Krones has purchased the remaining 49% of the shares that it did not already own of Till, a German company based in Kelkheim near Frankfurt/Main, that develops systems for direct digital decoration of containers. Till, founded in 2011, has developed a unique modular system to digitally print containers made of various materials. The basis of this system is a module that prints with up to 8 colors on contoured surfaces.
The Krones product portfolio themed around digital decoration of containers had previously been split between two companies: firstly, Krones itself, and secondly Till, in which Krones had owned a majority shareholding of 51 per cent since 2014.
After the jointly developed DecoType machine portfolio had been premiered at last year’s drinktec fair in Munich, “it was now time for the next logical step to compress the knowledge and the technologies of both firms in a single responsively accomplished innovation-driven unit,” according to a press statement.
For this purpose, Krones purchased the remaining shares in Till, and here synergized all the business operations relating to digital decoration technology. In order to publicly affirm its significantly enhanced role, the subsidiary has since April been operating under the name of Dekron. This coinage combining “Decoration” and “Krones” underlines both the company’s technological specialisation and its one-hundred-per-cent affiliation with the Krones Group.
The firm will continue to be headquartered at Till’s facility in Kelkheim– not least in order to retain in the company the smoothly functioning team of employees. To put the group’s new member in optimum shape for the tasks ahead, Krones will be purposefully upgrading its infrastructure and its human resources.
This applies to both the facility in Kelkheim and to a planned second facility, which is scheduled for inauguration before the end of 2018 – close to Krones’ headquarters in Neutraubling, Germny. It will constitute the new domain of some Krones staff who as specialists for digital decoration technology will be joining Dekron.
Krones has also prioritised continuity in Dekron’s top management: it is composed of Sven Kerpe and Friederike Kalusche. The latter had already occupied this post in Till, and had been involved in building up the company right from the start in 2011. Her colleague Sven Kerpe was previously part of the Bottling Technology team at Krones, responsible for digital decoration technology.
Dr. Christian Compera, since October 2015 Head of Business Line Bottling Technology with Krones, was quoted as saying: “We have in recent years invested massively in developing a product portfolio for digital decoration. Now we are optimally equipped to join with our clients in successfully progressing the marketing of digitally decorated containers.“
