Müller Martini and Hunkeler: Two Families Join Forces

Consolidations are done for many reasons including, cost reduction, wider distribution, etc. However, this merger really does take two strong companies that are leaders in their respective fields and brings them together to feed off their synergies and prepare and build for those market and production shifts

(See the original press release about this merger here.)

Background

Müller Martini is an internationally recognized, family-owned business that has been developing print finishing systems since 1946. Their head office is in Zofingen, Switzerland, with manufacturing locations in Zofingen, Hasle, Switzerland, and Rahden, Germany. They have grown organically and through acquisition. Today, their products focus primarily on the book production market with an extensive lineup of finishing equipment that is sold and supported by over 20 sales and service companies and 40 agencies globally.

Hunkeler AG was founded in 1922 and recently celebrated their 100 anniversary. This globally recognized, family-owned business employs 270 people around the globe. They are headquartered in Wikon, Switzerland, with manufacturing in Wikon and Aschheim, Germany. They focus on “paper processing,” including roll-to-roll, roll-to-fold, roll-to-stack, or combined processes with a multitude of possible end products from simple bank statements to multifunctional creative mailings. They sell and distribute through a wide range of printer, finishing, and software partner relationships. Additionally, they have a subsidiary in Hong Kong that supports direct sales, sales support, and after sales support to Hunkeler agents in the Asia Pacific Rim region.

From left to right: Stefan Hunkeler (President of the Board of Hunkeler AG), Michel Hunkeler (Delegate of the Board of Hunkeler AG), Bruno Müller (CEO Müller Martini AG), Rudolf Müller (Owner and Member of the Board Müller-Martini AG), Daniel Erni (CEO Hunkeler AG), Franz Hunkeler (Patron of Hunkeler AG).

Müller Martini and Hunkeler Join Forces for the Future

These two strong family-owned companies have been working together for many years and as a result have found a lot of synergies. The long and successful history began during the Second World War, when Hans Mu?ller worked for Hunkeler as a mechanical engineer before setting up his own business in 1946 and founding the company Grapha Maschinenfabrik, now Müller Martini. Today, Bruno Müller is even married to Stefan Hunkeler’s cousin, so the roots have remained strong.

According to Stefan Hunkeler, “It’s a great move and we really look forward really to this merger. It’s a big step for the family, especially for Michelle and me, but it’s the right move.” While there are many synergies, there are more differences than similarities to the products and markets of each company, so each of the companies’ operational organizations will remain as they are today. According to Müller Martini CEO Bruno Müller, “The graphic arts industry is constantly changing and regularly calls for new innovations. By combining the key components of the two companies, such as personnel, expertise, and technology, we will be able to serve our global clientele even better with innovative solutions in the future.”

Hunkeler will remain headquartered in the Wikon facility and retain all of their current manufacturing facilities. Müller Martini will likewise remain headquartered in Zofingen and keep their existing organizational and operational structures. For now, each of the companies will retain their existing distribution channels, although that could be up for review in the future. As the market continues to change “in certain countries in the world, we will need to find the distribution and support partnerships that best support the customers and the partners.” With the merger, while each of the companies’ brands, products, and developments will remain with each respective company, they do expect some collaboration on future products, especially in the area of automation.

drupa 2024 is coming up shortly and you can expect to see both Hunkeler and Müller Martini with booths in different halls showing their latest offerings. And for those of you who look forward to Hunkeler Innovation Days, you can expect to see it as planned February 24–27, 2025, in Luzern.

In Closing

In these times of market and production requirement shifts, there has been a lot of consolidation. Consolidations are done for many reasons including, cost reduction, wider distribution, etc. However, this merger really does take two strong companies that are leaders in their respective fields and brings them together to feed off their synergies and prepare and build for those market and production shifts.

More to Come…

2023 is moving at an increased pace, with drupa 2024 beginning to shine its light. I would like to address your interests and concerns in future articles as it relates to the manufacturing of Print, Packaging, and Labels, and how, if at all, it drives future workflows including “Industry 4.0.” If you have any interesting examples of hybrid and bespoke manufacturing, I am very anxious to hear about them. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] with any questions, suggestions, or examples of interesting applications.