Schattdecor wants to position itself as a free impregnator with new worldwide impregnation locations such as here in Brazil. Photo: Schattdecor

panded. In the USA, the finish foil producer US Coating was taken over. ­­ Another important focus market is China, where the second printing facility in Quzhou went into opera- tion in May 2019. The construction of the plant is Schattdecor’s­ re- sponse to the capacity bottlenecks at the plant. The second location offers space for ten narrow 4-foot and six wide 8-foot printing machines on a production and of- fice area of 25,000 sqm. At pre- sent, however, only two 4-foot wide presses have been installed, and two more are scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2019. In addition to the two printing sites, Surface specialists are the Thansau-based company also has an impregnation plant in Huang- gang and, as part of the Kingdecor repositioning themselves joint venture, operates a decor pa- per production facility, which is also located in Quzhou. The European suppliers of surface materials are repositioning themselves. In recent months, various companies in the industry have changed hands. Investment in digital printing Clear signs were also set in sales, where investments were made in new Schattdecor also wants to grow in digital printing. After Interprint product segments and in strengthening the company’s presence in global () recently announced its growth markets. investment in a second digital print- ing system from printing press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer (Ger- The Japanese surface specialist (Germany) concentrates on its core reason, the company has not only many), Schattdecor also plans to Toppan Printing plans to strengthen competences. In July, the company greatly expanded its European im- purchase a second digital printing its position on the German market announced the sale of its US im- pregnation capacities, but has also system. Like the first “Palis 2250” with the purchase of the decor pregnation site in East Longmead- invested in new locations abroad. system installed in 2016, this will printer Interprint (Germany). The ow. The new owner is the US chem- Among other things, the Malaysian produce industrially at a speed of takeover of Interprint is currently ical group Arclin. Surteco originally impregnator Vasatech was ac- up to 162 metres per minute with a under review by the antitrust au- had two impregnation sites in quired. At the same time, the inter- width of 2.25 metres. Interprint thorities, so the purchase is not ex- North America. In 2015, the plant in national decor printing and finish commissioned its first digital print- pected to be completed until the Biscoe/USA had already been sold foil activities are being further ex- ing system with a width of 1.68 me- end of the year. The German decor to the engineered wood manufac- printer is not the first Japanese turer Arauco North America and ac- company acquisition in Europe. In tivities concentrated at the East 2017, they had already acquired the Longmeadow site. decor printer Decotec Printing () and thus their first printing Prospects seen in China location in Europe. With Interprint, Schattdecor (Germany) is not only they now receive a much larger the world market leader in decor slice of the cake, as the company printing but also wants to position achieved sales of around EUR 355 itself as a free impregnator on the million in 2018. In addition to the surface market worldwide. For this production site in Germany, Inter- print has printing sites and finish Lamigraf (here: printing site foil production facilities in , in Curitiba) and the BMK Group the USA, Brazil, Malaysia and see competitive advantages China. in the cooperation. The surface specialist Surteco Photo: Lamigraf 18 material+technik möbel – special 01|19 Quality Inside Advertisement

American continent in 2018 with the takeover of the two specialty paper producers Expera (Kaukau- na/USA) and Caieiras (Caieiras/ Brazil). With the capacity expansions, the surface specialists are reacting not least to the growing concen- tration on the customer side. In re- cent months, a new global player has emerged on the laminate mar- ket, Broadview Holding (part of HAL Investments). It completed the acquisition of the Formica Group in the summer of this year. With the acquisition of Formica, the holding now also includes the laminate manufacturer Homapal Toppan Printing from Japan is called Guangdong Renolit Citiking (Germany). As early as 2018, the the new owner of the decor with its Chinese trading partner holding company acquired a ma- printer Interprint in Arnsberg. Citiking and the previous owner jority stake in the wood-based Photo: Interprint Dongtang. With 60 employees products producer Westag & and three printing and embossing Getalit (Germany). Previously, the tres in 2014. But digital printing is machines, 2D and 3D foils in high holding included the laminate also increasingly making its way gloss and supermatt are pro- ­producers Trespa International into the wood-based products in- duced, which extend the portfolio (Netherlands) and Arpa Industries dustry: Swiss Krono (Switzerland) of the already existing location in (). is also investing in its second digi- Guangdong. Change of ownership also for lam- tal printing system from Koenig & inate supplier Decolan (Switzer- Bauer, which is to be installed in Decor paper producers land): The distributor was taken Heiligengrabe, Germany. invest overseas over by the Indian laminate manu- The independent impregnators After the suppliers of decor paper facturer Greenlam and now oper- and smaller decor printers, on the had already concentrated in re- ates on the market under the other hand, intend to strengthen cent years, the focus is now on ex- name Greenlam Decolan S.A. their competitive position through panding worldwide decor paper The laminate manufacturer cooperation agreements. By co- capacities, particularly in China. ­Dekodur (Germany), which filed operating with the BMK Group The Felix-Schoeller Group (Germa- for insolvency at the end of 2018, (Germany), which has impregna- ny) was able to strengthen its po- can continue to operate with the tion facilities in Germany, the USA sition in the Chinese market by ac- help of a private investor and a and Russia, the decor printer quiring a majority interest in the holding company. At the newly Lamigraf (Spain) intends to offer decor paper producer Grandrich. founded DI-Dekodur International, customers more surface solutions The takeover took place via all ­65 employees have been given and expand their range of services ­Winbon Schoeller New Materials, a new job. Richard Barth in future. the Chinese joint venture of the The suppliers of thermoplastic fur- German paper producer. As anoth- niture films see growth potential er major player in decor papers, Schattdecor has opened its in the Asian markets. Renolit (Ger- Ahlstrom-Munksjö had already ex- second printing facility in many) has founded a joint venture panded its market position on the China. Photo: Schattdecor