Page 14 - PWM2025_APRIL EBOOK

PROFILE

HEIDELBERG celebrates 175 Years of

excellence

E xactly 175 years ago on March 11, 1850, 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 qual-
ity,” says Jürgen Otto, CEO of HEIDELBERG. “We also intend to main-
tain 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. Growth in industrial business and with green technologies
Recently, for example, the company has significantly expanded its port-
folio in the growth market of industrial digital printing, including service “In addition to this, we will be further expanding our portfolio for industrial
and consumables. Global incoming orders confirm that sales of digital business and the growing green technologies market. This includes key sec-
printing solutions will already start increasing substantially from the com- tors such as high-precision mechanical engineering, the automotive industry,
ing financial year. According to market assessments, the global digital charging infrastructure, software, and new hydrogen technologies,” reveals
printing market that is accessible to HEIDELBERG will grow from its cur- Otto. Taking into account all strategic initiatives in the period to financial year
rent level of around 5 billion euros to 7.5 billion euros in 2029.
As for lifecycle business, HEIDELBERG boasts the industry’s most com- 2028/2029, and in conjunction with enhanced performance and efficiency at
prehensive service network, with a presence in approximately 170 coun- both staff and organizational levels, HEIDELBERG sees overall growth poten-
tries. tial amounting to over 300 million euros. “The achievements of HEIDELBERG
over the past 175 years are impressive. We have every reason to be confident
Packaging printing enjoying strong growth worldwide that our current market position, the expertise of our staff, and our global
The end-customer market for packaging has grown by more than 60 customer relationships will deliver further growth in the coming years,”
percent over the past ten years. HEIDELBERG, too, is benefiting from this emphasizes Otto.
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 2025 is all about the company’s anniversary
market driver is the global trend toward replacing plastics, films, and foils
with recyclable fiber-based packaging. HEIDELBERG will be organizing numerous events to celebrate its anniver-
sary year with customers, partners, politicians, and representatives of civil
Hybrid print production boosts competitiveness society. The highlight will be a week of celebrations in June, including an
Autonomous printing processes that make printing businesses more international ceremony at the company’s largest production site, in Wiesloch-
efficient and save on resources used to be regarded as a futuristic vision, Walldorf. The HEIDELBERG customer demonstration center has been rede-
but that changed some time ago. HEIDELBERG introduced its Push to signed as the “Home of Print” for this purpose. The company is organizing
Stop concept for a printing process with minimal operator intervention family days for staff at various sites. HEIDELBERG is also publishing an anni-
back in 2016. The AI-assisted Prinect Touch Free workflow showcased at versary magazine providing insights into the company’s past, present, and
drupa 2024 assigns print jobs to the most efficient production method and
output system on an automated basis. Besides offset and digital systems future. “The loyalty of HEIDELBERG customers, partners, and staff is a main-
from stay of the company’s success. The numerous anniversary activities through-
HEIDELBERG and third-party suppliers, it also covers postpress opera- out the year are our way of saying thank you to everyone. At the same time, we
tions, all the way through to the finished final product. Controlling hybrid want to encourage a shared commitment to shaping the future,” says Dr.
print production in this way makes print shops much more competitive. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG.

14 PrintWeek MENA April 2025 www.printweekmena.com