Zeller+Gmelin Corporation

What Zeller+Gmelin Corporation does

Zeller+Gmelin Corporation is the North American operating subsidiary of the German-founded Zeller+Gmelin group, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, where it manufactures printing inks and coatings for the United States, Canada, and Mexico markets. The company produces a broad portfolio of energy-curable and conventional ink systems across sheetfed and web offset (UVALUX), flexographic (NUVAFLEX, HydroTek, 17 Series), dry offset (71-78 Series, EarthPrint 79 Series), rotary screen, and specialty coatings applications. Its EarthPrint line addresses recyclability and de-inking requirements for rigid plastic packaging, and the 76z50 dry offset ink line is BPI Compostable certified.

The company sells primarily through a direct field sales organization with regional and product-specialist coverage, supplemented by distribution partnerships such as the Conti Laserline arrangement for Altitude RPB rigid plastic blankets. Customer segments span commercial lithography, packaging (rigid plastic containers, flexible packaging), tag and label, food and pharmaceutical, and point of purchase display printing. Berry Global is the most prominent named enterprise customer, recognized with four consecutive Ink Supplier of the Year awards (2021-2024), and the company supplies multiple Berry Global production locations worldwide. The business is privately held, with no public revenue disclosure and no AI/ML or software platform strategy evident in the available data.

Name

Zeller+Gmelin Corporation

Legal name

Zeller+Gmelin Corporation

Website

https://www2.zeller-gmelin.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zeller+Gmelin Corporation is the North American subsidiary of a German ink manufacturer, producing UV, LED, water-based, and conventional printing inks and coatings for commercial, packaging, and tag and label converters across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Printing Inks and Coatings

NAICS

Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Printing Inks (IMAEAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital & Specialty Inks (Inkjet, UV, Conductive) (IMAEAHAI), Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL), Sustainable Labels, Adhesives & Inks (Wash-Off Labels, De-inkable Inks, Low-VOC) (IMALAMAJ)

Keywords

• UV printing inks
• LED curing inks
• Flexographic inks
• Dry offset inks
• Sustainable packaging inks

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Printing Inks and Coatings: Zeller+Gmelin generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of printing inks and coatings, including UV, LED, water-based, and conventional ink systems for various printing applications. The company serves commercial, packaging, and tag & label markets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zeller+Gmelin manufactures and sells energy-curable printing inks and coatings for commercial, packaging, and tag & label printers. The portfolio covers UV, LED, water-based, and conventional ink systems delivered through proprietary brands including UVALUX (offset), NUVAFLEX (flexographic), and EarthPrint (sustainable/de-inkable packaging inks), along with specialty coatings, rotary screen inks, cold foil adhesives, and distributed rigid plastic blankets.

Product overview

Zeller+Gmelin is a manufacturer of printing inks and coatings offering a comprehensive portfolio of energy-curable ink solutions. The product portfolio is organized around several core brands: UVALUX® (UV/LED offset inks for sheetfed and web applications), NUVAFLEX® (flexographic inks including UV, LED, and water-based formulations), and EarthPrint™ (sustainable packaging inks with de-inking properties for recyclability). Supporting product lines include dry offset ink series (71-78 series), rotary screen printing inks, specialty coatings (soft touch, frosted, barrier resistance), and cold foil adhesives. The company also distributes rigid plastic blankets (Altitude RPB) through its Conti Laserline partnership. Products serve commercial lithography, packaging, labels, food and pharmaceutical, and point-of-purchase display markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UVALUX: UV and LED offset printing ink series for sheetfed and web offset applications, including the new 98 DualCURE series.
• NUVAFLEX
• EarthPrint
• HydroTek
• Altitude RPB

Products and services

• UVALUX Sheetfed Offset Inks Premium UV, LED, and conventional offset printing inks for sheetfed applications including luxury packaging, commercial lithography, and forms printing. Designed for printers requiring ultimate performance and profitability at high press speeds.
• NUVAFLEX Flexographic Inks UV/LED curing flexographic ink series for narrow web label printing and flexible packaging, offering dual-cure capability for both LED and mercury UV systems. Includes the water-based HydroTek series within the same product family.
• EarthPrint Sustainable Packaging Inks Sustainable packaging ink line formulated for ultimate recyclability, featuring de-inkable properties that allow rigid plastics to be effectively recycled into new containers while maintaining high print quality, adhesion, and pigmentation during printing. The 76z50 Series carries BPI Compostable certification.
• Dry Offset Printing Inks (71/72, 73/74, 75/76, 77/78 Series) Comprehensive range of dry offset printing inks for cylindrical and conical container printing, including LED-curable formulations and the compostable 76z50 Series with BPI certification.
• Altitude RPB Rigid Plastic Blankets Self-adhesive printing forms for dry offset applications, ideal for printing cylindrical and conical pots and containers with minimal thickness tolerances and no swelling. Distributed in North and South America under partnership with Conti Laserline.
• Specialty Coatings Specialty coatings including soft touch, frosted effects, protection coatings, and barrier resistance coatings for differentiating and protecting printed products.
• Rotary Screen Printing Inks UV-curable rotary screen ink lines including non-silicone over-printable inks and enhanced durable flatbed series for high-quality screen printing applications.
• Web Offset Printing Inks UVALUX brand offset inks for web offset printing applications, providing high-speed commercial printing inks for forms, publications, and commercial web operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 consecutive years (2021-2024) of Berry Global Ink Supplier of the Year recognition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Conti LaserlinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 March 2022Partnership to provide rigid plastic blankets to converters using dry offset applications. Zeller+Gmelin North America designated as distributor in North and South America for CONTI Laserline RPB product, rebranded as 'Altitude RPB'. The blankets are ideal for printing cylindrical and conical pots and containers.
• Bühler GroupcoreOthers · 14 December 2021Equipment supplier partnership for Visconomic ink mills and high speed mixers. Zeller+Gmelin purchased 4 Visconomic ink mills and 1 high speed mixer from Bühler Group to increase flexographic ink production capacity at their Richmond, Virginia facility. Bühler Group is a Swiss manufacturer known for quality mixing and grinding equipment.
• Berry GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partnership where Zeller+Gmelin supplies inks for Berry Global's dry offset and flexographic printing operations globally. Zeller+Gmelin supplies 71 Series and 77 Series inks for dry offset and IDF inks for flexographic printing. Partnership recognized through multiple consecutive Ink Supplier of the Year awards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Siegwerk: Siegwerk is a German-headquartered global ink manufacturer specializing in packaging printing inks and coatings, including UV/LED curable and sustainable solutions. It is a closely comparable peer to Zeller+Gmelin on packaging and label ink formulation expertise.
• INX International Ink Co. INX International is a global manufacturer of inks and coatings for packaging, commercial, and digital printing, with a strong flexographic and UV/EB curable portfolio. It competes directly with Zeller+Gmelin across flexo, offset, and packaging ink categories.
• Hubergroup: Hubergroup is a privately held German printing ink specialist serving packaging, commercial, and publication markets with UV, water-based, and offset inks. Its mid-sized, family-owned structure and ink-only focus make it one of the closest comparables to Zeller+Gmelin.
• Sun Chemical: Sun Chemical is the world's largest manufacturer of printing inks and pigments, serving commercial, packaging, and label markets with overlapping UV, LED, and conventional ink portfolios. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to Zeller+Gmelin's core offset, flexo, and packaging ink lines.
• Flint Group: Flint Group is a major global supplier of printing inks, coatings, and pressroom consumables across packaging and commercial print. Zeller+Gmelin's CEO Michael J. Podd previously held senior roles at Flint Group's CPS division, underscoring the direct comparability in product scope and customer base.
• Wikoff Color Corporation: Wikoff Color is a privately held North American manufacturer of printing inks and coatings, including UV/EB, water-based, and specialty inks for packaging and label applications. Comparable as a mid-sized specialty ink manufacturer competing for similar North American converter customers.

Broad incumbents

• DIC Corporation: DIC Corporation (parent of Sun Chemical) is a global conglomerate with leading positions in printing inks, pigments, and specialty chemicals. It is a broad incumbent peer with overlapping commercial, packaging, and label ink portfolios.
• Toyo Ink (Artience Group): Toyo Ink, part of Artience Group, is a Japanese global ink and pigments manufacturer with broad portfolios across offset, gravure, flexo, and packaging. Comparable as a broad incumbent in printing inks serving overlapping end-markets.

Regional players

• Marabu GmbH & Co. KG: Marabu is a privately held German manufacturer of screen printing, digital, and pad printing inks with a strong European footprint. Comparable as a privately held specialty ink formulator with overlapping UV/LED and screen printing ink technologies, though geographically focused on Europe.

Emerging players

• Nazdar Ink Technologies: Nazdar is a US-based manufacturer specializing in screen printing inks, digital inks, and narrow-web flexo inks. It overlaps with Zeller+Gmelin's rotary screen and narrow-web flexographic product lines as a niche specialty competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zeller-gmelin-corporation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zeller+Gmelin Corporation