19 2025 - number 4 - promzvak.nl “It’s a big step,” Köckert says with the understated seriousness of a man who knows what it means to hand-paint porcelain. “But if we want to survive in a market where orders are getting smaller, we need to produce faster, more flexibly — and cheaper.” The white gold of the past Mahlwerck has been producing ceramics for over thirty years, in a tradition that dates back to the Saxon princes, when porcelain was still known as “white gold” and was worth as much as real gold. “The first pieces of ceramic in Meissen were brown like chocolate,” Tobias explains, rolling an espresso cup between his hands. “Only later we succeed in making white porcelain. That was revolutionary. And now, more than two hundred years later, we want to spark a revolution once again.” That revolution comes in the form of a digital printing machine that prints full-colour, razor-sharp images directly onto ceramics — no transfer paper, no manual labour. And it’s fast. “With this technology, we can print small batches, personalize items, incorporate photographs, even add metallic effects. What used to take us days, we can now do in hours.” Tobias Köckert sits across from me at a modest desk in Teplice, Czech Republic. Outside, a truck growls; inside, a coffee machine rattles. Nothing suggests that here, in an industrial corner not far from Dresden, ceramics are being produced in a way you would more expect in Silicon Valley than on an Eastern European factory floor. Mahlwerck has just invested in a brand-new digital printing machine — and that investment could seriously shake up the promotional market. MAHLWERCK PUSHES FORWARD FROM THE WHITE GOLD TO DIGITAL FIREWORKS: New markets, new opportunities The timing is perfect. Large orders are declining. “We now average around 250 pieces per order,” says Tobias. “It used to be a thousand.” But while others in the industry complain, Mahlwerck sees opportunity. “With smaller quantities, we can serve new markets: whiskey brands wanting personalized glasses, hotels offering custom mugs for their penthouses, even limited editions for influencers. Everything is becoming custom.” And that means: speed, variety, and zero errors. The new machine delivers all of that — but Mahlwerck is also holding on to its roots. “We’re not going to stop making our hand-painted mugs,” Köckert assures. “That level of quality is our foundation. But now, we can offer customers something more. One doesn’t exclude the other.” Sustainability without solar Those expecting these innovations to go hand-in-hand with a sleek sustainability policy might be disappointed. “Solar panels?” Köckert shakes his head. “We’d love to — but we don’t own the roof. And in the Czech Republic, the system 8
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