Zecher
Zecher GmbH is a German manufacturer of precision laser-engraved anilox rollers, printing cylinders, and measurement systems serving flexographic, offset, and industrial coating printing operations across more than 60 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersPaderborn, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Zecher does
Kurt Zecher GmbH is a Paderborn-based German manufacturer of anilox rollers, printing cylinders and related accessories for flexographic, offset and industrial coating printing operations, founded in 1948. The company produces ceramic and chrome anilox rollers alongside printing cylinders, surface coatings, hard chrome plating and accessories across four production plants located in Germany, serving printing operations in label manufacturing, flexible packaging, offset printing, corrugated cardboard and industrial coatings. The product portfolio is built on proprietary laser engraving technology on ceramic and chrome surfaces, with named innovations including I.T.S. (Invisible Treatment System), SteppedHex engraving (introduced 2016), 45° angle engraving and Zecher C.P.T. engraving optimization, supported by in-house VoluCheck and Dotscope measurement systems for cell geometry and scoop volume verification. Evolux laser-based cleaning rounds out the technology stack as an aftermarket service offering.
Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of anilox rollers and printing cylinders, complemented by aftermarket services (inspection, surface coatings, hard chrome plating and laser-based cleaning) and accessories. The company operates a direct field sales model in Germany and Austria and distributes internationally through independent sales partners across more than 60 countries, with active customer segments spanning label printing, flexible packaging, offset, corrugated cardboard and industrial coatings. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with stated payment terms of net 30 days or net 14 days with a 2% cash discount. The company is privately held as a German GmbH, with no disclosed institutional ownership, public listing or stock exchange presence, and a workforce in the 101-250 employee range.
Operationally, Zecher has pursued incremental capacity and product extensions over the past five years: a 25% expansion of coating machine capacity was completed in October 2021, a Zecher mobile app was launched in January 2022, and a Zecher Cleaning Center is scheduled to open in May 2026 as an expanded service line. Channel coverage has been progressively broadened through new sales partner appointments in Brazil (Groupwork, October 2025), Benelux (Packtion, February 2026) and France (OS GRAPHICS, February 2026), consistent with a measured, organic-internationalization strategy rather than acquisitive growth.
Zecher firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zecher
- Legal name
- Kurt Zecher GmbH
- Website
- https://zecher.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Zecher GmbH is a German manufacturer of precision laser-engraved anilox rollers, printing cylinders, and measurement systems serving flexographic, offset, and industrial coating printing operations across more than 60 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zecher industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Printing Equipment (Anilox Rollers)
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)
- SIC
- Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM)
Keywords
Where Zecher is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paderborn
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zecher business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Anilox Roller Sales: Sale of ceramic anilox rollers, chrome anilox rollers, anilox roller sleeves, and printing cylinders — the primary revenue stream. Products are manufactured at four production plants located exclusively in Germany.
- Aftermarket Services: Surface coatings (lacquering, siliconizing, adhesives, hot melt), hard chrome plating, anilox roller inspection, cleaning services (laser cleaning with Evolux, Zecher Anilox Cleaner), and spare parts — providing recurring service revenue.
- Anilox Roller Accessories: Sale of accessories and individual solutions including custom designs, roller bodies, coatings, and engraving technology options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom anilox roller solutions with individual pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Zecher product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zecher GmbH manufactures ceramic and chrome anilox rollers, anilox roller sleeves, printing cylinders, and related accessories used to meter ink in flexographic and offset printing processes. The company also provides recurring aftermarket services including surface finishing (lacquering, siliconizing, adhesives, hot melt), hard chrome plating, anilox roller inspection, laser cleaning with Evolux technology, the Zecher Anilox Cleaner, and custom individual solutions. All products are produced at four manufacturing plants located exclusively in Germany and supplied to printing and packaging customers in over 60 countries.
Product overview
Zecher GmbH is an anilox roller manufacturer from Paderborn, Germany with approximately 75 years of experience. The company operates as a single-brand manufacturer offering a unified product portfolio centered on anilox rollers with related accessories, services, and digital tools. The core product line consists of Ceramic Anilox Rollers and Chrome Anilox Rollers, supplemented by Printing Cylinders. These are complemented by supporting services including Anilox Roller Inspection, Surface Finishing, and Anilox Roller Cleaning (featuring laser cleaning with Evolux technology). The portfolio also includes specialized measuring technologies (VoluCheck and Dotscope), the I.T.S. surface treatment system, an Anilox Calculator tool, and the Zecher App mobile application. Individual/custom solutions are offered for specific customer requirements. All products are manufactured exclusively in Germany at the company's Paderborn facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- I.T.S. (Invisible Treatment System): A treatment system that ensures an optimized emptying process, allowing significant improvement in the performance of anilox rollers.
Products and services
- Ceramic Anilox Roller High-precision ceramic-coated anilox roller for flexographic printing, available in conventional and sleeve formats, manufactured using laser engraving technology for optimal ink transfer and stable print quality. Sold to printing and packaging converters across more than 60 countries.
- Chrome Anilox Roller Protective chrome-plated anilox roller used as an alternative to ceramic rollers, delivering reliable ink transfer for flexographic printing applications. Targeted at printing converters seeking chrome-plated roller solutions.
- Printing Cylinder Lightweight Zecher printing cylinder compatible with all machine types, designed for good handling in offset printing applications. Sold to offset printing operations producing packaging, brochures, catalogs, and large-area prints.
- Anilox Roller Accessories Range of anilox roller accessories sold to support printing customers in mastering individual challenges and addressing various operational objectives in flexographic and offset printing.
- Anilox Roller Inspection Roller analysis service providing printing customers with an overview of current anilox roller performance, leveraging more than 75 years of anilox roller experience to diagnose issues and recommend corrective actions.
- Surface Finishing Surface coating service offering lacquering, siliconizing, adhesives, and hot melt applications to meet diverse and demanding coating requirements for industrial coating operations and specialty print jobs.
- Anilox Roller Cleaning Cleaning service for anilox rollers including laser cleaning with Evolux technology and the Zecher Anilox Cleaner, helping customers counteract decreasing roller performance and ensure long-lasting excellent printing results.
- Individual Solutions Custom anilox roller manufacturing service offering different designs, roller bodies, coatings, and engraving technology options configured to specific customer requirements. Sold to printers with non-standard or technically demanding applications.
- Zecher App Mobile application for iOS and Android that lets printing customers manage their anilox roller fleet data, access predictive maintenance insights, and track roller inventory via company ID authentication.
Quantifiable outcome
- High precision, durable coatings ensure stable processes and minimal downtime, sustainably reducing production costs and increasing print quality
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Zecher
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Zecher technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Zecher partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- OS GRAPHICSminorOS GRAPHICS has been appointed as Zecher GmbH's sales partner for France, expanding the company's sales partner network in the French market.
- PacktionminorPacktion appointed as Zecher GmbH's new sales partner for the Benelux region (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg).
- GroupworkminorGroupwork appointed as Zecher GmbH's new sales partner for Brazil, expanding the company's sales network in South America.
- Chromos GroupminorExpansion of long-standing partnership between Zecher GmbH and Chromos Group, deepening collaboration across multiple markets.
- Alliance Machinery and CV Print and Pak (South Africa)minorFollowing the merger of Alliance Machinery and CV Print and Pak in South Africa, the combined entity continues as Zecher's sales partner for the South African market.
- Ulmex Industries GmbH / Ulmex Italia srlcoreZecher GmbH cooperates with Ulmex Italia srl in the field of laser cleaning technology. The partnership led to the introduction of the Evolux laser cleaning system as part of Zecher's service portfolio. Both companies present jointly at trade fairs including ICE Europe and K 2025.
- Colorblend (Malaysia)minorColorblend appointed as Zecher's local support partner for customers in Malaysia.
- New UK PartnerminorZecher's sales network expanded with a new partner in the United Kingdom.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Zecher competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- SPGPrints: SPGPrints is a Netherlands-based manufacturer of printing systems, screens, and consumables for textile and graphics printing; it overlaps with Zecher in precision roller manufacturing and serves similar industrial printing customers in European and emerging markets.
- Daetwyler SwissTec: Daetwyler SwissTec is a Swiss manufacturer of precision doctor blades and anilox roller cleaning systems for flexographic printing, offering cleaning solutions that partially overlap with Zecher's Evolux-based cleaning services and serving the same European flexo customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Esko (Danaher): Esko is a global leader in flexographic prepress, workflow software, and plate-making equipment — Zecher is already ESKO-certified. As a broader incumbent in the flexographic value chain, Esko overlaps with Zecher in serving the same printing converter customers.
- BST eltromat: BST eltromat is a German-based supplier of print inspection, color measurement, and quality control systems for the printing industry, serving overlapping flexographic and packaging customers as Zecher but focused on inline inspection rather than consumables.
Emerging players
- Mark Andy: Mark Andy is a leading manufacturer of flexographic and hybrid printing presses; while primarily a press OEM rather than a roller manufacturer, it is a key customer for anilox rollers and competes indirectly with Zecher in the broader flexographic value chain.
- Flexo Concepts: Flexo Concepts manufactures doctor blades and related flexographic printing consumables; while not a direct anilox roller competitor, it serves the same flexographic printer customers and overlaps in printing process optimization.
Direct peers
- Yoshino Kogyo: Yoshino Kogyo is a Japanese anilox roller manufacturer and ceramic coating specialist, directly competing with Zecher in ceramic laser-engraved rollers and serving similar flexographic printing customers across Asia and globally.
- Böttcher: Böttcher is a German-based manufacturer of rollers and consumables for the printing industry, including anilox and printing cylinders, making it a direct German competitor to Zecher with overlapping product portfolios and customer base.
- Apex International: Apex is one of the world's largest manufacturers of anilox rollers, sleeves, and related flexographic consumables, competing head-to-head with Zecher in ceramic and chrome roller technology for label, flexible packaging, and corrugated markets globally.
- Harper Corporation of America: Harper is a pioneering manufacturer of anilox rolls and printing cylinders, directly comparable to Zecher in laser-engraved ceramic and chrome rollers for flexographic printers across the same end markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zecher social profiles
Digital presenceZecher compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Zecher financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zecher leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Zecher funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zecher M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zecher
What does Zecher do?
Zecher GmbH manufactures ceramic and chrome anilox rollers, anilox roller sleeves, printing cylinders, and related accessories used to meter ink in flexographic and offset printing processes. The company also provides recurring aftermarket services including surface finishing (lacquering, siliconizing, adhesives, hot melt), hard chrome plating, anilox roller inspection, laser cleaning with Evolux technology, the Zecher Anilox Cleaner, and custom individual solutions. All products are produced at four manufacturing plants located exclusively in Germany and supplied to printing and packaging customers in over 60 countries.
Is Zecher a public or private company?
Zecher is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Zecher founded?
Zecher was founded in 1948. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Zecher based?
Zecher is headquartered in Paderborn, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Zecher make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Anilox Roller Sales are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Services and anilox Roller Accessories.
Who are Zecher's main competitors?
Regional players on record are SPGPrints and Daetwyler SwissTec. Broad incumbents are Esko (Danaher) and BST eltromat. Emerging players are Mark Andy and Flexo Concepts. Direct peers are Yoshino Kogyo, Böttcher, Apex International and Harper Corporation of America.
Does Zecher have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zecher.
What industry is Zecher in?
Zecher's product category is Industrial Printing Equipment (Anilox Rollers). Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAGAB, Industrial & Protective Coatings, with a secondary code of IMAIAKAM, Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating). Its NAICS code is 325510 and its SIC code is 3470.