Peter Daetwyler, owner of the MDC Max Daetwyler Group, and Max Rid, owner of the companies Hell Gravure Systems, K. Walter, and Bauer Logistik, have united their activities in developing, manufacturing, sales, and service of gravure cylinder making equipment. The joint venture was effective January 1.

Rid and Daetwyler have founded a new corporation called Heliograph Holding GmbH, which is home to the newly founded Daetwyler Graphics as well as Hell Gravure Systems, K.Walter, Bauer Logistik, Schepers, Daetwyler R&D Dayton, and their worldwide sister companies. Within the new holding structure the sister companies will continue to distribute Daetwyler doctor blades and diamonds. Rid will head Heliograph Holding as CEO. Additional officers of the holding corporation will be the CEOs of Daetwyler Graphics, Hell Gravure Systems, and K. Walter.

The new Daetwyler Graphics AG, in Bleienbach, Switzerland, will continue MDC Daetwyler AG´s business of developing, manufacturing, selling and servicing gravure cylinder making equipment. The companies joined together inside Heliograph Holding will offer their products under their own names and their individual brands. The distribution channels including sister companies and independent representatives will be united.

In the future, customers will be able to choose between electromechanical and laser based engraving technologies of Daetwyler, Hell Gravure Systems, and Schepers from one source. These products can be combined with plating and automation technology from K.Walter, surface finishing technology from Daetwyler Graphics, and storage and transportation technology from Bauer Logistik into completely integrated systems.

Daetwyler SwissTec, with its international manufacturing plants for doctor blades located in Switzerland, USA, China, and India, as well as the Industrial Manufacturing Branch of MDC Max Daetwyler AG with its Swiss sites in Bleienbach and Ursenbach and its site in Estonia, will not be transferred into Heliograph Holding. They will continue to be led independently by Peter Daetwyler.

In the United States, activities and employees involved in sales and service of gravure cylinder making equipment at Max Daetwyler Corporation will remain in Huntersville, NC, but will operate as K. Walter Service Corporation. K. Walter Service will maintain its employees and location in Inman, SC. Ralph Daetwyler has been named president of K. Walter Service Corporation with Bob Speiss continuing as vice president.