KIP claimed that the acquisition gives it the opportunity to take 30% market share in France, and 20% across Europe.
It added that the growth would be based on the uptake of wide-format colour laser printers by companies for whom inkjet was too slow and not profitable enough. The first example of its colour laser technology is the recently launched KIP Colour 80, a 200sqm per hour machine that delivers 600x600dpi on a wide range of media.
E2S was a Xerox subsidiary until 2003, and is a distributor of its wide-format laser printers, which is the market that KIP serves. In addition to the architectural engineering and CAD markets served by toner-based machines, E2S also sells graphic arts inkjet machines from HP, Canon, Epson and Seiko.
The Paris-based firm has 80 staff and had a turnover of €16m (£13.8m) in 2008.
The acquisition was completed on the 30 April, while integration of the two companies’ activities will take place over the next few months. No redundancies will result from the move.
KIP buys French firm E2S to fulfil European colour ambition
French wide-format distributor E2S has been purchased by Japanese wide-format manufacturer KIP to bolster its presence in France and Europe and drive the adoption of its large-format colour laser printers.
