Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) held its Annual
General Meeting in the Stadthalle Heidelberg on Friday.
Nearly 92 percent of Heidelberg's capital stock was
represented at the event. The Management Board and shareholders
looked back at a successful 1999/2000 fiscal year (April 1, 1999 to
March 31, 2000). "Over recent months, Heidelberg has successfully
repositioned itself as a solutions provider and thereby paved the
way for playing a major role in the future of the graphic arts
industry", stated Chairman of the Management Board, Bernhard
Schreier.
The company has reinforced its market position over the last
fiscal year. The Heidelberg Group achieved sales of 4.6 billion
Euro in 1999/2000, 16.5 percent up on the previous year. The
company also achieved record levels of orders at 4.7 billion Euro,
39.3 percent higher than last year. The profit after tax of
251 million Euro was at approximately on a par with the previous
year despite the expenditure incurred through the purchase of the
former Kodak Office Imaging Division.
Heidelberg shareholders at the Annual General Meeting were
invited to vote on six points on the agenda. The resolution to
issue a dividend of 1.70 Euro for each individual share entitled to
dividend was passed by almost 100 percent of the shareholders.
Almost 100 percent of the votes cast also approved the three
control and profit and loss transfer agreements which Heidelberg
concluded with subsidiaries in the 1999/2000 fiscal year.
These agreements relate to Heidelberg Digital Finishing GmbH,
Mühlhausen, Heidelberg Middle East and Africa Holding GmbH,
Heidelberg, and Heidelberg China-Holding GmbH, Heidelberg. All the
other points on the agenda were also passed virtually unanimously.
The figures for 1Q 2000/2001 (April 1 to June 30, 2000) show
that the Heidelberg Group has started the current fiscal year well.
Orders received amounted to 1.7 billion Euro, a 65
percent increase on the same period last year, while sales
rose 18 percent to 984 million Euro during the same period.
The drupa 2000 exhibition in May was particularly successful. At
this, the most important fair for the graphic arts industry,
Heidelberg received orders with a value in excess of 1.5 billion
Euro. This record figure was more than triple the level of orders
received at drupa 1995.
For further information:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Nina Purtscher
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 50 64
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 69
E-mail:
nina.purtscher@heidelberg.com