Heidelberg optimistic on sales as Manroland merger is called off

Rautert made the comments at a press event at the Heidelberg’s Wiesloch factory, home to its now fully operational packaging showroom.

The comments followed reports in German paper Handelsblatt and from Reuters last week that Manroland had called off the talks over the merger due to Heidelberg’s poor financial results.

Yet Rautert remained cautiously optimistic, telling delegates that as a result of the lack of investment in the past 12 months, there was “an investment traffic jam coming”.

“There will be a sharp rise [in sales] by the end of next year or early 2011, that’s what I believe,” he added.

Delegates were also shown the manufacturing hall for the very-large-format Speedmaster XL 145 and XL 162 presses, which have proved a success since their launch at Drupa 2008, with nearly 40 machines sold worldwide.

“Hall 11 is the only hall in Wiesloch that runs overtime,” Rautert added.

Consultancy was another buzzword at the event, something Heidelberg first offered in Australia and which is being developed across the group.

Rautert told Packaging News: “This network is growing and I really believe in 10 years’ time there will be no sale without a business case made by us supporting the sale.”

At the start of October, Heidelberg revealed that 1,500 jobs would be shed at its German operations, making its global headcount reduction 4,000.

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