IM Group's Inkmaker starts joint venture with Longtec in China

Inkmaker Shanghai, the Chinese subsidiary of the recently rebranded IM GROUP (formerly Inkmaker Group), announced they have formed a joint-venture company in China called "Inkmaker Intelligent Systems (Shanghai) Ltd. Co” with Zhuhai Longtec Corp Ltd, better known as Longtec.

The new JV partnership, announced this week to coincide with the auspicious mid-autumn festival, is aimed specifically at the paint and coating, ink and chemical manufacturing industry in China and will focus on formulation related applications; dispensing, dosing, MES (Manufacturing Execution System), weighing, tinting and filling.

Inkmaker Shanghai Ltd Co — which was established in 2004 by Inkmaker Srl (Italy) and Inkmaker Asia Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) — is an already recognised manufacturer of integrated and automated dispensing systems for the above-mentioned fields, in China.

"Inkmaker Shanghai will continue, as before, retaining its existing clients directly and agent network in various market segments of China, yet in addition, this JV offers both companies a turbo boost,” explained Lau Kar Seng, GM of Inkmaker Shanghai and board member of IM GROUP, "Our objective, for forming a JV company, was to significantly increase our market reach and presence by getting closer to China-based clients and to offer a combined strength through various approaches; (i) by customising clients’ technical requirements; (ii) by offering project management support; (iii) by innovating products to fit all ranges of ROI (iv) by offering higher value (not price) products; and finally (v) by offering our reliable after sales support.”

"Inkmaker, which is essentially the founding member of IM GROUP, is the only European dispensing-system manufacturer to have an assembly plant in China. This alone has gained them significant inroads into the Chinese market, where they are now recognised as a trusted leader, within their industries. Their reputation and quality, backed by their products and renowned software, precedes them, and for us it is an honour to JV with them,” said He Xiao Dong, owner of Longtec, "with Longtec’s involvement — through our network and capacity to provide intelligent factory solutions within our industries — we are perfectly matched to complement each other’s products and services.”

Established in 2004 and listed on the Shenzhen New Third Board, Zhuhai Longtec Corp. Ltd is committed to the research and development of embedded intelligent control and process measurement products in instrument devices, Human-Interface devices, Software and Automated Process Equipment in various industrial fields.

"On behalf of the board, we are very pleased with this new synergy between Longtec and our subsidiary in China, Inkmaker Shanghai. Until now both companies have shared customers in common, being involved at different stages and processes. Now, with the formation of Inkmaker Intelligent System (China) Ltd Co. both will be able to combine their sales force and product resources to penetrate the China market, even further. We, at IM GROUP, are convinced that the biggest winners of this investment will be our clients,” concluded Roberto Guerra, CEO Asia Pacific, IM GROUP.