Harper JV move brings anilox production to Europe

In a joint announcement by Ron Harper, chairman Harper Corporation of America, Charlotte, NC, USA, and Wilfried Tappe, chairman Inometa GmbH, Herford, Germany, the two companies have reached an agreement to manufacture and market Harper’s proprietary Platinum anilox rolls throughout the European flexographic market.

This market includes West, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East. The new entity has been named ‘Harper Graphics, a Harper/Inometa Company’, and will market not only Harper’s Platinum laser  engraving technology for anilox rolls, but also HarperScientific flexographic products and Harper GraphicSolutions technical consulting services. Harper’s comprehensive technical flexographic laboratory equipment and services
has been duplicated at the new Harper site in Europe. Harper Graphics has already taken on the responsibility of Master Distributor for Europe and Africa and is in the process of setting up a manufacturing operation in Germany for the production of Platinum Anilox Rolls in early 2005. The establishment of Harper Graphics further solidifies Harper’s position in the international flexographic market, with facilities in Charlotte, NC, USA; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Harper Asia/Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand and Harper Graphics, Germany. The four locations will now provide twenty anilox laser engraving machines capable of utilizing the company’s Platinum anilox technology. Established in 1981, Inometa  claims to be the world’s major producer of carbon fiber roll, with a product range which includes tubes, rollers, sleeves and cylinders, as well as coatings.