Over the years, Wikoff Color Corporation has grown from a US-based commercial and folding carton sheetfed ink specialist into a global leader in all aspects of packaging. In 1999, the company opened its first subsidiary outside of the US, in Montreal. In 2005, Wikoff strengthened its position in North America by adding Frontier Printing Inks, a Toronto-based flexible packaging ink manufacturer. Outside of North America, the company added its first manufacturing facility in Europe, opening up its new plant in Leeds, UK in 2012, as well as a facility in China.
 
Meanwhile, Wikoff Color had distributors in South America, serving major converters. As its business grew, Wikoff looked to add to its presence in South America. This culminated in the November 2017 acquisition of Verti Produtos Químicos, a privately held flexible packaging ink specialist located in São Paulo, forming Wikoff Color – Brasil.
   
Daniel Cavalcanti, Wikoff Color’s regional manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, noted that Wikoff has been long active in the Latin American region.
   
“Prior to our partnership with Verti Produtos Químicos, Wikoff Color has been active in the Latin and South American market mainly through distribution and a number of direct accounts where we supply products that are unique to the market at this time,” Cavalcanti said.
   
While Wikoff Color had not worked with Verti prior to the acquisition talks, Cavalcanti noted that the two parties quickly saw mutual opportunities.
   
“We had not worked with Verti previously, but during the acquisition discussions we identified several areas that our businesses complemented one another that could ultimately lead to new opportunities for both parties,” Cavalcanti reported.
   
Geoff Peters, president and CEO of Wikoff Color, pointed to some key synergies between the two companies.
   
“Both Wikoff and Verti have a strong reputation in the marketplace of supplying quality, tailor-made products, with a customer-focused mentality,” Peters said. “Verti has supported their products with superior technical service and will be able to further those capabilities with the support of Wikoff Color. We believe our cultures will integrate very nicely together.”
   
“We are happy to be joining the Wikoff Color team,” added Gilberto L. Mosca, Verti managing partner. “We believe there is an excellent fit between the cultures of our two companies, and that Wikoff’s commitment to superior customer service and high-quality products is a great match with our approach to the market.  We also believe that Wikoff’s global footprint and technical expertise will help us grow more quickly throughout South America.”
 
Daryl Collins, VP of regional operations & marketing for Wikoff, noted that Verti brings excellent relationships with its customers as well as a strong reputation for technical support.
 
“Verti’s main focus has been the flexible packaging market, mostly in Brazil,” Collins added. “Wikoff’s plan is to expand on what is now Wikoff Color – Brazil’s strong relationship with the flexible packaging market and beyond, expanding into other target markets currently serviced by Wikoff, such as label, inkjet, folding carton and commercial. With a local presence in Brazil, we feel confident in our long-standing service model of superior technical support with a focus on customer success.”
 
Collins added that the Verti team is expected to remain with Wikoff Color – Brasil.
   
“Almost all of the Verti employees will stay on with Wikoff,” he noted. “Verti has a great team with strong technical abilities and considerable experience serving the Brazilian packaging industry, and we are happy to now call them part of Wikoff Color.”