In a move that entrenches them more firmly in their new focus on the packaging industry, Kodak has expanded its range of solutions for this industry by acquiring certain assets of NuPro Technologies Inc., a company that specializes in plate processing chemistries and solvent recovery equipment/systems for flexographic printing. These products complement those offered by Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group like computer-to-plate products, printing plates, workflow solutions, screening technologies, film and proofing solutions for the packaging industry including their award-winning FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System. The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
NuPro is a family-owned business that has an excellent reputation for high-quality products and responsiveness to customer needs. It won the U.S. Environment protection Agency’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award in 2006 in the small business category for its development of an environmentally safe solvent and solvent recovery system for the flexographic printing industry. Their latest innovation with low-odour flexo plate processing chemistries is the development of formulae that produce lower emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to improve worker safety and reduce regulatory reporting requirements. Their Cold Reclamation System (CRS) also provides an effective alternative to vacuum distillation for solvent recycling. Traditionally, the hazards and costs of in-house solvent distillation are high and tend to restrict it’s use except by larger flexo platemaking trade shops; smaller shops typically depend on third-party services. CRS technology has made the operation much cheaper viable even for small shops.
David Bradford, the founder and president of NuPro, who has joined Kodak’s Packaging Products Group management team, welcomed the move saying, “The products and solutions we have developed over the years help flexo printers improve their business and reduce their environmental impact. Kodak’s broad portfolio of solutions for packaging is a perfect fit for NuPro’s products and existing customers of both companies will benefit from this powerful combination. Together, we will ensure that innovation and sustainability are key attributes.” According to John Cross, General Manager – Packaging Products, Prepress Solutions at Kodak GCG, “We are delighted to have David and the NuPro product family join Kodak. The company brings a history of innovation that aligns so well with the philosophy at Kodak, where we strive to make new products and solutions that enable our customers to do their work better, faster and at a lower cost.”
