Heidelberg and MK Masterwork have celebrated 10 years of partnership and to commemorate the milestone, have inked an expanded agreement for their future.
Their cooperation now includes the field of integrated and highly automated complete solutions, which can also be developed in collaboration with customers.
This also includes the integration of MK Masterwork’s robotics systems, which Heidelberg said is becoming increasingly important for packaging manufacturers, particularly for intralogistics.
In a joint anniversary event at MK Masterwork’s headquarters in Tianjin, China, with around 100 international customers, both companies looked back on the milestones of their long-standing successful partnership.
MK Masterwork is a leading Chinese manufacturer of finishing systems for the packaging sector.
Ten years ago, both companies agreed on a strategic sales partnership where Heidelberg distributes high-performance die-cutters as well as folding carton gluers and hot-foil stamping machines from MK Masterwork outside of China.
In that time, Heidelberg has installed around 1,500 systems produced by MK Masterwork at customer sites around the world.
“Packaging printing is a central component of our growth strategy for our core business,” Heidelberg chief technology and sales officer Dr. David Schmedding said.
“And our cooperation with MK Masterwork is a long-standing success story. We are now renewing and expanding this strategic partnership, thereby underlining our approach as a system integrator for end-to-end packaging production. We offer our customers efficient complete solutions and at the same time tap into further potential in the attractive segment of packaging finishing.”
“Thanks to our innovative and economical technologies, MK Masterwork has continued to grow dynamically in recent years and has already become the market-leading provider of packaging finishing solutions in China,” MK Masterwork president and managing director Li Li said.
“Together with a strong partner like Heidelberg, we have succeeded in advancing to become one of the leading providers in this segment worldwide. Together, we will continue to expand our strong market position.”
MK Masterwork has been growing dynamically for years and now employs more than 1,800 people. The production site in Tianjin covers an area of around 600,000 m2. At the Print China trade fair in May this year, the company also celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Milestones from 10 years of partnership between Heidelberg and MK Masterwork:
2015: Heidelberg and MK Masterwork agree on a strategic sales partnership with Heidelberg becoming the sales channel for MK Masterwork products outside China
2016: At drupa 2016, both companies appear together for the first time with a joint booth and present a comprehensive range of flatbed die cutters, folding carton gluing machines, and hot foil stamping machines for the packaging sector
2019: MK Masterwork becomes largest anchor investor of Heidelberg with the acquisition of approximately 8.5 per cent of voting rights
2020: Heidelberg and MK Masterwork establish a joint venture for the development and production of precision machine parts for the Heidelberg plant in Shanghai
2025:
1. Presentation of the updated MK Mastermatrix 106 CSB high-performance die cutter with Prinect integration in Heidelberg design marks a major step toward automated end-to-end production in packaging printing
2. To date, Heidelberg has successfully installed around 1,500 MK Masterworks systems worldwide
3. MK Masterwork celebrates the company’s 30th anniversary
4. For Heidelberg, 2025 is all about celebrating the company’s 175th anniversary
5. Both companies are renewing and expanding their strategic partnership to offer integrated and highly automated complete solutions for packaging production.
