Peeq, which began more than five decades ago as Color by Pergament, has grown both organically and through acquisition to become a US leader in specialized digital and production services, with clients such as Coach, Rolex, Victoria's Secret and Estee Lauder.

Peeq COO Mark Facchin told PrintWeek many of these US-based clients are now targeting the very markets where its new partner, Toppan, is strongest. "These brands see their growth in the Far East," he said. "We need to provide global solutions because their branding has to be consistent both here and overseas, including the color and consistency of their logos and images."

Peeq currently has 320 employees in offices and facilities in the New York area as well as Las Vegas.

With equipment that includes everything from digital cameras and offset presses to flatbed presses and grand format equipment, Facchin said it can offer marketers the full gamut of services from prepress to billboards.

Under the new deal, Peeq Media becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Toppax, which is jointly owned by Peeq Media Holdings, LLC, and Toppan America, a subsidiary of Toppan Printing. The new Toppax joint venture will enable Peeq to help clients launch innovative global branding solutions, yet still maintain a single point of accountability for high-quality print work, out-of-home advertising, materials sourcing and logistics services.   

Headquartered in Tokyo, the publicly-traded Toppan boasts more than 47,000 employees in 11 countries and its printing divisions handle everything from posters, catalogs and other commercial products, to magazines, to checks and other financial products. For its most recent full fiscal year, which ended March 31, Toppan reported US$19bn in revenue.

"Toppan is the largest printer in the world and their reach into the Asian market is unprecedented and we need to part of that," Facchin said. "It's also going to also help Toppan by letting them expand in the client base we have."