Press release

At Fespa 2022 in Berlin, which runs from 31 May to 3 June 2022, Sihl will be presenting products from the Signage & Photo segment suitable for numerous areas of application. In addition, its joint venture Perigon will be in attendance for the first time at the Sihl stand 2.2-B61 and will showcase its innovative technology for designing three-dimensional objects.

‘Environmental Social Governance’ (ESG) is a key element of Sihl’s strategy, and likewise the focus topics for this year’s Fespa are sustainability and innovation. Almost all Sihl paper-based products are FSC®-certified. In addition, Sihl develops and manufactures nearly every product at its Düren side, so they are ‘Made in Germany’. This guarantees high-quality products, reduced CO2 emissions and manufacturing processes with less environmental pollution, fewer environment risks and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Again being awarded the EcoVadis silver medal in the CSR rating is confirmation of acting with a sense of social responsibility.

New GreenGrafX product line

Sihl will be presenting its new GreenGrafX product line for the first time at Fespa 2022. The three grades GreenGrafX TriSolv Prime 135 P-CA Glossy (3685), GreenGrafX TriSolv Prime 135 BB P-CA Glossy (3683) and GreenGrafX PP Prime 170 EasyTack Satin (3529) are sustainable, PVC-free, self-adhesive papers/foils that are ideal for a wide range of indoor and outdoor advertising applications.

Interior design has also been a segment in high demand during the Covid pandemic. For this reason, Sihl has improved the properties of its two environmentally friendly wallpapers Prepasted non-woven design2wall FR 230 (2515) and Non-woven design2wall FR 210 (2517). Both of these optimised products will be presented at Fespa.

Perigon – When the World revolves around YOU!

‘We’re particularly pleased that we will also be represented at Fespa for the first time and will be able to showcase our business’, says Steffen Ohr, Co-Managing Director of Perigon GmbH. Perigon’s innovative technology enables three-dimensional complex objects to be printed 360° all around, regardless of shape, material and size. Whether shoes, bottles, sporting equipment or household appliances – there are no limits to the design possibilities. And the topic of sustainability plays a major role at Perigon as well. By being able to manufacture only what is needed centralised and on-demand, waste is reduced and overproduction no longer occurs.

Experience innovation and sustainability. Sihl and Perigon look forward to your visit in hall 2.2, stand 2.2-B61!

ARTYSIO – the innovation for functional, print&pack on demand primary packaging in digital, aqueous inkjet printing.

The new ARTYSIO Twist film is ideal for twist & fold wrapping when small to medium runs are individualised, in high quality and with very fast delivery times. The printing system offers maximum flexibility: the film can be printed on site before packaging and processed directly in the line saving resources and enabling new distribution concepts.

The ARTYSIO Twist film provides reliable protection from light, air and dirt for sweets, chocolates and other confectionery. The white film can be printed individually using AQ inkjet for a great look and presentation to the customer. ARTYSIO Twist scores twice when it comes to environmental protection. The film is made from renewable raw materials and is industrially compostable.

As part of the ESG strategy, Sihl continues to lead the way in FACESTOCK, creating products and solutions that make the best possible use of available resources.

As a pioneer, Sihl is launching the first inkjet film based on 90% PCR
(= Post Consumer Recycled) BOPET at the end of April! It offers identical product benefits to its non-PCR counterpart and is ideally suited for razor-sharp product labels in print on demand. In addition to the resource-saving grades with reduced weight, this is another step towards a “green” range.

7054 PICOFILM CPr-50 gloss IHG1 is a transparent FACESTOCK film for the production of product labels. The front side has a glossy coating for variable information printing with water-based inkjet, and is suitable for both dye and pigment inks. The product has the same mechanical properties, so it is easy to process – just like the non-PCR grades (7858/7852) – while offering identical benefits: fast drying, with high colour brilliance, sharp-edged prints and good water resistance. The total weight of this film has also been reduced: This means more labels per roll and thus higher productivity.

Sihl FACESTOCK coatings combined with print-on-demand printing technology make it easier and more affordable to produce exactly the amount of labels needed while meeting customers’ personalisation requirements.  This reduces waste and CO2 emissions enormously.

The Sihl Group continues to extend its pioneering role in the digital printing market and is taking the next step on its transformation journey: as of 15 February 2022, Michael Keller will assume the new position of Sales Director Signage & Photo for EMEA and APAC.

Michael Keller brings extensive experience in sales and was previously Corporate Vice President Sales at Heimbach GmbH. At Sihl GmbH, he will also assume responsibility for all sales activities in the Signage & Photo segment and report directly to Stefan Benito, Sihl GmbH’s Commercial Managing Director.

Born in Düren, Germany, he worked as a Corporate Account Manager for Heimbach GmbH after completing his in-service training as a business economist. His commitment was decisive for its growth with major customers in a strongly consolidating market environment. He then took on the challenge of living and working in Asia for four years with his family as General Manager. There he was instrumental in the expansion of its Asian business and ultimate focus on the Chinese market. At the same time, Keller completed his MBA at the Open University.

In his last position at Heimbach as Corporate Vice President Sales, he had sales responsibility of more than 100 million euros and was responsible for global sales, marketing, technical service and product management, supplemented by external and internal logistics.

Clearly defined goals: driving profitable growth in existing markets and innovation platforms, as well as improving customer focus

“With Michael, we’re gaining a new colleague with a great deal of experience in the development of business sectors. He will provide new impetus for our core business in the Signage & Photo segment and help us achieve the goals of our transformation journey”, says Stefan Benito about the new responsibilities of the Sales Director Signage & Photo.

Michael Keller will assume his new position as of 15 February 2022.

Sihl GmbH is starting the year 2022 with a new appointment to its management team: from 13 January, Stefan Benito will assume the position of Commercial Managing Director. With this, the Sihl Group is taking another step on its transformation journey.

Stefan Benito joined the Sihl Group on 1 September 2021 as Vice-President Commercial for EMEA and APAC. In addition to his previous responsibilities, he will now take over the management of the Finance and Human Resources departments at Sihl GmbH.

The 54-year-old from Düsseldorf succeeds Martin Blom, who will thus be able to concentrate more on his responsibilities as CFO of the Sihl Group in the future. ‘I would like to thank Reiner Bolz for his successful teamwork in Sihl GmbH’s management team, and I’m delighted that – with Stefan – we have gained a colleague with extensive commercial experience and leadership skills. I wish him every success in his new role’, says Blom.

Stefan Benito can look back on 25 years of management experience, including more than six years as Managing Director at Thomas GmbH, where he concentrated on sales, marketing and HR. He now forms Sihl GmbH’s new management in Düren, together with the company’s long-standing Technical Managing Director Reiner Bolz.

‘With Stefan as Commercial Managing Director, we will press ahead with the next goals on our transformation journey. These include driving profitable growth in our existing markets and innovation platforms, as well as improving our customer focus. We are also strengthening Sihl’s focus as a strong partner for innovative solutions in future-oriented industries’, explains Peter K. Wahsner, CEO of the Sihl Group.