

“We recognize there are many challenges ahead from the global environment, but our plan continues to build on the previous year’s successes and introducing our newest solutions into the North American market that build value for our customers,” Shah concluded.

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; HUV/UV, LED and EB inks and coatings; HUV/UV, OPV varnishes and strikethrough, conventional and UV waterless offset inks; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives; special function coatings; pigments; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink Group, Tokyo, Japan, is the third largest ink manufacturer with $1.3 billion in sales of printing ink and graphic arts supplies in 2017. Toyo Ink America, LLC, its’ North American subsidiary headquartered in Wood Dale, IL, had a strong year in 2017, particularly in energy curable and flexible packaging inks, reporting $125 million in sales.

“Overall, our low energy products achieved double-digit growth again for 2017,” noted Michael Keegan, VP of sales, Paste Ink Division. “Our new low energy products FD LED and UV FD LT series have performed well and sales have increased. Toyo’s low energy varnishes had double-digit growth and LED gloss coating sales were excellent.”

“Liquid inks for flexible packaging applications also increased steadily, while our digital ink sales saw rapid growth in 2017,” said Masa Nagatsubo, GM, Liquid Ink Division. “Our low VOC liquid inks for pouches had success by providing a more environmentally friendly option for our customers.”

Keegan said he expects further growth in the low energy ink sector.

“Toyo’s low energy product sales continue to rise year after year,” Keegan added. “Our competition gets more intense each day as many other ink companies are entering these markets. Our Komori K-HUV inks are still our largest seller worldwide and more new press installs are scheduled for the coming months. Toyo anticipates that many of our customers will begin the process of adding LED lamps to their presses this year.”

Nagatsubo reported that flexible packaging is another promising market for Toyo Ink America.

“Eco friendly products are one option that we are providing to customers,” Nagatsubo noted. “We also work with film manufactures to provide technical support to develop new products for converters.”

Raw materials are a concern throughout the ink industry. Keegan said that UV raw material prices are increasing monthly, and there are reports of raw material shortages for this year that need to be monitored. Nagatsubo observed that TiO2 prices have been increasing.

“This trend is continuing, which affects our ink cost significantly,” he added. “Also, stricter environmental regulations in China are affecting raw material suppliers’ operations and their cost in China.”

Keegan expects further growth in low energy inks. “Many new low energy press installs are scheduled for the coming months,” he said. “We foresee that ink prices will rise if raw materials prices keep increasing.”

Nagatsubo sees new opportunities for digital and gravure inks on top of the growth the company is enjoying in flexo.

“Toyo also expects much more expansion for digital inks over the next 12 months and we are preparing to keep up with the demand,” Nagatsubo concluded. “We expect more gravure ink sales for flexible packaging in addition to flexo ink sales.”

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; HUV/UV, LED and EB inks and coatings; HUV/UV, OPV varnishes and strikethrough, conventional and UV waterless offset inks; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives; special function coatings; pigments; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America, LLC (TIA) is the North Amerian subsidiary of Toyo Ink Group, Tokyo, Japan, the third largest ink supplier with $1.26 billion (¥152,062 million) in sales of printing ink and graphic arts supplies in 2016.

Toyo Ink America had a solid year in 2016. Hisayuki “Yuki” Abe, Toyo Ink America’s president and CEO, said that 2016 was a year in which Toyo Ink America had extraordinary growth in energy-curable products such as HUV and LED inks and coatings.

“We will continue to boost production capacity in the US to address this increase in demand for these growing products,” Abe reported. “Toyo Ink America is also making advancements in liquid inks for packaging and inkjet inks for various applications. These are areas where we anticipate growth, and are pushing sales of these strategic product lines.

“LED process and coating sales increased far above expectations,” Abe added. “Toyo is anticipating another double-digit increase in all coatings, varnishes and inks. HUV sales continue to rise year after year with a significant increase in Pantone blends and specialty varnishes. EB inks and coatings are another area that is attracting attention to provide alternative ways of printing. In addition, the UV inkjet market has became firm and has had a strong showing in 2016 and early 2017.”

With an eye on the growing LED curing market, Toyo Ink America is investing in new facilities throughout the US.

“We have added more plants in North America manufacturing these new technologies this past year,” said Abe. “Toyo has added new equipment for manufacturing in Texas, New Jersey and Illinois. Many printers are adding these low energy products to their manufacturing, and Toyo is using North American production to achieve order fulfillment.

“Our production has increased each year since the inception of these new energy curable products,” Abe added. “Our customers’ biggest need is product delivery and we have increased our manufacturing production on a yearly basis. Our sales volume is increasing each month and delivering our quality products on time has been our main priority.”

Inkjet is anther area where Toyo Ink America is utilizing the experience of its parent company.

“Digital printing is now needed to print on various substrates in this growing market,” Abe said. “To improve customer satisfaction, we will use Toyo’s resources and invest in necessary facilities.”

Abe noted that Toyo feels its product line will continue to grow with specialty applications.

“Many new types of coatings, varnishes and inks are being developed each month,” Abe said. “Our research and development labs have been working to release more products to the marketplace.”

Overall, Toyo Ink America is optimistic that it will enjoy growth in 2017 and beyond.

“Toyo Ink America expects sales of its energy curable product series, which were brisk in 2016, to continue to grow in 2017,” Abe said. “Liquid ink is also one main growth area for us by providing value-added products and services just as we do in the other regions of the world. Digital printing is another area that Toyo is emphasizing. We are looking to expand the digital print market for future growth. Digital print is expected to experience rapid growth especially in the US and Asia. Toyo is now concentrating on water-based inkjet ink for offset coated paper. We have been working to expand our business into new growth fields, adapting our focus with the times.”

Major Products: Sheetfed inks; UV, LED and EB inks and coatings; conventional and UV waterless offset inks; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives; special function coatings; pigments; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America, the U.S. division of Toyo Ink, the world’s third largest ink manufacturer, had an excellent year in 2015, led by gains in the energy-curable ink market.

Toyo Ink America realized tremendous growth in 2015,” said Hideki “Jeff” Okaichi, chairman and CEO of Toyo Ink America, LLC. “While the business environment in the commercial print market remained challenging, we made steady headway in expanding our energy-curable product lineup such as high sensitivity UV inks and LED inks. We will continue to press forward with production capacity reinforcements in the US to address this increase in demand.”

Okaichi noted that Toyo Ink America is also making headway in packaging and inkjet, adding new inks to its packaging ink portfolio and new manufacturing capabilities in inkjet inks.

“We introduced a new line of high performance inks into the package printing market, an area where we anticipate growth, and are pushing sales of this strategic product line,” Okaichi added. “In 2015, we also started up local production of inkjet inks at our new production base in Carlstadt, NJ. The new facility is expected to cover demand from the booming digital printing market.”

The 70,000 square foot Carlstadt facility was among the highlights for Toyo Ink America in 2015. Toyo Ink America merged operating bases along the US East Coast and opened a new production and sales base in Carlstadt, NJ. The company also consolidated the production of liquid inks in California to its manufacturing facility in Bryan, TX, and implemented improvements to production efficiency. The addition of a new manufacturing subsidiary in Mexico will allow the company to grow in North and Central America.

Okaichi said he sees opportunities for growth in the packaging market.

“The United States is the only country among developed nations with a rising population, so we expect demand in the US package print market to further increase in the future,” he noted. “While we see this as a big opportunity to expand our business, we are also seeing intensifying levels of competition among printing converters and ink manufacturers. As such, improving printing efficiency is a key challenge for our customers.

“Bearing this in mind, we have been focusing on increasing even further the quality level of our products and tech support,” added Okaichi. “Among the improvements we’ve incorporated into the US operations are sustainable practices and cost-saving tactics that have been fostered at our sister subsidiaries in other regions of the world. We intend to take further advantage of such group synergy to help differentiate our products and services from the competition.”

Digital printing is another area that Toyo Ink America is emphasizing.

“We are also looking to the expanding digital print market for future growth,” Okaichi reported. “Digital print is expected to experience rapid growth, especially in the US and Asia. As the conventional commercial printing market continues to shrink, we have been working to expand our business into new growth fields, adapting our focus with the times. Viewing the current business environment as a chance to tap into new business areas, we took steps to invest in an inkjet ink business in the US and establish a local production base. Now we are able to offer speedy development of products and technical support to our customers in North America.”

Toyo Ink America is closely monitoring the current environmental and safety standards, and is preparing for further regulatory additions in the future.

“The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of the United States was enacted in 2011 and will come into full compliance from 2016 or beyond,” Okaichi said. “This act does not specify guidelines on materials used in a package structure. However, in line with the precautionary approach, Toyo Ink America believes that the demand for even greater safety regulation and improvements in the base materials (films, adhesives, inks) used in the packaging structure will increase in the future. Thus, we are constantly monitoring the latest laws, ordinances, regulations and related trends to ensure that the Toyo Ink Group as a whole continues to develop and deliver products that comply with the highest environmental and safety standards.”

Okaichi said that currency fluctuations are an area of interest for Toyo Ink.

“With the end of the Fed’s easy money policy, we have been keeping a watchful eye on currency rate fluctuations in the dollar and yen,” he said. “We realize the importance of taking appropriate measures to mitigate foreign currency risk. In the last several years, Toyo Ink America has been pursuing a ‘local production for local consumption’ strategy, by which we have built a strong, self-sufficient structure here in the US. Thus, we do not rely on Japanese imports as much as we did in the past.”

Okaichi is optimistic that Toyo Ink America will enjoy more growth in 2016 and beyond.

“Toyo Ink America expects sales of its energy curable product series, which were brisk in 2015, to continue to grow in 2016,” he said. “For the packaging and digital print markets, we will push forward with plans to expand sales with the launch of new products.

“drupa will take place this year,” Okaichi added. “There, we expect to see the latest advances in offset press technology for the packaging field that exhibitors have developed and accumulated since the last drupa four years ago. The Toyo Ink Group plans to offer an expanded lineup of electron beam (EB) curable offset products, which is favored over UV print for food packaging due to its lower level of residual stress, and continue to strengthen our focus on the packaging field.”

Major Products: Sheetfed; UV, LED and EB inks & coatings; conventional and UV waterless offset; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; pigments; digital inks; toner; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives and special function coatings; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America, LLC had a good year in 2014, reporting improved sales in commercial and energy curing inks, as well as opening its new East Coast manufacturing plant.

“Toyo Ink America did well in 2014, with major sales and financial improvements versus 2013,” said John Copeland, president and COO for Toyo Ink America, LLC. “There appears to be an increase in commercial printing compared to recent years. There is a lot of improvement in the energy curable printing market for high end printing which helped pushed some excitement back into the printing industry.

“Segments showing the highest growth included our digital ink and pressure sensitive adhesive businesses with high double-digit growth,” Copeland added. “Our offset sheetfed and energy curable business also saw a nice improvement over 2013.”

Toyo Ink America is expanding its manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., building a new East Coast plant for its ink portfolio.

“Our new plant opening in Carlstadt, NJ is one of the highlights for the year,” Copeland said. “This new site houses production for liquid, paste and digital ink manufacturing with 70,000 square feet of space.”

With regulatory concerns taking center stage in a number of markets, most notably food packaging, Copeland reported that Toyo Ink America is seeing more requests from customers for additional compliance information, and also wanting to know when Toyo will supply them with new OSHA/GHS compliant safety data sheets.

“Toyo Ink America is working with Toyo Ink Group in Japan in building a state-of-the-art global chemical and raw material database,” Copeland said. “Toyo Ink America is working to meet the June 2015 deadline for the new safety data sheets.”

Copeland is optimistic about Toyo Ink America’s path going forward.

“Over the next few years, we believe we will see solid growth in all the business segments Toyo Ink America participates in,” Copeland said. “We are very optimistic about the future.”

Major Products: Sheetfed and web offset inks; UV and EB inks; conventional and UV waterless offset; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; digital inks; toner; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives and special function coatings; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America, LLC enjoyed solid growth in 2012, with sales increases coming from a wide range of products, including the commercial sheetfed market.

“Toyo Ink America had a better year in 2012 than 2011,” John Copeland, president and COO of Toyo Ink America, LLC, said. “Sales in several areas did very well, including UV inks, flexographic inks, plastic colorants and pressure sensitive adhesives.

“Major growth areas continue to be energy curable inks and coatings, pressure sensitive adhesives, plastic colorants and our flexographic inks,” Mr. Copeland added.“Although the commercial sheetfed business segment in our industry continues to lose some ground, Toyo’s lithographic ink sales were up in 2012.”

In order to streamline Toyo Ink America’s operations, the company implemented several major changes in its organization.

“In 2013 Toyo Ink America, LLC, welcomes the company’s pigment and pressure sensitive divisions as part of Toyo Ink America, LLC,” Mr. Copeland noted. “These changes will allow us streamline communication and utilize all marketing streams as we focus on our core technologies in the market place.”

While the commercial printing business seems to be softening, Mr. Copeland said Toyo Ink America sees opportunity in the high-end market.

“The good news is that high-end commercial printing continues to bring new energy and creativity to printing,” Mr. Copeland added. “Some of our customers are growing the business in this market with energy curable printed pieces that are amazing. This spurs growth in the commercial print market.”

While raw materials costs and supply issues have stabilized in general, Mr. Copeland added that Toyo Ink is still working on improving its operations to ensure its sourcing.

“We have seen an overall stabilization of raw materials in 2012,” Mr. Copeland noted. “This is good news, and yet I don’t believe Toyo or our industry feels the same type of security in material supplies as we have in the past. We continue to improve our purchasing department’s internal communications and have recently improved communications on a worldwide basis. This helps us with our strategic sourcing supply stream and improves our leverage in regards to raw materials.”

Overall, Mr. Copeland sees opportunities ahead in 2013, but these come with challenges as well.

“We are optimistic that 2013 will be a great year but with many challenges,” Mr. Copeland said. “We have a good team of employees that will help in achieving our targets and goals.”

Major Products: Sheetfed and web offset inks; UV and EB inks; conventional and UV waterless offset; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; digital inks; toner; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives and special function coatings; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America, LLC, had a good year in 2011, enjoying better than expected growth while opening up its new state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Wood Dale, IL.

“Our business in 2011 fared better than 2010,” said John Copeland, division president/COO, printing ink division for Toyo Ink America, LLC. “Despite a sluggish economy, we ended the year with better growth than anticipated, double-digit in energy curable products.”

For Toyo Ink America, energy curing and packaging are areas that offer excellent opportunities, while the commercial sheetfed market remains challenging.

“For Toyo Ink America, the major growth areas were packaging and energy curable solutions,” Mr. Copeland said. “We were particularly strong in solvent- and water-based inks for flexible packaging and sheetfed inks for folding carton.

“Package printing is more stable than the commercial side, which continues to be soft,” Mr. Copeland added. “Demand for energy curable solutions is up, as customers continue to increase efficiency and productivity in the workflow. UV and EB can also help create special effects that differentiate printed products. In a slow economy, customers seek to differentiate themselves by offering unique effects to help draw new business.”

In the summer of 2011, Toyo Ink America relocated its headquarters to a more spacious location in Wood Dale, IL. The new headquarters provides Toyo Ink America with the ability to continue its R&D work as well as its growth throughout the Americas. At the new site, Toyo Ink America produces and develops water- and solvent-based liquid inks, offset and UV inks and coatings, primarily targeting the flexible packaging, folding carton, bag, foil and label printing markets.

“The new facility dramatically boosts our production and technical support capability by affording room for new equipment, an expanded R&D laboratory and an increase in sales and technical staff,” Mr. Copeland said. “As our customer base continues to expand in North and South America, a more spacious and versatile work space was needed in order to better support our customers as well as facilitate our future growth.

“Our goal is to be the leader in product innovation and quality,” Mr. Copeland added. “The relocation to a larger facility is the latest commitment we’ve made in leveraging our manufacturing, development and support expertise to grow our packaging business in the Americas. It provides us with the resources necessary to respond to our increasing customer base in the Americas and the immediate need to bring our growing lineup of customized packaging and commercial print solutions to the global marketplace.”

Also in 2011, Hideki Okaichi was appointed as Toyo Ink America, LLC’s new chairman and CEO. He will soon succeed Mamoru Sasajima as president of Toyo Ink International Corp., the holding company for the U.S. operations of the Toyo Ink Group. Mr. Sasajima will return to Japan this spring to a yet-to-be-disclosed position.

Mr. Copeland noted that Toyo Ink America was active at trade shows, and received good responses from attendees.

“The Toyo Ink Group had good showings at Info Flex and Pack Expo trade shows,”Mr. Copeland added. “We had very good responses from quality visitors and new leads generated at both events. With the merging of Toyo’s liquid and paste ink businesses in 2010, there was tremendous interest in our expanded product lines and in the company in general.”

While the latter part of 2012 saw a general improvement in raw material costs and supply, there remain key ingredients that are volatile.

“Overall, raw materials and supply have stabilized, but we still see sharp price fluctuations and supply shortages in materials such as violet and titanium dioxide pigments, resulting in increased costs and higher finished product prices,” Mr. Copeland said.

Overall, Mr. Copeland anticipates steady growth in 2012.

“Based on recent economic indicators, the U.S. economy looks to improve in 2012,” Mr. Copeland noted. “The growth of the printing industry will mirror that of the general economy. As such, growth within the industry is expected to be slow and steady.”

Major Products: Sheetfed and web offset inks; UV and EB inks; conventional and UV waterless offset; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; digital inks; toner; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives and special function coatings; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America, LLC, had a good year in 2011, enjoying better than expected growth while opening up its new state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Wood Dale, IL.

“Our business in 2011 fared better than 2010,” said John Copeland, division president/COO, printing ink division for Toyo Ink America, LLC. “Despite a sluggish economy, we ended the year with better growth than anticipated, double-digit in energy curable products.”

For Toyo Ink America, energy curing and packaging are areas that offer excellent opportunities, while the commercial sheetfed market remains challenging.

“For Toyo Ink America, the major growth areas were packaging and energy curable solutions,” Mr. Copeland said. “We were particularly strong in solvent- and water-based inks for flexible packaging and sheetfed inks for folding carton.

“Package printing is more stable than the commercial side, which continues to be soft,” Mr. Copeland added. “Demand for energy curable solutions is up, as customers continue to increase efficiency and productivity in the workflow. UV and EB can also help create special effects that differentiate printed products. In a slow economy, customers seek to differentiate themselves by offering unique effects to help draw new business.”

In the summer of 2011, Toyo Ink America relocated its headquarters to a more spacious location in Wood Dale, IL. The new headquarters provides Toyo Ink America with the ability to continue its R&D work as well as its growth throughout the Americas. At the new site, Toyo Ink America produces and develops water- and solvent-based liquid inks, offset and UV inks and coatings, primarily targeting the flexible packaging, folding carton, bag, foil and label printing markets.

“The new facility dramatically boosts our production and technical support capability by affording room for new equipment, an expanded R&D laboratory and an increase in sales and technical staff,” Mr. Copeland said. “As our customer base continues to expand in North and South America, a more spacious and versatile work space was needed in order to better support our customers as well as facilitate our future growth.

“Our goal is to be the leader in product innovation and quality,” Mr. Copeland added. “The relocation to a larger facility is the latest commitment we’ve made in leveraging our manufacturing, development and support expertise to grow our packaging business in the Americas. It provides us with the resources necessary to respond to our increasing customer base in the Americas and the immediate need to bring our growing lineup of customized packaging and commercial print solutions to the global marketplace.”

Also in 2011, Hideki Okaichi was appointed as Toyo Ink America, LLC’s new chairman and CEO. He will soon succeed Mamoru Sasajima as president of Toyo Ink International Corp., the holding company for the U.S. operations of the Toyo Ink Group. Mr. Sasajima will return to Japan this spring to a yet-to-be-disclosed position.

Mr. Copeland noted that Toyo Ink America was active at trade shows, and received good responses from attendees.

“The Toyo Ink Group had good showings at Info Flex and Pack Expo trade shows,”Mr. Copeland added. “We had very good responses from quality visitors and new leads generated at both events. With the merging of Toyo’s liquid and paste ink businesses in 2010, there was tremendous interest in our expanded product lines and in the company in general.”

While the latter part of 2012 saw a general improvement in raw material costs and supply, there remain key ingredients that are volatile.

“Overall, raw materials and supply have stabilized, but we still see sharp price fluctuations and supply shortages in materials such as violet and titanium dioxide pigments, resulting in increased costs and higher finished product prices,” Mr. Copeland said.

Overall, Mr. Copeland anticipates steady growth in 2012.

“Based on recent economic indicators, the U.S. economy looks to improve in 2012,” Mr. Copeland noted. “The growth of the printing industry will mirror that of the general economy. As such, growth within the industry is expected to be slow and steady.”

Major Products: Sheetfed and web offset inks; UV and EB inks; conventional and UV waterless offset; solvent- and water-based gravure inks; solvent- and water-based flexo inks; digital inks; toner; inkjet inks; pressure sensitive adhesives and special function coatings; and plastic colorants.

Comments: Toyo Ink America enjoyed a strong year in 2010, as the printing ink market stabilized and the company added new capabilities in the packaging market with the acquisition of Fluid Ink Technology.

“For Toyo Ink, 2010 was a better year than anticipated,” said John Copeland, division president, printing ink division for Toyo Ink America. “The ink market was steady for the most part. Ink sales were up over 2009, in particular for UV inks for plastic and paper substrates. In North America, demand for gravure inks for construction materials started to recover and sales of flexographic inks expanded.

“We saw some improvement last year in line with a slow rebound in the economy,” Mr. Copeland added. “There was a significant improvement from 2009 to 2010 in the consistency of ink orders. There was also strong interest for Toyo products that offer outstanding performance or unique features to differentiate printers or converters in the marketplace, such as special effect and high-sheen metallic inks.”

An important move was the acquisition of Fluid Ink Technology, a Moorland, CA-based manufacturer of flexographic, gravure and UV ink products for the flexible packaging, paper packaging and label printing markets.

“The coupling of Fluid Ink’s technology, service and sales expertise with Toyo’s existing packaging capabilities enables us to deliver a comprehensive lineup of unique solutions and customized products to our customers,” Mr. Copeland said. “The two divisions, paste and liquid inks, were also officially merged in November. The realignment enables better consolidation of our product offerings, while promoting a more coordinated market approach.”

Raw material costs and supply issues are a major concern for ink manufacturers, with practically every ingredient impacted. Mr. Copeland noted that there is a serious concern over the supply of certain pigments, and added that communication with suppliers is critical.

“Availability issues for certain pigments used in our UV inks and oligomers persist,” Mr. Copeland said. “As a result, we must plan our raw materials purchases well in advance. Constant communication with vendors is necessary to secure supply of key raw materials. We find it difficult to pass on prices to the customer as we are well aware of the tremendous challenges they face.”

In addition to its strength in sheetfed and packaging, UV, metallic and special effect inks have proved to be good markets for Toyo Ink America.

“We’ve had good success with UV inks for plastic and paper stocks, and we expect this trend to continue in 2011,” Mr. Çopeland said. “Demand for special effect and metallic inks and the specialty printing techniques required by printers remained strong. We’ve also expanded our foothold in growth areas such as packaging inks for folding carton and specialty products, such as metallic and special effect inks for paper, plastic or synthetic substrates, plastic boxes and containers.”

Mr. Copeland believes that Toyo Ink America is well positioned for growth in 2011 and beyond.

“Our outlook for 2011 is positive,” Mr. Copeland said. “We have positioned ourselves to better support our customers’ needs with a broader and more comprehensive lineup of products and services, which in turn enhances our ability to capture a bigger share of the North America packaging and commercial printing market. Toyo Ink America is gearing up to grow as we take advantage of synergies due to sales, service delivery and manufacturing efficiencies while continuously turning out high tech, high-value-added products and services.

“Through acquisitions and structural reforms, we’ve been able to improve efficiency and invest in equipment and other resources necessary to build a solid platform for future growth,” Mr. Copeland concluded. “Toyo Ink America has come out of 2010 a much stronger company.”