Stork N.V. and Bencis Capital Partners B.V. have reached an agreement on the sale of 60 percent of the interest in the Stork Prints Group to Bencis. Stork N.V. and Bencis are both located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Stork Prints will continue to operate under its current name and, supported by Bencis, the existing management will continue to focus on expanding graphic activities while maintaining its position in the worldwide textile market. Some 1,350 employees will be involved in the takeover.

Dick Joustra, president of Stork Prints, says, “We are looking forward to new ownership with great enthusiasm. With our new owners, we have the ideal foundations for the continued success of the Prints Group. Even though we enter a new era, it is very much a case of ‘business as usual’ as far as the day-to-day running of the company is concerned.”

Menno van der Meer of Bencis says, “We are particularly looking forward to further develop the potential of Stork Prints. With a strong product portfolio in its main markets the financial position of the group is good. Recently introduced products are now establishing themselves in all major markets, providing Prints with a strong base for the future.”

The Stork Prints Group is a provider of system and application know-how in textile and graphics printing processes as well as two-dimensional, high accuracy, metal precision products. The head office is based in the Netherlands, with sales offices worldwide. The Prints Group has a total workforce of 1,350 and, in 2006, had a total turnover of EUR 186 million.