ANY Security Printing Company

ANY Security Printing Company, legally known in Hungarian as ANY Biztonsági Nyomda Nyrt. and formerly as the State Printing Company, is a Budapest-based Hungarian security-printing and identification-products group. Its historical roots extend to a state printing institution established in 1851 in Timișoara, then part of the Habsburg monarchy. The organization later moved closer to the Hungarian government district in Buda Castle and became an important supplier of administrative forms, fee stamps, tax materials, treasury documents and other products whose production required confidentiality and tight state control. The company’s modern business is broader than conventional commercial printing. Its activities include security documents, tax stamps, securities, paper-based official forms, tickets and other controlled printed products; plastic-card manufacturing and personalization; smart cards and electronic-signature cards; identity-document production; electronic document management; and high-volume transactional printing. It has produced or supported Hungarian card-based identity documents, including personal identity cards, driving licences, motor-vehicle ownership cards and student cards. It also manufactures banking cards carrying international payment-system brands, as well as business forms and transactional documents for banks, insurers and other organizations. A significant part of the company’s value proposition rests on the integration of secure substrates, specialized inks, anti-counterfeiting features, personalization, data handling and controlled production processes. These capabilities allow the group to serve applications in which authenticity, resistance to copying or alteration, and reliable issuance are more important than ordinary print volume. Its Document Security Laboratory supports research and development in security materials, inks and related solutions. Following Hungary’s political and economic transition, the former state printing enterprise was privatized in 1993. It subsequently moved from its historic premises near Buda Castle to a facility in Kőbánya, with a new printing plant officially opened in 1994. The company entered plastic-card production in 1997, established a modern card facility in 1998, and expanded into chip-card production around 2000. It began international expansion in 2005 through ventures and subsidiaries in several Central and Eastern European markets. Its shares have been listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange since December 2005. The corporate name changed from State Printing Company to ANY Security Printing Company PLC on 1 February 2013, reflecting the company’s transformation from a predominantly state-associated printer into a privately operated security-printing and identification group. The company remains active and publicly listed. Public reference material establishes its historical development, product categories and regional orientation, but does not by itself provide a complete current breakdown of revenue, customers, ownership or executive leadership.

ANY Security Printing Company traces its institutional history to a state printing establishment founded in 1851 in Timișoara. The predecessor emerged in the political context following the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848–49 and was associated with the Viennese Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing House. Its early role was to produce official materials under controlled conditions, making it one of the most important printing institutions in the city. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 and the formation of an independent Hungarian government, the printing operation was moved in 1868 toward the Buda Castle government district. It supplied Hungarian state administration with official forms. In 1869, the government combined it with the Finance Ministry’s cadastral lithographic printing institution and map collection. The consolidation supported domestic production of fee stamps and other treasury and administrative materials, whose manufacture required confidentiality before official release. The merged institution became known as the Hungarian Royal State Printing House. A reorganization in 1901 shortened the name to State Printing House. During the early twentieth century, the organization printed state-budget materials, financial publications, railway timetables, treasury notes, bills, lottery tickets, tax stamps and packaging for tobacco products. The Hungarian government established a separate banknote-printing institution in 1922, and domestic banknote production began in 1923 in buildings associated with the State Printing House. During the Second World War, the facility was used as a war factory and printed ration-related notes for food and fuel. After the war, its portfolio returned to postal, railway and state-administration documents, together with bonds, lottery tickets and election materials. The company’s long relationship with postage and fiscal stamps was an important part of its development. Before Hungary produced its own stamps, postal and administrative fees were paid with stamps manufactured in Vienna. The first Hungarian-produced postal stamp was issued in 1871 after the State Printing House developed the necessary production capability. Later developments included expanded capacity and quality improvements following a 1957 investment, the beginning of multicolour stamp production, and the printing of export stamps from 1960. Lottery forms and tickets have reportedly been part of the portfolio since 1947, while election forms became a recurring state-printing assignment. The political and economic transition after the end of state socialism changed the company’s ownership and operating environment. The former state monopoly was privatized in 1993, and the business moved from its historic premises near Buda Castle to Kőbánya in Budapest. A new printing facility on Halom Street opened on 4 October 1994. The company also took over equipment and much of the workforce of SZÜV Continuous Form Printing House, strengthening its ability to produce business and transactional forms. A major modernization phase followed. Plastic-card production began in 1997. A modern plant on Fátyolka Street was established in 1998 and subsequently expanded for chip-card manufacturing around 2000. In 1999, the company created a Document Security Laboratory to support research and development in secure documents, inks and related technologies. These changes shifted the business from traditional state printing toward integrated security documents, cards, personalization, data processing and document-management services. Internationalization began in 2005, when the company established joint ventures with partners in Romania and Bulgaria and subsidiaries in Slovakia and Russia, according to the reference history. The same year, its shares were listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange in December. The group’s modern activities now encompass security documents, identity credentials, plastic and smart cards, payment cards, electronic-signature cards, tax products, tickets, securities, bulk transactional printing and electronic document management. The corporate name changed to ANY Security Printing Company PLC on 1 February 2013. The change reflected the company’s evolution away from a predominantly state-associated printing identity and toward a broader security-technology and identification business. The company remains an active Hungarian listed enterprise. Available reference material does not establish a complete account of later acquisitions, current subsidiaries, executive appointments, financial performance or present ownership, so those matters are not stated as facts here.

• 2013

  Company renamed ANY Security Printing Company PLC

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The corporate name changed from State Printing Company to ANY Security Printing Company PLC on 1 February.

• 2005

  International expansion and stock-market listing

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company began international expansion through ventures and subsidiaries in Central and Eastern Europe, and its shares were listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange in December.

• 2000

  Chip-card production capability expanded

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The card facility was further developed to support chip-card production.

• 1999

  Document Security Laboratory established

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company created a laboratory for research and development in document security.

• 1998

  Modern card-production plant established

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A modern facility was established on Fátyolka Street for card-related production.

• 1997

  Plastic-card production began

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company entered plastic-card manufacturing.

• 1994

  New Kőbánya printing plant opened

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A new facility on Halom Street in Budapest’s Kőbánya district officially opened on 4 October.

• 1993

  State Printing House was privatized

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company was privatized during Hungary’s post-socialist economic transition.

• 1960

  Export-stamp printing began

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The State Printing House began producing export stamps.

• 1957

  Production capacity and multicolour printing expanded

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Investment expanded capacity and improved quality, while multicolour stamp production began.

• 1947

  Lottery printing became part of the continuing portfolio

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company has been associated with the production of lottery forms and tickets from this period.

• 1922

  Hungarian Banknote Printing House founded

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The Hungarian government established a separate banknote-printing institution in buildings associated with the State Printing House.

• 1901

  Institution became known as State Printing House

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A reorganization changed the institution’s name to State Printing House.

• 1871

  First Hungarian-produced postal stamp issued

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  After the development of domestic stamp-production capability, the first postal stamp produced in Hungary was issued.

• 1869

  State printing and cadastral printing institutions were merged

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The government combined the printing operation with the Finance Ministry’s cadastral lithographic institution, enabling more systematic domestic production of fee stamps and treasury forms.

• 1868

  Printing operation moved toward the Buda government district

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The operation moved closer to the Hungarian government district to produce state-administration forms.

• 1851

  Predecessor state printing institution began operation

  [1]ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The institutional predecessor of ANY began operating in Timișoara as a state-associated printing establishment.

Government and enterprise security-printing, identification, personalization and document-security solutions provider

• Security printing

  Security documents

  Official and commercial documents designed for applications where authenticity, controlled issuance and resistance to copying or alteration are important. The category includes paper-based state forms, protected documents and other printed products incorporating security features, specialized materials and controlled production processes.

• Identification

  Identity cards and official credentials

  The company produces and personalizes card-based identification products for government and institutional use. Referenced examples include Hungarian personal identity cards, driving licences, motor-vehicle ownership cards and student identity cards. These products combine secure card materials, variable data, personalization and issuance controls.

• Cards and credentials · 1997

  Plastic and smart cards

  Plastic-card manufacturing became a major modernization direction from the late 1990s. The business includes conventional secure cards, chip cards and cards supporting electronic identification or signature applications. Production can be combined with personalization and document-management services.

• Financial cards

  Payment cards

  ANY produces VISA and Mastercard banking cards, according to the referenced company history. These products require secure manufacturing, card personalization and process controls appropriate to financial credentials and their associated issuance systems.

• Fiscal security printing · 1869

  Tax stamps and fiscal products

  Tax stamps and related fiscal products are part of the company’s historical and modern security-printing portfolio. Their production is intended to support controlled taxation, authentication and traceability, with security processes designed to limit unauthorized duplication or substitution.

• Tickets and transactional print · 1947

  Tickets, lottery forms and secure forms

  The company has produced lottery tickets and forms, election forms, railway and postal documents, and other controlled printed materials. Modern secure forms can combine variable information, anti-counterfeiting elements and high-volume production for public-sector and commercial uses.

• Document services

  Electronic document management and transactional printing

  ANY’s modern scope includes electronic document management, personalization and bulk transactional printing. The company develops and personalizes business forms for banks, insurance companies and other organizations, including invoices, delivery notes, printed forms and blank continuous forms.

• Security technology · 1999

  Document-security laboratory solutions

  The Document Security Laboratory conducts research and development related to security inks, document protection and associated technical solutions. Its work supports the company’s broader ability to design and manufacture products with authentication and anti-counterfeiting characteristics.

• 2013

  Corporate rebranding as ANY Security Printing CompanyStrategy

  Background

  After a prolonged period in which state ownership was below the level cited in the company’s governing arrangements, the historic State Printing Company name no longer represented the business’s ownership and scope.

  Action taken

  The company adopted the name ANY Security Printing Company PLC on 1 February 2013.

  Aftermath

  The new name emphasized security printing and the company’s broader identification, card and document-services activities.

  Source

• 2005

  Regional international expansionStrategy

  Background

  The company sought to extend its security-printing and identification capabilities beyond Hungary.

  Action taken

  It established joint ventures with partners in Romania and Bulgaria and subsidiaries in Slovakia and Russia.

  Aftermath

  The group developed a stated Central and Eastern European and international operating orientation.

  Source

• 1997

  Entry into plastic-card productionProduct launch

  Background

  Growing use of card-based identification, payment and access credentials created demand beyond traditional paper printing.

  Action taken

  The company began producing plastic cards and later expanded the related facility for chip-card manufacturing.

  Aftermath

  Card manufacturing and personalization became central components of the company’s modern security-products portfolio.

  Source

• 1993

  Privatization and transition from a state printing enterpriseStrategy

  Background

  Hungary’s post-socialist transition ended the operating environment of many state monopolies, including the former State Printing House.

  Action taken

  The company was privatized and subsequently repositioned for commercial operation and technological expansion.

  Aftermath

  The business moved toward card production, document security, personalization and broader commercial and international activities.

  Source

1. 1ANY Security Printing Companyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2ANY Security Printing Company official English websiteany.hu
3. 3Archived State Printing House websiteweb.archive.org