Agfa Offset Solutions preps for independence, focus on customer value

In August, Agfa announced that it was selling the division – its biggest business unit – to Aurelius Group in a Euros 92-m. 

Offset Solutions held a value conference event earlier this week in Brussels targeting packaging customers that use the offset printing process. Frederik Dehing, vice-president of sales and service, said the firm was confident about the future as a standalone. He said that it would ultimately involve “positive change” for both customers and the business. He also confirmed that a new name was in the works. 

“The brand name will no longer be Agfa, the name will change. We are currently preparing the new name,” he stated. 

Following the recent news that Fujifilm plans to cease plate manufacturing at its Tilburg factory, Dehing also took the opportunity to reiterate Offset Solutions’ commitment to European plate production. 

The business has three plate manufacturing plants: Wiesbaden in Germany, Suzano in Brazil, and Wuxi in China, and sells around 95-m sqm of plates worldwide. The company claims a market-leading position in Europe and Latin America. 

“Offset will remain the dominant process for the next five-to-ten years. Offset packaging is growing strongly and is the focus of significant R&D spend,” Dehing stated. 

The sale to Aurelius is expected to complete in Q1 2023. Agfa Offset Solutions has an agreement to keep using the Agfa name for a year, should it need to. Product names will not change. 

(Courtesy PrintWeek.com)