manroland is fighting to boost market share in a bid to grow its business by 50 per cent in three years.
After two tough years following its restructuring under Possehl Foundation, press maker manroland web systems expects sales to top 260 million Euros in 2013 and lead to a “significant increase in profitability”, managing director Eckhard Hoerner-Marass says.
At a press conference in Berlin today, the private company – which says it is “not obliged” to publish financial information – disclosed the 30 per cent sales increase, which Hoerner-Marass says shows the company is back on track to regain leadership of the newspaper press market and is “still the market leader” in web-offset printing.
“Our three-year business plan is to exceed 300 million Euros in 2015.”
In what he says is a stagnant market, the managing director says growth will come from increasing market share to 40 per cent from about 30 per cent: It will increase its range to include mid-market presses partly built in an emerging country such as India, and push to become a total system provider. The former print.com business is being expanded to print.competence using data management and analysis to drive services such as process optimization, training and education. “And if we can create a business in consumables as well, that’s good.”
The “growing out” strategy will see the establishment of more sales and service organisations and the transfer of knowhow to outside organisations.
manroland will also explore “new market segments where web-offset technology is needed” – such as packaging and security printing – and look at acquisitions.
New product announcements at the show included a speed boost for the Colorman e:line to 100,000 cph, making it “the fastest in its class according to cut-off”.
A “very affordable” e:line 45 remains, while the India-optimised 4x1 Cromoman gets a 1600 mm web width and a belt-driven splicer ‘downgrade’ to better fit it to market requirements.
• Natasha Tandon – previously marketing manager of the manroland India sales and service subsidiary – has been appointed the company’s global head of marketing and product management.