Esko to sell Kongsberg Business to OpenGate Capital

19 January 2021: Esko, a global developer of integrated software and hardware solutions for the packaging, label, and wide-format sectors, has decided to sell its Kongsberg digital finishing business to OpenGate Capital, in a planned manner.

The planned sale includes the original research and development facility in Kongsberg, Norway and the production facility in Brno, Czech Republic. OpenGate Capital is a private equity firm headquartered in Los Angeles, with a European office in Paris and investments on five continents.

OpenGate Capital sees opportunities for growing the Kongsberg business beyond packaging applications, expanding the product offering, and growing the tooling and consumables offering.

Mattias Byström, President of Packaging and Color Management Companies Pantone, Esko, X-Rite and AVT, said “Esko is concentrating our efforts on delivering end-to-end workflow solutions for our customers across the packaging supply chain: from brands to premedia to packaging printers and converters.”

Customers with Kongsberg systems can expect business as usual, since most of the employees who currently serve them would continue to do so as part of the new stand-alone business. Reseller relationships would also be transferred to Kongsberg PCS (Precision Cutting Systems), meaning customers who purchased Kongsberg tables through resellers would also benefit from uninterrupted relationships.