Printing equipment manufacturer Koenig & Bauer continues to make good progress with its strategic projects for sustainably profitable growth.
This include its joint venture with Durst, providing it with access to markets for digitally printed folding cartons and corrugated board. Koenig & Bauer Durst was formally established in May, with a managing director appointed as of today (1 August).
Koenig & Bauer CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann elaborated, ‘We are also seeing good opportunities for digital production lines in the folding carton and corrugated board industry. This sector is demanding economical and flexible solutions for smaller, more individualised print runs. In addition to the VariJET 106 for digital folding carton printing, the Koenig & Bauer CorruJET 170 and the Durst SPC 130 for digital direct printing on corrugated board, as well as the ink business and all related services, are part of the joint venture’s portfolio.’
Koenig & Bauer CFO Mathias Dähn identified similar opportunities in digital decor printing, based on the RotaJET platform. ‘We are seeing great revenue and earnings potential for our RotaJET digital printing platform as a result of this increasingly apparent structural transformation in decor printing,’ he said. ‘This applies simultaneously to digital beverage carton printing following the key contract from Tetra Pak. For the large and high growth market for analogue direct printing on corrugated board, we have developed the sheetfed flexo presses CorruCUT and CorruFLEX with a number of unique features. Following a testing phase in our plant, the prestigious pilot customer and development partner Klingele has now approved the ordered CorruCUT. By virtue of the printing and die-cutting quality, the short make-ready times and general operating comfort, our innovation has generated a very positive response from the customer and the global corrugated board industry. Equally gratifying is customer feedback from the field tests currently underway on the CS MetalCan which we developed for two-piece beverage can decorating with some unique features.’
These comments come as Koenig & Bauer confirmed its group targets for 2019 and beyond. This year, the company is targeting organic growth of around 4%.
Mr Dähn continued, ‘With our growth offensive 2023, we want to actively make use of market opportunities currently presented in the corrugated board, cardboard, flexible packaging, two-piece can, coding, glass direct and decor printing, as well as in the post-press area for sustainably profitable growth. The influence of the volatile security printing business will subside with the higher share of packaging in group revenue. With web offset presses for newspaper and commercial printing, we anticipate further declines in the service business due to increased machine shutdowns and printshop closings. With all of our initiatives and projects, we are targeting to increase group revenue to around €1.5 billion with an EBIT margin of between 7-10% until 2023. All three segments are to contribute to the growth in revenue and earnings.’
