Ricoh to acquire inkjet specialist

Ricoh is acquiring LAC Corporation to strengthen its industrial printing business. The purchase of LAC - a company with inkjet technology that supports printing on 3D surfaces - is scheduled for completion on 31 October.

Founded in 1983, LAC’s has technology that can discharge high-viscosity ink from 100mm, enabling printing directly onto 3D objects. Using this technology, LAC develops, manufactures, sells, and supports industrial printing systems for cars, liquefied petroleum gas cylinders and more. 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, and it has been strengthening its ‘display printing’ and ‘applied printing’ offering. The LAC acquisition is a continuance of the growth plan. By combining LAC’s proprietary inkjet technology and Ricoh’s technologies such as imaging systems and manufacturing, Ricoh hopes to create new value for its customers and to take LAC’s offerings into new overseas markets, using Ricoh’s global network.