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Baldwin Acquires QuadTech

Baldwin Technology Company Inc., which develops process automation technologies, consumables and services for the print, packaging, textile and corrugated industries, has acquired QuadTech Inc. from its parent company, Quad/Graphics.

Baldwin, describing the acquisition as the creation of a vision and inspection print technology powerhouse, adds all of QuadTech’s technology and locations across the Americas, Europe, China, Japan and India. Headquartered in Sussex, Wisconsin, QuadTech maintains a global sales and service operation to sell its automated control systems in more than 100 countries.

Baldwin plans to integrate QuadTech within two of its existing divisions, including Web Printing Controls and PC Industries. The resulting global platform is to operate as Baldwin Vision Systems, focusing on print process automation, inspection and related services. Karl Fritchen, current QuadTech President, is to lead the new Baldwin segment.

“QuadTech will serve as a catalyst for the formation of our new Baldwin Vision Systems segment… Together, we provide our customers an unmatched portfolio in commercial and newspaper automation, and I am very excited about the additional capabilities we will gain in the packaging markets,” said Brent Becker, President and CEO of Baldwin. “The work QuadTech has done recently on color within the packaging market clearly places us as the industry leader and we have aggressive plans to build upon that position.”

The new segment’s technologies will span closed-loop automation for registration, inking, colour management, web handling and inspection for the commercial, newspaper, labels, packaging, converting and publication gravure industries.

“The combination of products and expertise held within both companies will enable us to reach areas of the market we were unable to reach individually,” said Fritchen. “From an international operations and market perspective, each party’s strengths are highly complementary.”

QuadTech is Baldwin’s fifth acquisition since joining the BW Forsyth Partners family of companies in 2012, and the fourth completed in 2017. This includes the May 2017 purchase of Air Motions Systems. BW Forsyth Partners is the investment arm of multibillion-dollar global manufacturing and engineering consulting firm Barry-Wehmiller.