OCE IMAGISTICS INC history

Lodewijk’s scientific background paid off when, in 1871, he started to research the production of butter coloring, a substance used to color butter and margarine.

In 1877, Lodewijk succeeded in establishing a large-scale production line for this product.

The industry developed rapidly, and Lodewijk’s son Frans joined the business around 1890.

1902 - First production hall

When a loss was made for the first time in the company’s history in the financial year 1918 (due to the lack of raw materials in the First World War), Frans van der Grinten decided to use the knowledge of dyes in research into blueprint materials.

The process was brought onto the market in 1930 under the name Océ, which was simply an abbreviation for “Ohne Componente” – which means “without components” in German.

Copiers were not originally manufactured by Van der Grinten, but by “Machinefabriek Emwee”, founded 1931 in Venlo by L.P. Grothauzen.

In 1956, for the first time a member of the Board of Management not belonging to the Van der Grinten family, took office.

1960's - Copying on plain paper

The recipe for butter coloring was sold to Unilever in 1970.

1973 - Plain paper copier

In 1983 the Océ 7500 was the first large format copier equipment which could make black & white copies on plain paper up to A0 format.

1995 - Océ radiant fusing

Later, in 1997, “Van der Grinten” was dropped from the company name.

2002 - First flatbed printer

The American dealer Imagistics was bought in 2005, giving Océ the right to sell the simpler photocopiers of Konica Minolta in Europe.

Océ celebrates its 130th birthday Océ’s 130th anniversary was marked by a symposium on 29 October 2007, which Océ was hosting together with the Venlo City Council and the University of Maastricht.

Although assembly work is still taking place in Venlo, the most important activity there ever since has been the research and development laboratory. It was in particular the knowledge present in this laboratory that proved attractive to Canon, the company that announced on November 13, 2009 that it would take over Océ.

2016 - Patent award received

2017 - Third generation varioPRINT