Industry News
Brother completes Mutoh takeover B
rother has parted with roughly £170 million as it completes its acquisition of Mutoh.
The companies shook hands officially completing the tender offer on March 23, after it was initially proposed back in February.
The settlement then began on March 30, with the Japanese-based company swiftly working to make Mutoh a subsidiary company.
Brother now holds a majority (~88%) stake in the large-format printer manufacturer, having purchased 4,589,644 shares.
Though it hasn’t fully integrated the business, Brother will look to squeeze-out the remaining shares in the future to take full control.
Mutoh will continue operating under its existing structure in the short term, but integration is expected as Brother looks
Brother completes Mutoh acquisition
to streamline operations and maximise efficiencies.
Mutoh is known for its large-format inkjet printers used in signage, textiles and promotional graphics. By bringing it in, Brother gains access to its products and a global customer base in professional print. The company expects synergies through shared R&D, manufacturing and
EPS and Comec Italia reaffirm partnership E S.R.I.
The agreement formalises EPS’s continued representation of Comec’s full pad printing portfolio in North America. As part of the reaffirmation, EPS is expanding its representation of the Comec portfolio to include its full range of vertical market solutions. Ken Stack, executive chairman of
ngineered Printing Solutions has reaffirmed its exclusive distribution partnership with Comec Italia
EPS, said: “Many suppliers specialise in a single print process. EPS has taken a different approach by maintaining expertise in both analogue pad printing and digital inkjet.
Comec XE30
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
“Our continued partnership with Comec Italia allows us to support customers whose applications remain well-suited to pad printing, while also serving those transitioning toward digital production. “The decision is driven by the application and production economics.” Manuele Baggini, owner of Comec Italia, said: “EPS has represented Comec in North America for many years and understands both our equipment and the industrial environments in which it operates. “We are pleased to reaffirm this exclusive partnership and continue supporting manufacturers across the United States and Canada.”
distribution, which could accelerate product development and improve global reach. While financial impacts will take time to materialise, the move signals Brother’s intent to become a stronger player in industrial and textile printing – an increasingly important segment for the printwear and promotional products market.
Alsico breakthrough with hi-vis workwear
A
lsico has made a breakthrough in circular workwear, successfully reusing reflective glass beads from end-of-life high-visibility garments. The development tackles one of the biggest barriers to recycling hi-vis clothing, where reflective strips have traditionally forced garments to be incinerated due to their complexity. Working with
partners, Alsico has used a polyester
Alsico makes headway in hi-vis workwear recyclability
depolymerisation process to separate and preserve the glass beads used in reflective materials.
Testing shows the beads retain up to 80% of their reflectivity and meet performance standards for reuse in new products. The process can recover up to 100% of the beads and more than 75% of reflective strip material by weight, opening the door to fully circular hi-vis garments in future. Alsico’s innovation supports its wider push towards closed-loop workwear systems, helping reduce waste while maintaining safety and compliance standards.
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