The Plockmatic Group acquires Watkiss Automation

11 September 2018

Stockholm, Sweden and Bedfordshire, United Kingdom

Plockmatic Group, one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of document finishing technology, has acquired Watkiss Automation Ltd. based in the UK.  The acquisition extends the Plockmatic booklet making range into the high-end market segment where digital prints are created using both toner and advanced high-speed inkjet technology.  Watkiss machines are sold by the world’s leading printing systems manufacturers under the PowerSquare™ brand. The newly acquired company also sells offline booklet making systems through a worldwide network of dealers, plus a range of selected finishing products through a direct sales team in the UK.

Watkiss Automation is a leader in the development and manufacture of high-end booklet making systems known for their robust engineering.  Most recently, the company has launched the PowerSquare™ PSQ160 that operates both offline and inline in a compact footprint and supports the increasingly popular landscape booklet format.

The company will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Plockmatic International AB and will be part of the Plockmatic Group which includes the well-known Morgana range of finishing systems. The Swedish firm’s CEO, Jan Marstorp, will head the expanded group of companies.

“Customers the world over are using Watkiss systems to serve the growing requirement for digitally printed product manuals, promotional materials and customized catalogs often produced around the clock,” says Marstorp. He adds, “we’ve built a worldwide supply chain, marketing, sales and service organization unique in the industry, and it’s ready to make these powerful systems available to even more customers.”

Paul Attew, Sales Director of Watkiss says, “our team has spent years building a business around our customer’s requirements.  We believe Plockmatic is best-positioned to look after our customers and serve new ones.  We know the business is in great hands, and Plockmatic has what it takes to grow it to its full potential.”

The Plockmatic Group of companies is part of Grimaldi Industri Group, a diversified Stockholm-based holding company.

“The acquisition of Watkiss demonstrates our commitment to our customers, and to the document finishing business,” says Salvatore Grimaldi, owner and CEO of Grimaldi Industri.  “This significantly expands our offerings and will help our customers deliver more value to their customers. I’m delighted to welcome Watkiss to our group of companies.”

The people of the Plockmatic Group develop, manufacture, market and support an extensive range of document finishing systems sold under the Plockmatic and Morgana brand names. These products work inline or offline and complement the world’s best digital printing systems. We make booklets. We also insert mail, crease, cut, perforate, fold and bind documents with extraordinary precision. Quite sim­ply, we turn stacks of printed paper into the beautifully finished documents you use every day.