Heidelberg IPEX sales top $429 million

Regional sales for Australia and New Zealand are in line with overall performance, despite a decrease in the number of local visitors.

“Although the numbers of Australian and New Zealand customers were down from IPEX 98, we were very pleased with the results we achieved at the show,” said Andy Vels Jensen, Managing Director of Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand. “We achieved sales that were 40 per cent up on the previous IPEX in 1998.”

This was reflected in the company’s overall IPEX order book where sales at the show totaled Euro 260 million (Aus$429 million). "At IPEX we signed a contract every 6.6 minutes," said George Clarke who is in charge of the U.K. market for Heidelberg.


"This result reaffirms our leading role as a solutions provider in the graphic arts industry," said Bernhard Schreier, Heidelberg Chairman.
In a headland speech during the show, he predicted major consolidation on the supply side of the industry as a result of difficult trading conditions. "This consolidation will continue and Heidelberg will not only drive it but we will be in the poll position when business picks up again."

He said the announcement that Heidelberg’s major shareholder, the German utilities company RWE, which wants to dispose of its controlling 50 per cent share by the end of the year, was a positive move. If the shares are launched on the stock market that would be, what he described as "heaven on earth" as it would allow the company to pursue its own destiny. He refuted claims that RWE had already sold its shares.

Innovations and highlights

Centrepiece of the Heidelberg stand was a massive 12-colour perfecting Speedmaster SM102-12P, the top of the range of the company's sheetfed presses with a new sheeter at the front end, the Cutstar. Across the way the NexPress was bathed in spotlights and the announcement that four of the digital presses have been sold to Dublin-based group VLM for installation in its Birmingham plant at the very start of the fair. The company prints millions of customised real estate brochures every year.


The Nexpress at IPEX

Over 150 of the machines have been placed since it was launched at Chicago last September. Australia is unlikely to see one of them until later this year or early next. New software, NexTreme, which supports variable digital printing on the NexPress, was also released at the show.

Workflow is key

The Prinect Center was given major prominence on Heidelberg’s stand, and provided visitors with demonstrations of integrated print shops. “Prinect was perhaps the major area of interest for our customers,” said Andy Vels Jensen. “Here Heidelberg demonstrated it’s ability to manage all areas of the workflow from prepress, press to finishing. It certainly strengthened Heidelberg’s position as the leading complete solutions provider of the show.”

Go to www.au.heidelberg.com for more details.