Fuji Photo Film says to buy U.S. printer-head maker Dimatix
TOKYO
— Japan’s Fuji Photo Film Co. said Tuesday it will buy Dimatix Inc.,
a California-based maker of inkjet printer heads, as part of its growth
strategy.A Fuji Photo spokesman declined to comment on the value of the
planned acquisition slated for July.Established in 1984, Dimatix is a
leader in printer heads used in industrial inkjet printers, which are
increasingly being used in the field of advertising posters and
packaging materials. With 300 workers, the U.S. company had sales of
about Y9 billion in the business year ended December 2005.Fuji Photo
said a combination of Dimatix’s printer-head technology and its own
ink-related know-how will enable Fuji Photo to “develop unrivaled
high-quality imaging, realize image outputting on various new
materials, and expand our industrial inkjet business.”The move is the
latest effort by the Tokyo-based maker of photo film and precision
equipment to put an emphasis on the inkjet printer business.While
scaling back its photosensitive material business segment as part of
its reform drive, the company has been active in M&A activities
with inkjet printer-related companies.In February last year, the
company bought U.K.-based ink maker Sericol Group Ltd. for about Y24.5
billion. It also acquired Avecia Inkjet Ltd., a U.K.-based maker of ink
dyes for inkjet printers, for Y30.8 billion in February this year.For
the fiscal year ending in March 2009, Fuji Photo Film aims to bring
sales of printing-related activities to Y300 billion from the Y260
billion it generated in the year ended in March