Roland DG has bought a 50.1% stake in UAB Dimense print, a subsidiary of UAB Veika, a Lithuania-headquartered manufacturer and vendor of wallpaper-related products. Through acquisition of UAB Dimense print shares, Roland DG will gain access to the combined ink and wallpaper related technological capabilities of the company and its parent.
In its midterm business plan (FY2021-23) Roland DG has stated it aims to transform into a lean and nimble organisation and transitioning the business portfolio. This includes examination of growth investments through M&A to establish new core businesses. The Japanese wide-format inkjet printer developer believes that while digitalisation of wallpaper printing has not yet fully penetrated the market, growing demand for personalisation and market expansion present an opportunity for it to make its official entry into the market via the UAB Dimense deal. Roland DG sees the Dimense embossing technology as having great potential as it can bring texture and dimension to various printed applications, such as gypsum molds.
Roland DG now aims to strengthen its presence in the wallpaper market through the development, sales, and support of Dimense and Ecodeco, both proprietary technologies of UAB Dimense print. Leveraging UAB Veika’s technical capabilities and combining them with Roland DG’s manufacturing expertise and global-scale sales network, the latter aims to drive the development and sales of unique and high-value-added new digital printing solutions, with the goal to further expand the market by capitalizing on these strengths.
Veika is a family business founded in 1991 in Vilnius, Lithuania by Jakov Etin and it is well known as a producer of materials for the wallpaper industry. It has a number of laboratories dedicated to innovation in inks, polymers and coatings. Since 2012, its focus has shifted to digital printing, and production began on solvent inkjet printers and PVC wallpaper. Now, with an eye on protecting the environment, the company has gone PVC free, inventing and patenting Ecodeco, a plasticizer-free base for traditional hot embossed wallpaper production. The company’s digital solutions also include the Dimense wide-format inkjet printer, environmentally-friendly inks and substrate.
Kohei Tanabe, Roland DG president and representative director, said: “I still vividly remember the day I first saw Dimense’s wallpaper solution in 2019. Today’s announcement marks a momentous fusion of our mission, ‘bringing new opportunities to society through digital technology’, and our purpose, ‘to empower creativity and excitement worldwide’ with Dimense’s unique and innovative digital embossing printing solution. Throughout the negotiations, I have felt the desire to join forces with them and inspire excitement worldwide. Roland DG has consistently grown through digitalisation and market creation. Now, I am honored to move forward together, fostering the market for embossing, including wallpapers, through the acquisition of UAB Dimense print shares.”
Aleksey Etin, UAB Veika CEO, added: “Veika and Roland DG have been business partners since 2015. I believe that this joint adventure with Roland DG will be a great opportunity to benefit from the best that the two companies have – Roland DG’s expertise in printer development and distribution capabilities around the world and Veika’s know-how in inks and media development. This partnership will allow us to speed up the progress of Dimense and Ecodeco technologies, as well as take them to a new level. It is great honor to be trusted by such an outstanding partner like Roland DG and I am very happy that we have reached this agreement. I believe it will be highly beneficial for everyone, including our valued partners, customers and suppliers.”
The current business structure will continue for the foreseeable future as both companies work on integration. It is expected that the share purchase and its related activities will have minimal impact on consolidated performance for the current fiscal year.
