08/26/2025
Stefan Kuper, Head of Region North Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH, Dr. Ralph Dittmann, Managing Director of the WKS Group, and Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG, after signing the purchase agreement for two Speedmaster XL 106 Peak Performance presses and two fourth-generation CutStar sheeters (from left to right).
The WKS Group, which is headquartered in Wassenberg, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is one of the leading print and media service providers in Europe’s German-speaking countries. With some 1,000 employees at seven sites throughout Germany, it offers a wide range of commercial printing services, including fulfillment and logistics solutions, and is continuing to grow. Besides the high-volume, industrial-scale production of commercial print products, WKS also provides its customers with digital services such as marketing portals and shop systems. The company always aims to combine quality and delivery reliability with flexibility. At its Felsberg site, the WKS Group is now investing in two new highly automated Speedmaster XL 106 presses from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), with the specific goal of creating a center of excellence for sheetfed offset printing.
“Our latest-generation end-to-end sheetfed offset printing solutions are making print shops more efficient, even in a challenging market environment,” says Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. “Cutting-edge technology goes hand in hand with a collaborative partnership between HEIDELBERG and its customers,” he adds.
End-to-end production with focus on magazines, brochures, and periodicals
The presses being installed at WKS are a Speedmaster XL 106-8-P and a Speedmaster XL 106-8-P+L, each with a fourth-generation CutStar sheeter and a configuration geared toward maximum performance. The new Peak Performance generation presses are specially designed to address the key challenges in commercial printing, such as competitiveness, cost pressures, the skills shortage, digitalization, and sustainability.
The new presses will turn the former web offset production shops at the Felsberg site into an ultramodern sheetfed offset printing center. Complementary postpress investments will ensure efficient, future-oriented production and boost sheetfed offset operations on a long-term basis. The WKS Group mainly uses the site to produce high-quality magazines, brochures, and periodicals. Both Speedmaster XL 106 presses leverage the potential of industrial print production in terms of productivity, quality, and availability. What’s more, the Push to Stop function, supported by AI-controlled assistance systems, enables largely autonomous performance on an operator-independent basis. Integrating the fourth-generation CutStar sheeter further increases cost-effectiveness and the level of flexibility when it comes to paper management. The production process is enhanced by three existing Stahlfolder postpress systems from HEIDELBERG that ensure excellent postpress efficiency and precision, while Prinect Production Manager controls the workflow. Comprehensive service agreements give the customer additional certainty regarding the stability of its production operations.
“The complete portfolio and customer focus of HEIDELBERG remain an example to our sector and have once again won us over,” says Dr. Ralph Dittmann, Managing Director of the WKS Group. “Investing in the latest Peak Performance technology of HEIDELBERG means we are able to unlock further market potential and make the WKS Group more competitive,” he emphasizes.
HEIDELBERG impressing as a full-range supplier for industrial print production
The WKS Group’s investment confirms the appeal of the strategy adopted by HEIDELBERG as a full-range supplier and end-to-end solution provider for industrial print production. Besides high-performance presses, HEIDELBERG also offers a comprehensive portfolio comprising software, automation, and postpress solutions, consumables, service, and consulting – all from a single source. The company’s goal is to help customers with their transformation to autonomous print production and maximize their added value throughout the entire process chain.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has been standing for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for 175 years. With a clear focus on growth and as a total solution provider, HEIDELBERG is driving further development in the core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and lifecycle business with service and consumables so that customers can achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. The company is also focusing on expanding into new business areas such as high-precision plant engineering with integrated control systems, automation technology, robotics, and the growing green technologies sector. With its strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creative power and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the USA, and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is ideally positioned for future growth.
Image 1: Stefan Kuper, Head of Region North Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH, Dr. Ralph Dittmann, Managing Director of the WKS Group, and Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG, after signing the purchase agreement for two Speedmaster XL 106 Peak Performance presses and two fourth-generation CutStar sheeters (from left to right).
Image 2: HEIDELBERG showcased the Speedmaster XL 106 from the latest Peak Performance generation and the fourth-generation CutStar sheeter at drupa 2024 in Düsseldorf.
Image material, and further information about the company are available in the Investor Relations and Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at www.heidelberg.com.
175 years of HEIDELBERG – Home of Print press kit | HEIDELBERG
This release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even though the management is of the opinion that these assumptions and estimates are accurate, the actual future development and results may deviate substantially from these forward-looking statements due to various factors, such as changes in the overall economic situation, in exchange and interest rates, and within the print media industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft provides no guarantee and assumes no liability for future developments and results deviating from the assumptions and estimates made in this press release.
Thomas Fichtl
Head of Global Communications
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67123
Email: thomas.fichtl@heidelberg.com
Matthias Hartung
Press Officer – Corporate, Print Systems, and Technology
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67174
Email: matthias.hartung@heidelberg.com
08/26/2025
The WKS Group, which is headquartered in Wassenberg, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is one of the leading print and media service providers in Europe’s German-speaking countries. With some 1,000 employees at seven sites throughout Germany, it offers a wide range of commercial printing services, including fulfillment and logistics solutions, and is continuing to grow. Besides the high-volume, industrial-scale production of commercial print products, WKS also provides its customers with digital services such as marketing portals and shop systems. The company always aims to combine quality and delivery reliability with flexibility. At its Felsberg site, the WKS Group is now investing in two new highly automated Speedmaster XL 106 presses from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), with the specific goal of creating a center of excellence for sheetfed offset printing.
“Our latest-generation end-to-end sheetfed offset printing solutions are making print shops more efficient, even in a challenging market environment,” says Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. “Cutting-edge technology goes hand in hand with a collaborative partnership between HEIDELBERG and its customers,” he adds.
End-to-end production with focus on magazines, brochures, and periodicals
The presses being installed at WKS are a Speedmaster XL 106-8-P and a Speedmaster XL 106-8-P+L, each with a fourth-generation CutStar sheeter and a configuration geared toward maximum performance. The new Peak Performance generation presses are specially designed to address the key challenges in commercial printing, such as competitiveness, cost pressures, the skills shortage, digitalization, and sustainability.
The new presses will turn the former web offset production shops at the Felsberg site into an ultramodern sheetfed offset printing center. Complementary postpress investments will ensure efficient, future-oriented production and boost sheetfed offset operations on a long-term basis. The WKS Group mainly uses the site to produce high-quality magazines, brochures, and periodicals. Both Speedmaster XL 106 presses leverage the potential of industrial print production in terms of productivity, quality, and availability. What’s more, the Push to Stop function, supported by AI-controlled assistance systems, enables largely autonomous performance on an operator-independent basis. Integrating the fourth-generation CutStar sheeter further increases cost-effectiveness and the level of flexibility when it comes to paper management. The production process is enhanced by three existing Stahlfolder postpress systems from HEIDELBERG that ensure excellent postpress efficiency and precision, while Prinect Production Manager controls the workflow. Comprehensive service agreements give the customer additional certainty regarding the stability of its production operations.
“The complete portfolio and customer focus of HEIDELBERG remain an example to our sector and have once again won us over,” says Dr. Ralph Dittmann, Managing Director of the WKS Group. “Investing in the latest Peak Performance technology of HEIDELBERG means we are able to unlock further market potential and make the WKS Group more competitive,” he emphasizes.
HEIDELBERG impressing as a full-range supplier for industrial print production
The WKS Group’s investment confirms the appeal of the strategy adopted by HEIDELBERG as a full-range supplier and end-to-end solution provider for industrial print production. Besides high-performance presses, HEIDELBERG also offers a comprehensive portfolio comprising software, automation, and postpress solutions, consumables, service, and consulting – all from a single source. The company’s goal is to help customers with their transformation to autonomous print production and maximize their added value throughout the entire process chain.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has been standing for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for 175 years. With a clear focus on growth and as a total solution provider, HEIDELBERG is driving further development in the core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and lifecycle business with service and consumables so that customers can achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. The company is also focusing on expanding into new business areas such as high-precision plant engineering with integrated control systems, automation technology, robotics, and the growing green technologies sector. With its strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creative power and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the USA, and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is ideally positioned for future growth.
Image 1: Stefan Kuper, Head of Region North Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH, Dr. Ralph Dittmann, Managing Director of the WKS Group, and Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology and Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG, after signing the purchase agreement for two Speedmaster XL 106 Peak Performance presses and two fourth-generation CutStar sheeters (from left to right).
Image 2: HEIDELBERG showcased the Speedmaster XL 106 from the latest Peak Performance generation and the fourth-generation CutStar sheeter at drupa 2024 in Düsseldorf.
Image material, and further information about the company are available in the Investor Relations and Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at www.heidelberg.com.
175 years of HEIDELBERG – Home of Print press kit | HEIDELBERG
This release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even though the management is of the opinion that these assumptions and estimates are accurate, the actual future development and results may deviate substantially from these forward-looking statements due to various factors, such as changes in the overall economic situation, in exchange and interest rates, and within the print media industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft provides no guarantee and assumes no liability for future developments and results deviating from the assumptions and estimates made in this press release.
Head of Global Communications
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67123
Press Officer – Corporate, Print Systems, and Technology
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67174
