Flint Group announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its XSYS division (“XSYS”), which specializes in the development and supply of printing plates, sleeves and adapters, and pre-press equipment to the packaging industry, to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds, a global private equity firm (“Lone Star”). The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

“With this transaction, we will create two dedicated management teams with increased strategic and operational focus,” Steve Dryden, Flint Group CEO. “Flint Group becomes positioned to further invest in the structurally growing segments of paper and board, flexible packaging and labels, serviced with our conventional and digital printing consumables. This successful strategy – centred around product and service innovation — enables Flint to grow with customers that value our colour proposition by helping them to standardize and reduce their costs.”

“We look forward to working with XSYS, a leading global provider of printing solutions,” Donald Quintin, President, Lone Star Opportunity Funds. “We recognize not only the resilience of the XSYS business and the diversity of its offerings, but its growth prospects as well. We appreciate the value that XSYS provides its many customers, and have great confidence in the management team’s commitment to realizing XSYS’s potential in the years ahead.”

Flint Group Packaging Inks has enhanced its solvent-based range of inks and coatings for European customers. The new ONECode range is designed simplify the flexible packaging printing process, reducing process waste and increasing ease in doing business.

"Under the ONECode brand, we have built a new product hierarchy including six new brands," Kim Melander, VP and GM for Packaging Inks Europe, "These ink systems, developed to unlock the complex landscape of flexible package printing, to connect, clarify, and bring transparency to the flexible packaging printing industry.”

Sappi Europe will increase prices of all of its Packaging and Speciality paper grades by 7%-11%, valid for deliveries from 1 April 2021.

In a statement, the paper manufacturer said: “Sharply rising input costs, particularly relevant to pulp and energy in combination with very high freight rates due to global logistic constraints make price increases unavoidable.

In January, the company had already announced an increase to the price of its coated and uncoated woodfree paper grades by 8%-10% across Europe. This increase, on sheets and reels, was due to be implemented “by 1 March at the latest”.

Also, Flint Group Packaging said it intends to increase the prices of its ink and coating products, also effective as of 1 April 2021, though specifics on the increases were not available at the time of writing.

The company said it is facing “an extraordinarily turbulent set of supply chain conditions, exacerbated by the global pandemic” and that its costs are increasing and supply is tightening across almost all procurement categories.

“The unusual set of supply chain conditions currently witnessed are some of the most severe I have seen. Our business is facing substantial cost and availability headwinds, across multiple raw material categories. Resins, solvents and pigments, including titanium dioxide, are particularly problematic.” Doug Aldred, Presiden, Flint Group Packaging Inks.