Purup-Eskofot and Barco Merger Effective

Published: January 14, 2002, By PRESS RELEASE

BALLERUP, DENMARK—According to Purup Eskofot, the final agreement for the amalgamation of the company and Barco Graphics has been signed. The merger, which was announced last fall at Graph Expo in Chicago, is proceeding as planned, says Purup. However, Purup-Eskofot president/CEO William Schulin-Zeuthen has decided against accepting the offer to head-up the new company.

"Toward the end of our negotiations," says Schulin-Zeuthen, "it became clear to me that, in the future, it would be best for the new company to be led by someone from the outside, rather than by someone from the merging companies. In this way, the new company will have a new leader who can look at the situation with a fresh perspective and see the enormous potential of the new company—both in terms of daily operations and market position. This has been a difficult decision to make, but I'm sure it is the right one," he adds.

Purup says Schulin-Zeuthen will continue to lead the new company until a new president/CEO takes over, the latest on June 30, 2002. The co. adds it's already looking for a new leader for the new entity, which (after the merger) reportedly will be the second largest prepress company in the world, with approximately 1,300 employees and activities around the globe.

Visit Purup Eskofot on the web at purup-eskofot.com.