(Información remitida por la empresa firmante)
· From bell foundry to global player
· In its anniversary year, HEIDELBERG heads into the future with a clear growth strategy
· Speedmaster series perpetuates success story started by legendary “Original Heidelberger Tiegel”*–*the 1921 springboard to a world-leading position
· Milestones in the history of HEIDELBERG
On March 11 (News Aktuell).- 1850 – exactly 175 years ago – the Hemmer, Hamm & Co. bell foundry and machine shop opened in Frankenthal. Besides bells, it also made printing presses, which laid the foundations for the company now called Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG). Precision, quality, and innovation were the success factors that transformed HEIDELBERG from a workshop based in the Palatinate region of Germany to a global player in the printing industry. “A company that can sustain its success over such a long period, become a world leader in its industry, and continue to shape the entire sector right up to the present day has strong credentials that are testament to its innovative capabilities. The defining feature of HEIDELBERG is the company’s understanding of markets, customers, and exceptional product quality,” says Jürgen Otto, CEO of HEIDELBERG. “We also intend to maintain and build on this leading position in the future,” he adds.
HEIDELBERG heads into the future with a strategy for growth
To achieve this, HEIDELBERG is tapping into growth potential in its traditional core business*–*from packaging and digital printing to software and lifecycle products.
Recently, for example, the company has significantly expanded its portfolio in the growth market of industrial digital printing, including service and consumables. Global incoming orders confirm that sales of digital printing solutions will already start increasing substantially from the coming financial year. According to market assessments, the global digital printing market that is accessible to HEIDELBERG will grow from its current level of around 5*billion euros to 7.5*billion euros in 2029.
As for lifecycle business, HEIDELBERG boasts the industry’s most comprehensive service network, with a presence in approximately 170 countries.
Packaging printing enjoying strong growth worldwide
The end-customer market for packaging has grown by more than 60*percent over the past ten years. HEIDELBERG, too, is benefiting from this development. The packaging segment accounts for more than 50*percent of the company’s sales, a figure that is set to increase further still. One market driver is the global trend toward replacing plastics, films, and foils with recyclable fiber-based packaging.
Hybrid print production boosts competitiveness
Autonomous printing processes that make printing businesses more efficient and save on resources used to be regarded as a futuristic vision, but that changed some time ago. HEIDELBERG introduced its Push*to*Stop concept for a printing process with minimal operator intervention back in 2016. The AI-assisted Prinect*Touch*Free workflow showcased at drupa*2024 assigns print jobs to the most efficient production method and*output system on an automated basis. Besides offset and digital systems from
HEIDELBERG and third-party suppliers, it also covers postpress operations, all the way through to the finished final product. Controlling hybrid print production in this way makes print shops much more competitive.
Growth in industrial business and with green technologies
“In addition to this, we will be further expanding our portfolio for industrial business and the growing green technologies market. This includes key sectors such as high-precision mechanical engineering, the automotive industry, charging infrastructure, software, and new hydrogen technologies,” reveals Otto. Taking into account all strategic initiatives in the period to financial year 2028/2029, and in conjunction with enhanced performance and efficiency at both staff and organizational levels, HEIDELBERG sees overall growth potential amounting to over 300*million euros. “The achievements of HEIDELBERG over the past 175*years are impressive. We have every reason to be confident that our current market position, the expertise of our staff, and our global customer relationships will deliver further growth in the coming years,” emphasizes Otto.
2025 is all about the company’s anniversary
HEIDELBERG will be organizing numerous events to celebrate its anniversary year with customers, partners, politicians, and representatives of civil society. The highlight will be a week of celebrations in June, including an international ceremony at the company’s largest production site, in Wiesloch-Walldorf. The HEIDELBERG customer demonstration center has been redesigned as the “Home of Print” for this purpose.
The company is organizing family days for staff at various sites. HEIDELBERG is also publishing an anniversary magazine providing insights into the company’s past, present, and future. “The loyalty of HEIDELBERG customers, partners, and staff is a mainstay of the company’s success. The numerous anniversary activities throughout the year are our way of saying thank you to everyone. At the same time, we want to encourage a shared commitment to shaping the future,” says Dr.*David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG.
Further information:
Matthias W. Hartung
Group Communications
Phone: +49 6222 82-67123
E-mail: matthias.hartung@heidelberg.com
