Digital print giant Ricoh has expanded its industrial printing business with the acquisition of LAC Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer of unique inkjet technology that allows printing on three-dimensional surfaces including the sides of cars, trucks, tyres, aircraft and glass bottles.
 |
| A LAC tyre printer. |
The transfer of shares is scheduled to complete on October 31, 2018 according to an announcement from Ricoh’s headquarters in Tokyo:
 |
| A LAC tyre print. |
“The investment in LAC is part of Ricoh's Growth Strategy Plan, and one of a series of strategic investments being made by Ricoh. By combining LAC's proprietary inkjet technology and Ricoh's technologies such as imaging systems and manufacturing, Ricoh will create new value for its customers. In addition, Ricoh is planning to expand LAC's offerings into new overseas markets, using Ricoh's global network.
“In February this year, Ricoh announced its growth strategy “Ricoh Ignite,” which set out its intention to enhance its customer base by expanding its printing technology portfolio. For over 40 years, Ricoh has been developing inkjet technology, and today it is being used not just for printing in the office, but in commercial and industrial printing applications in a variety of different areas including lifestyle. Furthermore, it has been strengthening its display printing capabilities for paper and beyond paper, and applied printing, which combines processes and materials to create new customer value.”
Founded in 1983, LAC has unique technology that can discharge high-viscosity ink from a maximum of 100mm, enabling printing directly onto three dimensional objects. Using its technology, LAC's staff of 47 develops, manufactures, sells, and supports industrial printing systems for cars, liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, and more.
In a separate deal aimed at “strengthening Ricoh's digital business,” Ricoh also announced it has bought MakeLeaps, a leading provider of cloud-based billing management software.
“Workforce decline is one of the biggest social issues effecting Japan, where population decline, combined with the increase in the number of elderly people, is making Japan a super-aged society. This is especially challenging for small and medium-sized businesses, where the shortage of manpower has become a great obstacle to business continuity,” said the company.
“MakeLeaps offers cloud-based billing management software that makes workflow more efficient by digitizing tasks associated with the creation and dispatch of a variety of forms for the Japanese market such as estimates, purchase orders, invoices, etc., as well as receipt management documentation.”
Ricoh Group, in business for over 80 years, operates in about 200 countries and in the financial year ended March 2018 had worldwide sales of 2,063 billion yen ($A27.3 billion).
