07.19.05
Nipson name revived after Xeikon digital shake out
The acquisition of Xeikon’s digital color systems division by Punch International temporary left Xeikon’s black-and-white digital operations in limbo. Punch was not interested in the magnetographic-based printer technology, originally developed by Nipson in France in the 1980s. Products included fast reel-fed printers and operating systems for specialized producers of fixed or variable data documents, electronic data labels, direct mailers and other on-demand applications.
Xeikon had acquired the Nipson group a few years ago when it was riding high and solvent. Now, in one of those twists of fate that frequently inform corporate affairs, the original name is being revived with the formation of Nipson Digital Printing Systems by Nipson SAS. Not only that: It has has acquired the activities and intellectual property of Xeikon France, including 268 of its current employees. Xeikon France has operated under creditor protection pursuant to applicable French legislation since November 2001. The French court has also accepted Nipson Digital Printing Systems’ offer to acquire all of the shares of Xeikon Deutschland GmbH.
The company will assume the sales and service functions of Xeikon’s black-and-white operations in the USA and the UK. It intends soon to market and distribute its products worldwide under the Nipson brand. The general manager of Nipson SAS is Marc Blanpain, who formally held a similar position with Xeikon Japan. Prior to that he was chief financial officer of Xeikon NV in Belgium. Nipson Digital Printing Systems is owned by Koonras Digital Printing Systems Ltd, a holding company with interests in more than 25 companies in various technology fields. For the past 10 years it has been a major distributor for Xeikon France.
The acquisition of Xeikon’s digital color systems division by Punch International temporary left Xeikon’s black-and-white digital operations in limbo. Punch was not interested in the magnetographic-based printer technology, originally developed by Nipson in France in the 1980s. Products included fast reel-fed printers and operating systems for specialized producers of fixed or variable data documents, electronic data labels, direct mailers and other on-demand applications.
Xeikon had acquired the Nipson group a few years ago when it was riding high and solvent. Now, in one of those twists of fate that frequently inform corporate affairs, the original name is being revived with the formation of Nipson Digital Printing Systems by Nipson SAS. Not only that: It has has acquired the activities and intellectual property of Xeikon France, including 268 of its current employees. Xeikon France has operated under creditor protection pursuant to applicable French legislation since November 2001. The French court has also accepted Nipson Digital Printing Systems’ offer to acquire all of the shares of Xeikon Deutschland GmbH.
The company will assume the sales and service functions of Xeikon’s black-and-white operations in the USA and the UK. It intends soon to market and distribute its products worldwide under the Nipson brand. The general manager of Nipson SAS is Marc Blanpain, who formally held a similar position with Xeikon Japan. Prior to that he was chief financial officer of Xeikon NV in Belgium. Nipson Digital Printing Systems is owned by Koonras Digital Printing Systems Ltd, a holding company with interests in more than 25 companies in various technology fields. For the past 10 years it has been a major distributor for Xeikon France.