The pandemic has tested the viability and functioning of many brands and industries. Through this storm, only a handful of names came out as indomitable brands that have used this opportunity and proved themselves as one of the reading brands.
In the search for such enterprising brands, we come across Inkmaker Worldwide, the founding organization behind the founding of the IM GROUP. The GROUP is one of the leading names in providing a one-stop solution for total-process engineering.
The members, the team, and the management of the IM GROUP have established their name as one of the foremost and advanced names in the industry. Their reputation, respect, and recognition truly stand out owing to their expertise and relentless support.
1. The IM GROUP
The IM GROUP was formed in Italy in 2021, with some leading names as its brands. These brands are – Inkmaker, Rexson, Vale-tech, Swesa, Teko, Tecnopails, and IEC+.
What this GROUP offers is a combustive mix of world-class services, an experience that comes from 7 different management, teams, and leaders that have individually established themselves as one of the best in their fields.
Thus, this results in an explosive combined strength that offers total process-engineering solutions within the industries of paint, coatings, ink, specialty-chemicals, adhesives, corrugated packaging, pharma, food, cosmetic, textiles, and more.
As Gianluca Incerti, Global Commercial Director, IM GROUP explains: “Being a “Total Solutions Provider” is our MISSION, and this is precisely why we acquired the brands that we did. Our strategy is to create “areas of excellence” dedicating each of our brands to a specific expertise that can come together—like our logo—to form a strong force. Each brand can still work individually with its existing clients in its own markets and when required share their expertise – offering Total Solutions – for example on large turn-key plant engineering projects. This guarantees resource optimisation and high flexibility to manage projects of all sizes. This was one of the key reasons for forming the holding brand, IM GROUP, in the first place.”
The entrance of IEC+ into the group has presented the group with a unique opportunity to evolve in offering ‘advanced engineering’, in that the design, projection, and management services are extended to all the production processes, site management and software interface. This starts from preliminary engineering studies through to the complete project implementation and delivery. “Each brand will continue to be differentiated through their expertise, and compete in their individual market sectors, and when required, they will come together on large projects for IM GROUP,” concludes Gianluca.
With IM GROUP’s new structure:
• Inkmaker will offer Ink dispensing and Software
• Rexson will offer Liquid Ink and Paint dispensing
• Vale-tech will offer narrow-web and Paste Ink Dispensing
• Swesa will offer Special applications dispensing
• POS Tinting and R&D Training
• Tecnopails will offer Filling lines solutions
• IEC+ will offer dispersing, Grinding & Mixing Equipment / Engineering Studies and Turnkey Solutions
IM GROUP has a pan world presence with its offices in over 15 countries over 5 continents. Let’s get to know more about what IM GROUP holds in its ranks. Let’s grab a quick brief on the pillars establishing the glory and success of IM GROUP.
Inkmaker Worldwide
Inkmaker was formed in 1987, with its base of operations in San Gillio, near Turin, Italy. The company is the founding member of IM GROUP and shares the base of operations with the GROUP. Inmaker is a global manufacturer of integrated dispensing systems that automates the process of ink, paint, and chemical dispensing and mixing.
Their services enhance productivity and improve the efficiency of their clients. Inkmaker’s proprietary software and systems are highly advanced, made with the
latest technology which is manufactured in three continents.
All this innovation and top-notch production guarantees highly accurate colors
consistently, precisely, and instantly.
IEC+
IEC+ was established in 2013, with its base of operations in Traversetolo, in Parma,
Northern Italy. IEC+ is a leading mechanical engineering company, which is
specialized in the design and manufacturing of dispersing, grinding, and mixing
equipment.
The company also holds expertise in complete engineering studies and turnkey
solutions. The company also has a pan world presence and has a loyal network of
regional and international clients and support partners.
Rexson Systems
Rexson Systems is a privately owned British brand, established in 1984. It was acquired by IM GROUP in late 2019 and is the Group’s primary brand within the Paint & Coatings sector. Rexson is a leading brand of automated dispensers that are widely used in the paint and coatings and the liquid ink industry.
Their products are also widely used in cosmetics, food, oils, pharmaceuticals, and specialty chemicals industries. The company is based in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England.
They provide materials such as liquid, gels or paste, hazardous, caustic, flammable, or have thixotropic rheology. Rexson also boasts a global presence and offers unrivaled solutions.
Vale-Tech
Vale-Tech was established in 1985 and was previously a subsidiary of Rexson. Vale-
Tech has a team of industry experts, with immense and diverse experience, which is dedicated to designing and building innovative products incorporating the latest technology.
Their advanced products are focused on narrow web and paste-ink dispensing
Systems. Vale-Tech is headquartered in Newmarket, Suffolk in England, and has a huge network of loyal customers via global offices and support partners.
SWESA
SWESA was formed in 1994, and is a privately owned and independent German manufacturer, with its base of operations in Eltville am Rhein, Germany. They specialize in custom automated dosing systems for food packaging, office furniture, tissues, and heavy-duty corrugated packaging industries.
Swesa machines are customizable and explosion risk (ATEX) certified. The company also boasts a global presence and is known for its highly reliable and impeccable products.
Teko
Teko was formed in 2013 and is a privately-owned solutions partner, based in Malaysia and Indonesia. They hold expertise in providing specialized solutions such as; Point-of-Sale systems and integrated solutions combining engineering with chemistry. The company also provides crucial support such as R&D to the IM GROUP.
Tecnopails
Tecnopalis was established as LAVELLI e C in 1974, as a privately owned and Independent Italian manufacturer. The company has its base of operations in Piacenza in Emilia Romagna, Northern Italy.
They manufacture customized modular automated filling, sealing, labeling, and palletizing machinery—for pails, buckets, and cans—that is widely used in the ink,
paint and coatings industry, as well as the industries of food and specialty chemicals.
They also command a pan world presence and their machinery is explosion risk (ATEX) certified. Most recently this company produced the “Lavelli A21”—a new world-first for liquid paints—the world’s first automated system for coupling lids with latches.
The news was reported in over forty of the world’s top industry publications, adding to the glory and accomplishments of the IM GROUP as a whole.
This culmination of all these big names brings enormous amounts of expertise and experience. All this, and many other factors make IM GROUP, a global technology leader and one of the best chemical tech solution providers, focused on reliability.
2. IM GROUP’s unrivaled offerings
The IM GROUP offers comprehensive and exhaustive solutions in the paint, coatings, and ink industry. Their unrivaled technology and unique strengths, and combined resources from the brands enable them to offer design and manufacturing through to complete engineering studies and turnkey solutions.
They are always evolving their services and establishing themselves as one of the most premier and advanced names in the Chemical Tech solutions industry. Their services not only incorporate the latest innovations but also the best service and support standards.
They offer highly curated and advanced solutions, such as:
- Customized plant engineering and software design
- Highly accurate automated dispensing
- Process equipment from bulk handling to filling lines
- POS equipment
- And other related services
IM GROUP envisions to evolve the technology, which will enable them to expand in its fields and adapt the advantages of the products to new markets. Their vision is to create a reliable complete supply chain—serving predominantly, but not limited to the ink, paint, and coatings industry—that will sustain their core businesses.
To achieve this vision, the team is devoted and pursuing every aspect such as working on acquiring businesses, with a specialty or good market share in a segment /country while also maximizing its logistics globally.
IM GROUP is also visionary and ever-changing demands and needs of the industry and its clients. To capture this and keep their solutions up to date and superior they are constantly investing in new technologies both internally and externally such as Industry 4.0 and IoT to enhance design solutions.
They are also working towards incorporating the software into the new acquisitions’ products that will boost and establish their brand’s offering. The GROUP is positioned to share R&D, skills, and knowledge, amongst its brands, to deliver more competitive offerings to its clients.
3. Leadership at IM GROUP
The Inkmaker GROUP now IM GROUP, which has its base of operations in Turin, Italy took two years of planning and implementation. The GROUP unveiled its launch in April 2021 which was filmed and covered by the leading magazines and business channels worldwide.
As we know this amalgamation of brands, teams, services, and leadership brings enormous amounts of expertise and finesse to the GROUP. But one of the most important aspects of a successful organization is its leadership.
The IM GROUP now boasts a leadership arsenal that has some of the most experienced and diverse personalities, who have proved their mettle, and are gearing up to capture the Chemical Tech industry by a storm.
These leaders collaborate their strengths and polling in their resources forms management that is set to achieve milestones and establish their brand as one of the most sought-after with a global footprint.
Let’s meet these leaders, strong holding the pillars of IM GROUP:
Christophe Rizzo is the CEO of EMEA/Americas, IM GROUP
Christophe is the CEO for the IM GROUP, managing EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and the Americas. He holds the GROUP strong through his experience of being with the Inkmaker GROUP now IM GROUP for more than two decades.
With this GROUP, he plans to root a sturdy foundation of IM GROUP by structuring the brands to focus on their specialties, yet come together to offer total process-engineering solutions, under a single GROUP. He also plans to push towards making IM GROUP a center for Advanced engineering solutions”.
Roberto Guerra is the CEO Asia Pacific, IM GROUP
Roberto holds the fort and leads operations in the Asia Pacific Region as CEO Asia Pacific, IM GROUP. He is striving to expand IM GROUP’s premises, paving the way to automated progress, by strengthening the bond with a close partner, Malaysian-based IEC Plant Engineering, a specialist in this industry since 1992.
He aims to maximize IEC Plant Engineering’s extensive sales and service network throughout South-East Asia; especially in Malaysia, India, and Vietnam. He is all in towards fine-tuning an excellent inter-brand relationship and establishing IM GROUP as a global leader.
Valentina Cigna is the Global Director of HR and President of IM GROUP
Valentina brings to the GROUP her immense experience in managing and handling the most important resource of a company – human resources. She plans to share many resources throughout all GROUP’s brands, thus reducing waste.
Also, she aims to use this opportunity to consolidate their forces to invest in human capital initiatives such as advanced IoT training, to improve industry 4.0 experience and skills.
Lau Kar Seng is General Manager of Inkmaker Shanghai and a member of the board
Kar Seng leads operations in China; recently overseeing the group’s expansion to larger premises, in Shanghai, to meet the requirements of IEC+ (IM GROUP’s latest acquisition), for manufacturing and customizing large heavy-duty equipment for dispersing, grinding, and mixing. Additionally, he is busy building the company that IM GROUP recently formed—in joint-venture with, Zhuhai Longtec Corp. Ltd—called “Inkmaker Intelligent Systems”.
“Longtec is a large corporation, and will significantly boost IM GROUP’s market reach throughout China”, Lau adds.
IM GROUP is one of the few brands that engage and successfully employs a dual-CEO leadership. This has not only benefited the brand but also evolved it on all fronts and in all its locations globally.
Through its brands, they are constantly increasing its capacity and unlocking new opportunities. Owing to their larger premises in China, they can double the number of standard machines they ship monthly, from an average of 5 or 6 units to 10 to 12.
Not to forget the value addition this dual-leadership brings to the GROUP, enhancing its capability to build more complex units. These factors along with IM GROUP’s heavy investments in R&D, new technology, software integration, human resources, and training, etc. propels the group’s growth and establishes their presence as a global leader in Chemical Tech solutions, amongst others.
