Sericol founder Alex de Gelsey dies

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Alex de Gelsey, the founder of Broadstairs-based ink manufacturer Sericol on Sunday April 16 2006. 

Alex de Gelsey left his native Hungary in 1946 for England to escape oppressive Communist rule and to pursue his education and passion for science and color photography. After graduating from Cambridge University he joined Kodak’s Research Department. In 1951 he left Kodak to set up his own business, Photo Colour Laboratories, that later became Sericol. Following the acquisition of Sericol by Burmah Castrol in 1983, Alex remained active as the chairman of Sericol and as an executive director of Burmah Chemicals.

Through his entrepreneurial leadership style, focus on product development, customer driven mentality, single-minded determination, and deep pride in the accomplishment of others, he assembled a company that became the unqualified leader of the screen printing industry.

Alex approached everything in his life with vigor, enthusiasm, tremendous energy and high achievement. In addition to his Sericol career he was very active in the community both in the UK and in Hungary. He held several chairmanships of senior regional civic committees in the UK. He was honored by the Queen as a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) and was appointed a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent.

In Hungary and the UK he worked tirelessly to assist the unemployed by promoting the Small Business Foundation and Enterprise Agencies. The Prince of Wales acknowledged his work, and the President of Hungary awarded him with two decorations in recognition of his efforts.

Ed Carhart, CEO of Fujifilm Sericol, said: ‘People from many walks of life will sadly miss Alex de Gelsey. It is with great pride that I, and many others, have had the privilege to have known and worked with him. Alex’s imprint remains to this day on virtually every aspect of the company and the screen printing industry. He was a pioneer in developing the technology from a simple craft process to one of the most versatile and widely used printing formats around the world.’