IM GROUP has announced that IEC+ srl, a mechanical engineering specialist known for its design and manufacturing of dispersing, grinding and mixing equipment as well as complete engineering studies and turnkey solutions, has joined its ranks.

The announcement—filmed on location at IEC+’s headquarters in Travesetolo in Parma, Italy as well as at Inkmaker in Shanghai, China and at IEC Plant Engineering’s HQ in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—was premiered on Youtube recently, to mark the Group’s closing quarter of 2021. This significant chapter in IM GROUP’s evolution rounds off a series of events and activities for the group (previously Inkmaker Group), making it its most event-ful year to date.

The decision to announce the joining of IEC+, six months after IM GROUP’s launch, was based on a two-pronged strategy.

“The initial phase was to lay the foundations of IM GROUP by structuring our brands to focus on their individual specialties, yet for them to come together to offer total process-engineering solutions, under a single group, when required,” said Christophe Rizzo, CEO of EMEA/Americas, IM GROUP. “The second phase was to evolve this to an ‘Advanced’ stage.

“Today, we are adding a significant boost to our portfolio with the addition of a company that will act as a central catalyst to unite and spearhead each of our other brands into: ‘Advanced’ engineering solutions,” added Rizzo.

IEC+ has been partnering with IM GROUP for several years. By offering dispersing, grind-ing and mixing equipment, IEC+ effectively becomes IM GROUP’s crowning stroke as it is set to elevate the group to a higher playing field.

“…We are ready—with our industry-4.0-equipped factories—to offer our clients this next phase,” added Roberto Guerra, CEO Asia Pacific, IM GROUP. “Other than just expanding our premises we have been busy, paving the way, by strengthening our bond with Malay-sian-based IEC Plant Engineering, a specialist in this industry since 1992. They have an extensive sales and service network throughout South-East Asia; especially in Malaysia, India and Vietnam. Additionally, their CEO, PM Ravi, an existing shareholder of IEC+, has been fine-tuning an excellent inter-brand relationship with us—which is a bonus.”

On a HR perspective, Valentina Cigna, global director of HR and president of IM GROUP, explained that now that IEC+ has joined IM GROUP, many resources will be shared throughout all the group’s brands, thus reducing waste, and that IM GROUP will be con-solidating their forces to include IEC+ into their overall Circular-Economy Plan. Plans are also being made to create additional jobs for the region of Parma, Italy.

“…we plan to increase IEC+’s workforce, by around 15-20% within the next 5 years, and invest in human capital initiatives such as advanced IoT training, to improve industry 4.0 experience and skills,” explained Cigna.

Lau Kar Seng, general manager of Inkmaker Shanghai and member of the board, ex-plained that in China too, since IM GROUP’s launch in April, preparations were being fi-nalized in two main areas: by expanding to larger premises to align with IEC+’s specifica-tions, and to manufacture and customize large heavy-duty equipment for dispersing, grinding and mixing and secondly to form a joint-venture company, with Zhuhai Longtec Corp. Ltd., called “Inkmaker Intelligent Systems” in anticipation of offering IEC+’s service, expertise, and machinery.

“Longtec, is a large cooperation, listed on the Shenzhen New Third Board, and will signifi-cantly boost our market reach throughout China,” explained Lau, “the addition of IEC+ is a bonus that many competitors will be unable to match in China, especially with IEC Plant Engineering (in Asia) as our partners.”

The entrance of IEC+ into the group presents a unique opportunity for the evolution of both, the group, as well as for IEC+.

“IEC+ is an extraordinary company with a technical know-how gained from over 20 years’ experience of its team. It can offer, ‘advanced engineering’, by this we mean that the de-sign, projection, and management services are extended to all the production processes, site management and software interface. This starts from preliminary engineering studies through to the complete project implementation and delivery—as such this will use the specialisations from all our brands,” said Gianluca Incerti, global commercial director, IM GROUP. “Each brand will continue to be differentiated through their expertise, and com-pete in their individual market sectors, and when required, they will come together on large projects for IM GROUP.”

IEC+ share holder and long-term partner of Inkmaker, PM Ravi, CEO of IEC Plant Engi-neering, said, “I am particularly happy with this outcome. It is an ideal collaboration for all; IM GROUP, IEC+ and IEC Plant Engineering, too.”

Founding member of IEC+ Fabrizio Musi, who will stay on with the brand as operations manager, said it was a pleasure to see it join IM GROUP.

“This is a significant moment in a strategic global plan, I am confident that, through IM GROUP’s leadership and by joining the IM GROUP family of brands, IEC+ has secured the continuity of its business and is set to make the group stronger and increase its market position,” he concluded. “Antonio Riggio is a proven general manager with a very good track record and I warmly welcome him in his new role at IEC+.”