All Eyes on Latin America
Label summit Latin America begins in Guadalajara, Mexico, will brings the further investment and growth in region with over 70 industry suppliers exhibition. Leading international suppliers acquire local companies in region or installing high technology equipment. Some press manufactures like Nilpeter and Mark Andy, Gallus have long strong custoemrs bases in area.
Xeikon has appointed a number of distributors throughout Latin America over the last two years and has reported a series of installations, including three for heat transfer labels in Brazil. Codimag recently installed its first Aniflo offset press in the region, at Brazilian converter Degrafica Impressos, while Agfa Graphics sold its first Dotrix modular digital press in that country last year, with three companies coming together in an innovative joint venture to house the machine.
EFI – aware of the growing potential in the region for its management information software – has acquired Brazil-based software supplier Metrics, while there has also been much recent activity in the materials sector. Mexico has witnessed the arrival of a new labelstock manufacturer, IPVenus; UPM Raflatac has opened a slitting and distribution facility in Buenos Aires; and Colombia-based Arclad has nearly doubled its capacity with the opening of a new plant in Cartagena. With a free trade agreement about to come into force between Colombia and the USA, the company sees potential for its materials in the North American market and will make its Labelexpo Americas debut in September.
It is not only industry suppliers who are ramping up their presence in Latin America – international converting groups, too, are taking advantage of the region’s growth. Label converting giant CCL has formed a joint venture in Chile, where US group Multi-Color Corporation already has a presence. Austrian group CTI Invest – under its Viappiani brand – now has operations in Colombia and Brazil, and expects to announce two further acquisitions in the region over the coming months. Sato America, meanwhile, recently acquired Argentine converter Archenar.
From Internet
