Durst Group to acquire MPS

Durst Group has announced that MPS Printing will become part of the Durst Group on January 1, 2027, through the acquisition of its holding company and will operate under the name MPS – A Durst Group Company. 

The acquisition will represent a further strategic step in Durst’s long-term commitment to the labels and flexible packaging market. The industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Customers of all sizes are looking for greater automation, more connected workflows and production environments that can efficiently handle a growing variety of applications, run lengths and business models. 

Digital printing will play an increasingly important role in this transformation, but the future of label production will not be based on one technology alone. Durst has built a strong position in digital printing, software and automation and, together with Omet, in high-performance hybrid production. MPS adds further flexographic technology, engineering expertise and deep application know-how to the group. By bringing these capabilities together, Durst will be able to pursue additional technology and integration paths in parallel, accelerate innovation and respond more quickly to different customer and market requirements. This will broaden the group’s technology platform, shorten development cycles and enable a faster go-to-market for new technologies connecting digital and flexographic printing with software, automation and finishing.

'Label production is becoming increasingly connected, automated and data-driven,' said Christoph Gamper, CEO and co-owner of Durst Group. 'Our customers need production environments that allow them to manage different applications, run lengths and business models with maximum efficiency and flexibility. Durst already has strong capabilities in digital printing, software and hybrid production. With MPS, we are adding further flexographic expertise, technology and engineering capabilities to the group. This will give us additional integration options and allow us to pursue complementary development paths in parallel. It means we can innovate faster, address a broader range of customer requirements and bring new solutions to market more quickly.'

Beginning January 1, 2027, MPS will operate as MPS – A Durst Group Company. MPS will continue to develop, manufacture and market its existing portfolio of flexographic printing systems. The existing MPS management team will remain in place. Michiel Borst will continue to lead the company and will become managing director of MPS – A Durst Group Company, reporting within the Durst Group management structure.

'What changes is not who we are, but what we will be able to achieve,' said Borst, CEO of MPS. 'MPS will retain its entrepreneurial approach, its customer focus and its commitment to flexographic innovation. At the same time, becoming part of the Durst Group gives us access to a broader technology platform, a global organization and the long-term perspective of a family-owned company. This creates new opportunities for our customers, our partners and our employees, while building on the strengths and culture that have made MPS successful.'

MPS’s existing direct sales channels will remain in place across Europe. In the US, Durst US will assume responsibility for sales and service of the MPS portfolio, providing customers with direct access to Durst’s established regional organization. MPS will also increasingly benefit from Durst’s international service and spare-parts infrastructure, strengthening local support and response capabilities for customers worldwide. Existing contracts and service commitments remain in place in accordance with their terms, and continuity of service and support will remain a key priority throughout the integration. 

Durst’s existing partnership with Omet remains in place and continues independently of the MPS transaction. Together, Durst and Omet develop, manufacture and market the KJet and XJet hybrid platforms. These technologies remain an important part of Durst’s hybrid strategy and continue to be developed, marketed and supported through the established partnership and channels. The cooperation with Omet has enabled Durst to establish successful high-performance end-to-end technologies combining flexographic printing, digital printing and finishing. The addition of MPS gives Durst further technology and integration options for different customer requirements, applications and market segments. 

'Our partnership with Omet remains strategically important and continues,' Gamper said. 'At the same time, the label market is highly diverse and there is no single production concept that meets every requirement. Our objective is not to duplicate solutions, but to give customers the right technology, level of automation and production concept for their individual requirements.'

The acquisition will reflect Durst’s long-term strategy of connecting printing systems, software, workflow automation and production intelligence into increasingly integrated production environments. Durst’s ambition is to create a broader and more scalable technology platform in which converters can select the most appropriate combination of digital, hybrid and flexographic production for their individual applications. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.