Based in Aylesbury in the UK
and Zwaag in the Netherlands,
Hi-Tech Coatings develops and produces over 1,000 environmentally friendly
products and formulations for the print media industry, primarily water- and
UV-based coatings.

Bernhard Schreier CEO of Heidelberg
says, "By acquiring Hi-Tech Coatings, Heidelberg
is pursuing its consistent strategy of expanding the range of services available
to our customers."

Schreier adds, "Using high-performance consumables on our
machines makes customers more efficient and enables us to achieve margins that
are not tied to economic cycles."

Hi-Tech Coatings, which was founded in 1993, sells its
products worldwide via dealers and licensees, focusing most strongly on Britain and Eastern Europe.
In 2007, Hi-Tech achieved sales of 25m Euro.

Paul Bass managing director of Hi-Tech Coatings says, "We
have long been aware of how important it is to have links to presses and the
printing process. This makes it a logical step to merge Hi-Tech Coatings and Heidelberg."

Bass continues, "Coatings play a key role in the graphic
arts industry. The enhanced durability of coated products and ongoing
improvements in terms of esthetics make a major contribution to increasing
print shop productivity."

Heidelberg says
the acquisition is still subject to the scrutiny of the German anti-trust
authority, but the deal will go through as soon as the necessary approval has
been obtained. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the conditions of the
acquisition.

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