Could we be about to see a shake-up in the printing market with Ninestar owner Apex making a move for Lexmark?
That’s a rumour that’s doing the rounds after Recycling Times broke the story this week.
An in-depth story from Reuters has added fuel to the fire and appears to confirm that the parties are at least holding discussions.
The Reuters story suggests that Apex might acquire the whole of Lexmark – ie the consulting and hardware divisions – but at first glance that would seem to be a strange move from Apex, which has its roots firmly in the imaging supplies and components market. An IBM/Lenovo-type of transaction with Apex acquiring Lexmark’s print hardware business might make more sense.
Apex – which owns the Ninestar and Seine brands – certainly demonstrated its international ambitions last year when it acquired leading US-based components manufacturer Static Control Components, so it eyeing the Lexmark printer business may not be that far-fetched.
But it would certainly be an interesting combination of a leading OEM and a leading aftermarket supplies company, especially given their previous clashes over alleged patent infringements.
Zhuhai, China
