Heidelberg Expands its Postpress Services - Parts of the Jagenberg Group Taken Over

Folding box gluers and punching machines added to Heidelberg's product portfolio

With retroactive effect from January 1, 2003, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) will be taking over three companies belonging to the Jagenberg Group, Dusseldorf. The companies involved are Jagenberg Diana GmbH in Neuss, which manufactures folding-box and corrugated board gluers, and Woschnik & Partner Maschinenbau GmbH, which produces punching machines in Mönchengladbach. The third company is Slovensko Spol. S.r.o. in Nové Mesto nad Váhom (Slowaaki), which supplies the two other firms with mechanical components and pre-assembled modules. The majority share of the Jagenberg Group is held by Rheinmetall AG. Annual sales are 40 million Euro, and the three companies together currently employ a total workforce of 372.

The partners have agreed not to publicize the takeover conditions.

"This takeover fits in perfectly with our strategy of strengthening and expanding our finishing operations", explains Bernhard Schreier, Chairman of Heidelberg's Management Board. "With these folding-box gluers and punching machines, we will be closing a gap in our portfolio and can therefore offer our customers extended solutions on the key growth market of packaging printing", continues Schreier. The global market for packaging and label printing presses is currently estimated at two billion Euro, and exhibits growth of two percent per year. In terms of packaging presses, Heidelberg holds a world market share of just under 20 percent, while its share of the market for label production presses is almost 30 percent. "In Heidelberg, Jagenberg has found an internationally acclaimed partner whose strong market position among print shops and finishing shops will bring excellent development and marketing opportunities for the companies we have sold", says Dr. Andreas Beyer, Chairman of the Executive Board of Jagenberg AG.

The global annual market volume for folding-box gluers and punching machines is estimated at around 600 million Euro. The takeover of these three companies has enabled Heidelberg to increase its share to around eight percent. "Our aim is to double this share in the next few years", says Dr. Jürgen Rautert, who is responsible for Heidelberg's Postpress Division. "The ECO and Diana series of folding-box gluers and the punches from WPM all enjoy an excellent reputation in the industry and are extremely high-tech. In close cooperation with our packaging specialists in sheetfed printing, we intend to continuously enhance customer benefits through intelligently linked systems".

Heidelberg now offers punching machines in the popular III, IV and VI formats. Folding-box and corrugated board gluers are available in different processing widths and are augmented by suitable feeders and deliveries that can convert folding boxes into transport packaging, for example.

For further information:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Investor Relations
Dirk Kaliebe
Tel: +49 (0)6221 92 60 20
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 60 61
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