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490 Wheeler Road suite 175, Hauppauge, NY 11788, USA
Digital Workplace Business and the Professional Printer Business.
490 Wheeler Road, Suite 175 Hauppauge, NY 11788 Tel: (631) 715-7000 Fax: (631) 715-7020 www.vansonink.com
Sales: $55 million (Ink World estimate).
Major Products: Conventional sheetfed offset, UV/LED energy curable ink, powder-free conventional offset ink, web ink, flexographic, and specialty inks.
Key Personnel: John Sammis, president; John Bendowski, VP.
Number of Employees: 100.
Operating Facilities: Headquarters in Hauppauge, NY, a central distribution and mixing center in Chicago and blending facilities in Miami, FL, and Los Angeles, CA.
Comments: Van Son Holland Ink, Hauppauge, NY, is a subsidiary of T&K Toka, the world’s seventh-largest ink manufacturer with $451 million in sales in 2019. The combination of T&K Toka, a UV sheetfed ink specialist, and Van Son, also a commercial sheetfed ink leader, provides T&K Toka with manufacturing capabilities in North America as well as Europe.
During 2019, T&K Toka also established T&K TOKA U.S.A., Inc., a management company that conducts the Toka Group’s business and strategy in the US. T&K TOKA U.S.A., Inc. is located at 1701 Woodfield Rd., Suite 220, Schaumburg, IL, and will be led by its president, Hiroshi Harry Morita.
888 Veterans Highway, Suite 440
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: (631) 715-7000
Fax: (631) 715-7026
www.vansonink.com
Sales: $60 million (Ink World estimate).
Major Products: Conventional offset, waterless offset, UV curable, heatset web, duplicator and wide format inkjet inks.
Key Personnel: John Sammis, president.
Number of Employees: 100 (Ink World estimate).
Comments: In December 2017, T&K Toka, Tokyo, Japan, the world’s seventh-largest ink manufacturer, acquired Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, Hilversum, The Netherlands. The acquisition included Royal Dutch Van Son’s North American subsidiary, Van Son Holland Ink.
Van Son Holland Ink’s core market is commercial sheetfed, which fits with T&K Toka’s expertise and focus on UV inks. The acquisition also provides T&K Toka with manufacturing capabilities in North America as well as Europe.
Key Personnel: John Sammis, president; John Bendowski, VP; James Thoele, managing director technical services..
Comments: In major news, Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, Hilversum, The Netherlands, was acquired by T&K Toka, Tokyo, Japan. The acquisition, which was announced in December 2017, includes Van Son Holland Ink, Royal Dutch Van Son’s North American subsidiary. The seventh-largest ink manufacturer in the world, T&K Toka reported sales of $430 million in 2017.
Van Son Holland Ink is primarily focused on the commercial sheetfed market. It has its headquarters in Islandia, NY, with branches in Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. This fits well with T&K Toka, a UV specialist that will now expand its manufacturing footprint into North America.
A family-owned company Van Son has manufactured high-quality sheetfed offset inks for 145 years. With this purchase, T&K TOKA substantially enhances its production and distribution capacity outside of Asia.
“Van Son is one of the leading ink manufacturers in Europe. Especially its conventional 4-color sheetfed ink program is a welcome addition to our portfolio,” Ryuichi Kurimoto, managing director of Sales Department at T&K TOKA, said at the time of the acquisition. “Further, the acquisition will raise our profile as a full-scale ink solution provider to the printing markets, especially in Europe and the USA.”
Key Personnel: Joe Bendowski, CEO; John Sammis, president; John Bendowski, vice president; Ed Friesendorf, national lab and product manager. James Thoele, managing director technical service.
Comments: The North American subsidiary of Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, Van Son Holland Ink is headquartered in Islandia, NY, and has operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. The Van Son group enjoyed a good year globally. The company was warmly received at drupa 2016. Its top line products – Supreme, The Ultimate and PrimeBIO – were successful in the market and expected to drive sales.
On the packaging side, Van Son is bringing its PrimeBIO technology to low migration inks. Based on the varnish and resin technology used in the vegetable oil-based PrimeBIO process series, Van Son R&D developed PrimePACK, a low migration ink with the same excellent printing characteristics as PrimeBIO. This new low migration ink is ISEGA-certified.
Comments: The North American subsidiary of Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, Van Son Holland Ink is headquartered in Islandia, NY, and has operations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. The Van Son group enjoyed a good year globally as key markets recovered and new products were introduced.
Van Son Holland Ink is evolving along with its customers by adding more digital ink capabilities to its highly regarded portfolio of sheetfed inks. The company continues to make inroads into the digital printing market, launching its Premium line of wide format inks at Ipex in 2014.
Key Personnel: Joe Bendowski, CEO; John Sammis, president; John Bendowski, vice president; Ed Friesendorf, national lab and product manager.
Comments: Van Son Holland Ink, the North American subsidiary of Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, is continuing to adapt to the changing printing market, adding new digital ink capabilities as well as sheetfed inks.
In 2014, the company introduced its Premium line of wide format inks, and made digital ink technology a key focus of its booth at Ipex. The company’s wide format inks serve a variety of digital printers, including Mimaki, Roland, Mutoh, Epson and HP. Van Son has developed LED, UV curable, and Eco-solvent-based grand format inks for printers such as VUTEk, Durst, Agfa and HP.
16 Van Son Holland Ink
Sales: $60 million.
Comments: The changing nature of the commercial sheetfed market has impacted printing globally. Van Son Holland Ink, the North American subsidiary of Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, has adapted to these changes, developing new sheetfed products while adding inkjet capabilities.
“Van Son was pleased with its results in 2013,” said Joseph Bendowski, CEO of Van Son Holland Ink Corporation of America. “In spite of continuing attrition and consolidation in the offset print side of the business, we were able to show year over year growth.
Our increase in business was primarily on the commercial sheetfed side of the business, as we continue to experience a shrinking small press market. In addition to large commercial growth, we experienced continued increase in our wide and grand format inkjet division in both the graphics and sign markets.”
Van Son has been a fixture at the drupa trade show every four years, and Bendowski noted that the 2012 show continues to pay dividends in terms of sales.
“One of the highlights of 2013 was the enthusiastic response to our presence at drupa,” Bendowski said. “Unlike most recent trade shows, we saw an increased attendance of interested and qualified buyers of both consumables and hardware. As a result, our attendance sparked an increase in activity in both domestic and global print markets.”
One of the ways that Van Son Holland Ink adapted to the changes in the commercial sheetfed market was developing a presence in digital inks. The company continues to expand its efforts in this market by adding new products in the wide and grand format segments.
At Print 13, Van Son Holland Ink launched its new product line of LED, UV curable, and Eco solvent-based grand format inks for a wide range of digital printers, including VUTEk, Durst, Agfa and HP.
The company also showcased its wide format line, which serves a wide range of digital printers such as Mimaki, Roland, Mutoh, Epson and HP.
Also during 2013, Van Son Holland Ink added Eco Plus, a green line of wide format inkjet inks for Roland and Mimaki printers, and designed to print on a variety of media, including PVC, standard uncoated stock, flex and vinyl.
Van Son is also actively developing new products for commercial printers. In 2013, Van Son introduced its Supreme Sheetfed Process Series, which offers fast setting time, excellent rub resistance, extraordinary press stability and radiant colors.
While raw material costs and supply remained fairly stable during the past year, Bendowski still is concerned over the possibility of higher costs.
“The raw materials situation seems to have stabilized in availability,” Bendowski noted. “Our concern going forward is whether the costs will stay under control.”
Bendowski said he is optimistic about this year, as he expects economic expansion to drive growth in printing.
“We continue to be guardedly optimistic for 2014 as we expect the U.S. economy to improve, and along with it the need for print,” Bendowski concluded.
Comments: The commercial sheetfed market has changed over the past decade, with smaller offset printers declining in number. For Van Son Holland Ink, the North American subsidiary of Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, changing along with their customers has been essential to its success.
“Van Son continues to experience growth in the commercial sheetfed side of the business,” said Joseph Bendowski, CEO of Van Son Holland Ink Corporation of America. “Through this growth, we have been able to replace the continuing declineof our original small offset market. Also adding to increased revenues during 2012 was the success of our recently launched wide format inkjet series.”
Royal Dutch Van Son just celebrated its 140th anniversary, and it remains owned by the same family who started it.
“The most significant highlight of 2012 was the celebration of our 140th year in business,” Mr. Bendowski noted. “Since our founding in 1872, we have been operating under the same family ownership, and look forward to continuing this story into future generations.”
Outside of the sheetfed market, Van Son Holland Ink has seen growth in a number of markets.
“In addition to our success in commercial sheet-fed, we are anticipating continued growth in several areas,” Mr. Bendowski said. “These include UV curable inks, inks for wide format, heatset web and custom blends. The ongoing addition of local ink mixing stations has had a significant impact on the growth of our custom mixed offerings.”
Even with its own growth, Mr, Bendowski said that the printing industry is clearly changing.
“The printing industry continues to struggle along with the general economy,” Mr. Bendowski said. “Traditional ink on paper printers are continually impacted by closures, smaller run lengths, consolidations and digital technologies. Those that have embraced the digital revolution have been able to marry traditional offset with digital to product the most desirable and economical options for their customers. Of course, this transition has had some negative impact on printing ink manufacturers.”
While raw material costs and supply have stabilized somewhat during the past year, Mr. Bendowski said these remain a concern for ink manufacturers.
“There has been some temporary stabilization within the raw materials side of our business in both pricing and availability,” he added. “However, these issues still represent a challenge to ink manufacturers as this stability is always uncertain.”
While Mr. Bendowski is optimistic heading into the future, concerns about the economy remain an issue for printers and ink manufacturers alike.
“We expect 2013 to show slow but steady growth in the same segments that performed well during 2012,” Mr. Bendowski concluded. “Until there is a major sign of improvement in our sluggish national economy, I think printing companies and ink companies alike will continue to face the uncertain patterns that we have seen in recent years.
15 Van Son Holland Ink
Major Products: Conventional offset, waterless offset, duplicator and inkjet inks.
Key Personnel: Joe Bendowski, CEO; John Sammis, president; John Bendowski, vice president; Ken Ferguson, technical director.
Operating Facilities: Headquarters and manufacturing in Islandia, NY, a central distribution center in Chicago and blending facilities in Miami, FL, and Los Angeles, CA.
Comments: A subsidiary of The Netherlands-based Royal Dutch Printing Ink Factories Van Son, Van Son Holland Ink’s core market is commercial sheetfed ink. The company utilizes a strong distribution network, and has recently made a move into Latin America through its new Miami, FL blending facility.
The Vs series of sheetfed inks has become one of Van Son Holland Ink’s main products, and the company continues to offer new variations of the ink. In 2011, Van Son introduced its Vs10 series packaging ink for the folding carton market.
Van Son has also been developing inkjet inks in recent years, and in 2011, the company launched its new line of Premium Wide Format Ink jet inks for Epson, Mimaki, Mutoh and Roland printers.
In personnel news, Van Son Holland Ink announced the promotion of James Thoele to managing director, technical services.
Sales: $65 million.
Major Products: Conventional offset, waterless offset and duplicator inks.
Comments: The commercial sheetfed printing market has been heavily impacted in recent years, and sheetfed ink suppliers have been challenged to redefine their approach. Van Son Holland Ink realized many years ago that its core market, the smaller offset printer, was shrinking, and the company aggressively moved toward the medium-sized printers.
It has proved to be a good decision. With its Vs ink and a new distribution model that focused on brining in regional ink manufactures and graphic arts distributors to sell and service its inks, Van Son has been able to succeed in this ever-changing market.
For us, 2010 was not so bad,” said Joe Bendowski, Van Son Holland Ink’s CEO. “We saw some growth, which is important in these times.
“We are still moving up market,” Mr. Bendowski added. “Years ago, our entire company was focused on the small offset market, and even years after we have moved our focus to the medium-sized commercial printers, we are still finding opportunities in the mid-sized printers. We still use the Vs distribution model, as we are working with eight ink companies who distribute our inks and service our customers, and we have graphic arts distributors working with us as well.”
Van Son Holland Ink continues to develop new Vs inks. “The Vs series is our flagship line, and we have added Vs9 UV sheetfed inks as well as Vs1 XS, our extra strength inks,” Mr. Bendowski said.
Unlike most ink manufacturers, Van Son Holland Ink was adding facilities. The company opened new blending operations in Miami, FL, and Los Angeles, CA, in order to better serve customers in those regions.
“We opened new mixing facilities in Miami and Los Angeles, and we have other target cities on our radar,” Mr. Bendowski said. “You need to be close to the commercial printers. This allows us to service our customers in these regions better, such as providing spot colors in a timely manner.”
The company also announced two key promotions: John Sammis, formerly vice president, sales and marketing, was named president. John Bendowski, who previously was national sales manager, was promoted to vice president.
“They both have come through the ranks and have driven our success in our commercial business,” Mr. Bendowski noted. “They both have solid reputations among our distribution partners as well as our commercial customers.”
Mr. Bendowski said that raw material supply and pricing is a major concern.
“Raw materials are a serious issue,” Mr. Bendowski said. “We have issued price increases and continue to search the world for raw materials. I’m happy that most ink companies are being responsible enough to pass the higher raw material prices along because the ink industry can’t survive if we don’t.”
All in all, Mr. Bendowski is optimistic about 2011.
“I tend to be a positive person,” Mr. Bendowski said. “I have a good feeling. Our momentum is continuing and I see an uptick in the industry. We are seeing more activity at our customers, and they are adding shifts and uncovering presses.”
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