Gravure cylinder manufacturers join forces

Peter Daetwyler, owner of the MDC Max Daetwyler Group, and Max Rid, owner of the companies Hell Gravure Systems, K. Walter, and Bauer Logistik, have agreed to unite their activities in developing, manufacturing, selling, after sales, and service of gravure cylinder making equipment. By unifying their enterprises they will now offer a full spectrum of technologies and integrated systems.

Daetwyler and Rid have founded a new corporation with the name Heliograph
Holding GmbH. This holding company will be the base to the newly established Daetwyler Graphics as well as the corporation’s Hell Gravure Systems, K.Walter, Bauer Logistik, Schepers, Daetwyler R&D Dayton and their worldwide sister companies.

Within the new holding structure these sister companies will continue to distribute Daetwyler
doctor blades and diamonds. Max Rid will head Heliograph Holding as CEO. Additional officers of the holding corporation will be the CEOs of Daetwyler Graphics, Hell Gravure Systems, and K. Walter.

The new Daetwyler Graphics AG in Bleienbach, Switzerland, will continue MDC
Daetwyler AGs business of developing, manufacturing, selling and servicing gravure
cylinder making equipment.

The companies joined together inside Heliograph Holding will offer their products under their own names and their individual brands. The distribution channels, including sister companies and independent representatives, will be united.

In the future, customers will be able to choose between electromechanical and laser based engraving technologies of Daetwyler, Hell Gravure Systems, and Schepers from one single
source. These products can be combined with plating and automation technology from K.Walter, surface finishing technology from Daetwyler Graphics, and storage and transportation technology from Bauer Logistik into completely integrated systems.

Daetwyler SwissTec with its international manufacturing plants for doctor blades and the Industrial Manufacturing Branch of MDC Max Daetwyler AG with its Swiss sites and its site in Estonia will not be transferred into Heliograph Holding. They will continue to be lead independently by Peter Daetwyler.

In the United States, activities and employees involved in sales and service of gravure cylinder making equipment at Max Daetwyler Corporation will remain in Huntersville, North Carolina, but will operate as K. Walter Service Corporation. K. Walter Service will maintain its employees and location in Inman, South Carolina.

Ralph Daetwyler has been named the president of K. Walter Service Corporation and Bob Speiss will continue as vice president.