GEWA doubles capacity and diversifies portfolio with twin BOBST investments

Mex, Switzerland, 28^th May 2025

Belgium-based bookbinder and printer, GEWA, took a bold step into the packaging market four years ago, investing in its first BOBST die-cutting and folder-gluing equipment. The strategy proved so successful that the packaging operation quickly outgrew its initial capacity. Facing increasing demand for both short and long runs, GEWA recently double its production capabilities with a duo of new investments; a BOBST NOVACUT 106 E die-cutter, and a BOBST VISIONFOLD 80 A2 folder-gluer, taking its packaging division to the next level.

For a forward-thinking business like GEWA, the decision to invest in a BOBST NOVACUT 106 E die-cutter and a BOBST VISIONFOLD 80 A2 folder-gluer was an easy one to make.

A family-run company based in Arendonk, a municipality in the Antwerp province, GEWA began as a book printer. As the business grew, it diversified into printing brochures, magazines, leaflets, and posters, and then into bookbinding before making the leap into the world of packaging.

“We started die-cutting and folding-gluing four years ago”, explains Levi Geenen, Process Manager at GEWA, whose father and uncle founded the company in 1989. ​ “And we quickly found some customers and volume, and now we’re focusing more on this department. We want to grow.

“Our focus is on shorter runs, but we have started to offer long runs. So, while we start die-cutting from 500 sheets, we also get orders for 100,000 sheets or 1 million boxes. Plus, we would also get urgent orders that we had to produce in three days, for example. That mix meant we needed more flexibility, and we had to invest to ensure we could deliver these numbers.

“Our vision was to have one machine for long runs and a smaller machine that we could use to support on long runs where needed, but that could also offer more flexibility on smaller jobs”.

Given the success of GEWA’s previous BOBST investments, Levi had no hesitation in recommending the company invest in what he calls “the whole package”.

“We already had the EXPERTFOLD 110 and the SP 102”, he explains. “So, the first step was the new die-cutter. And since we were also looking for an additional folder-gluer, we decided to optimize the whole process by investing in both machines at once”.

The NOVACUT 106 E began full operation in November 2024, and the VISIONFOLD 80 A2 in January 2025. The impact on GEWA’s business was immediate, Levi says. “We more or less doubled capacity and there is a big difference in quality. We see an uplift in the quality of the crease – and if the crease is better, the folder-gluer also runs better. That means the product is improved and we can find new efficiencies in our converting process.

“Ultimately, these efficiencies represent the main benefit of this investment. We can increase throughput across our business. The quality of the solutions we sent to our customers was always high, but now we can maintain those high standards with twice the capacity”.

Pierre Feltgen, Area Sales Manager Folding Carton at BOBST, was integral to supporting GEWA through the process until its mutually successful conclusion. “This was a perfect deal for both parties”, Pierre said. “After a successful demo, the installation and training process went smoothly and the customer was able to hit the ground running.

“It is yet another demonstration of why BOBST is the gold standard in this industry – not just in terms of our market-leading machines, but also in terms of our customer service and the ongoing relationships we build with our customers.

“It was a pleasure to deal with the GEWA team once again, and we look forward to continuing to support them as they continue their exciting expansion”.

Levi is clear that this is far from the end of GEWA’s growth journey – this is just the latest step along the way. In a market that demands increasingly higher standards, they don’t just aim to keep up - they strive to lead.

“It’s better to talk with results than with words” concludes Levi. “We think that packaging is critical to the future of offset printing. Our business has a clear vision of the future, and this investment is just one step on the way to making it a reality”.
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About BOBST
​We are one of the world’s leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment and services for the label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated industries. Our vision is to shape the future of the packaging world based on four pillars: connectivity, digitalization, automation and sustainability.
​Founded in 1890 by Joseph Bobst in Lausanne, Switzerland, BOBST has a presence in more than 50 countries, runs 21 production facilities in 12 countries and employs more than 6 400 people around the world. The firm recorded a consolidated turnover of CHF 1.891 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024.

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