11/04/2026
Left to right: Lena Möller, Prepress Employee at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; Thomas Frey, Head of Prepress at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; Jens Gieck, Head of Sales and Service Prinect & Digital at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH; Elmer Waitkewitsch, Managing Director of Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; and Ina Antoine, Product Manager Software Ecosystem at HEIDELBERG.
As the printing industry continues to consolidate, regionally rooted owner-managed businesses hold their ground above all through clear positioning and reliable processes. Druckhaus Waitkewitsch in Alsfeld, Germany, is a case in point. With around 25 employees, the company has established itself as a full-service provider, handling prepress, printing, finishing, postpress and logistics under one roof. Since 2016, the print shop has run the Prinect Production Workflow from HEIDELBERG as the digital backbone of its entire operation.
Reliable processes as the foundation of a broad product portfolio
The equipment at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch reflects the range of services it offers. At the core of production are two Versafire digital printing systems, a Speedmaster SM 52 for offset work, and a Original Heidelberger Tiegel for postpress finishing. The shop's main output covers calendars, brochures and packaging, including products for the food industry. To achieve higher color brilliance and faster postpress turnaround, the company uses LED UV printing in offset production. Its finishing portfolio ranges from coatings and special finishes to scent varnish.
The Prinect Production Workflow ties these production stages together — from digital printing through finishing and into postpress — in a single, uninterrupted workflow. This lets the shop handle a broad range of work economically with a lean team, while maintaining the personal customer contact that is a key differentiator for regionally anchored printers.
"Ten years with Prinect means a decade of stable, predictable processes for us. As a mid-sized business, we cannot afford downtime, and that is precisely why it was so important to have a partner we could trust over the long term," said Elmer Waitkewitsch, Managing Director of Druckhaus Waitkewitsch. "Over that time, HEIDELBERG has supported us not only with the software, but also with service and the personal contact that matters greatly to us as an owner-managed company."
A strategic partnership in a demanding market
For HEIDELBERG, Druckhaus Waitkewitsch represents a customer segment that sits at the heart of its strategy as a system integrator and full-solution provider: mid-sized businesses that need reliability and straightforward processes in a demanding market. The ten-year relationship shows the contribution a fully integrated workflow can make to productive, predictable operations in exactly that kind of environment.
"Regional printers like Druckhaus Waitkewitsch are the backbone of Europe's mid-market industry. The fact that they have relied on Prinect for ten years confirms that we are right to keep investing in the development of the workflow and in supporting customers across the entire lifecycle," said Jürgen Grimm, Head of Prinect and AI Coordinator at HEIDELBERG. "Our goal is to keep these businesses competitive as the market consolidates — through stable processes, seamless integration and a partner that stands beside them for the long term."
Comprehensive workflow solutions for print shops of every size
HEIDELBERG offers a complete software portfolio for the digital management of print shops with the Prinect Workflow. Alongside Prinect Production, it includes Prinect Business, a software solution that supports printers in areas outside the pressroom, from order management to customer communication. For all digital applications, including AI-driven real-time analysis and evaluation of machine data, the cloud-based HEIDELBERG Portal provides additional support. Together, these solutions create a seamless digital workflow for small regional print shops and large international printing groups alike.
Video: 10 years of Prinect Production at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has stood for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for more than 175 years. With a clear focus on growth, HEIDELBERG—as a full-service provider and systems integrator—is driving further development in its core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and the lifecycle business with service and consumables, enabling customers to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. Building on decades of industry and systems expertise, the company is also strategically tapping into new markets in the fields of security, energy, charging infrastructure, and industrial system solutions—with clear scaling capabilities and attractive growth prospects. Thanks to a strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creativity and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the U.S., and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is well positioned globally.
Image 1: Left to right: Lena Möller, Prepress Employee at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; Thomas Frey, Head of Prepress at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; Jens Gieck, Head of Sales and Service Prinect & Digital at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH; Elmer Waitkewitsch, Managing Director of Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; and Ina Antoine, Product Manager Software Ecosystem at HEIDELBERG.
Image 2: Prinect Production connects every production stage, from digital printing through finishing and into postpress, in a single, uninterrupted workflow.
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.
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates made by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Although management believes these assumptions and estimates to be accurate, actual future developments and results may differ significantly from these assumptions and estimates due to a variety of factors. These factors may include, for example, changes in the overall economic situation, exchange rates, and interest rates, as well as changes within the graphic arts industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft makes no warranty and assumes no liability that future developments and actual results will correspond to the assumptions and estimates expressed in this press release.
Aaron Goelz
Specialist Group Communication
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82-2821
Email: aaron.goelz@heidelberg.com
11/04/2026
As the printing industry continues to consolidate, regionally rooted owner-managed businesses hold their ground above all through clear positioning and reliable processes. Druckhaus Waitkewitsch in Alsfeld, Germany, is a case in point. With around 25 employees, the company has established itself as a full-service provider, handling prepress, printing, finishing, postpress and logistics under one roof. Since 2016, the print shop has run the Prinect Production Workflow from HEIDELBERG as the digital backbone of its entire operation.
Reliable processes as the foundation of a broad product portfolio
The equipment at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch reflects the range of services it offers. At the core of production are two Versafire digital printing systems, a Speedmaster SM 52 for offset work, and a Original Heidelberger Tiegel for postpress finishing. The shop's main output covers calendars, brochures and packaging, including products for the food industry. To achieve higher color brilliance and faster postpress turnaround, the company uses LED UV printing in offset production. Its finishing portfolio ranges from coatings and special finishes to scent varnish.
The Prinect Production Workflow ties these production stages together — from digital printing through finishing and into postpress — in a single, uninterrupted workflow. This lets the shop handle a broad range of work economically with a lean team, while maintaining the personal customer contact that is a key differentiator for regionally anchored printers.
"Ten years with Prinect means a decade of stable, predictable processes for us. As a mid-sized business, we cannot afford downtime, and that is precisely why it was so important to have a partner we could trust over the long term," said Elmer Waitkewitsch, Managing Director of Druckhaus Waitkewitsch. "Over that time, HEIDELBERG has supported us not only with the software, but also with service and the personal contact that matters greatly to us as an owner-managed company."
A strategic partnership in a demanding market
For HEIDELBERG, Druckhaus Waitkewitsch represents a customer segment that sits at the heart of its strategy as a system integrator and full-solution provider: mid-sized businesses that need reliability and straightforward processes in a demanding market. The ten-year relationship shows the contribution a fully integrated workflow can make to productive, predictable operations in exactly that kind of environment.
"Regional printers like Druckhaus Waitkewitsch are the backbone of Europe's mid-market industry. The fact that they have relied on Prinect for ten years confirms that we are right to keep investing in the development of the workflow and in supporting customers across the entire lifecycle," said Jürgen Grimm, Head of Prinect and AI Coordinator at HEIDELBERG. "Our goal is to keep these businesses competitive as the market consolidates — through stable processes, seamless integration and a partner that stands beside them for the long term."
Comprehensive workflow solutions for print shops of every size
HEIDELBERG offers a complete software portfolio for the digital management of print shops with the Prinect Workflow. Alongside Prinect Production, it includes Prinect Business, a software solution that supports printers in areas outside the pressroom, from order management to customer communication. For all digital applications, including AI-driven real-time analysis and evaluation of machine data, the cloud-based HEIDELBERG Portal provides additional support. Together, these solutions create a seamless digital workflow for small regional print shops and large international printing groups alike.
Video: 10 years of Prinect Production at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has stood for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for more than 175 years. With a clear focus on growth, HEIDELBERG—as a full-service provider and systems integrator—is driving further development in its core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and the lifecycle business with service and consumables, enabling customers to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. Building on decades of industry and systems expertise, the company is also strategically tapping into new markets in the fields of security, energy, charging infrastructure, and industrial system solutions—with clear scaling capabilities and attractive growth prospects. Thanks to a strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creativity and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the U.S., and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is well positioned globally.
Image 1: Left to right: Lena Möller, Prepress Employee at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; Thomas Frey, Head of Prepress at Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; Jens Gieck, Head of Sales and Service Prinect & Digital at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH; Elmer Waitkewitsch, Managing Director of Druckhaus Waitkewitsch; and Ina Antoine, Product Manager Software Ecosystem at HEIDELBERG.
Image 2: Prinect Production connects every production stage, from digital printing through finishing and into postpress, in a single, uninterrupted workflow.
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.
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates made by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Although management believes these assumptions and estimates to be accurate, actual future developments and results may differ significantly from these assumptions and estimates due to a variety of factors. These factors may include, for example, changes in the overall economic situation, exchange rates, and interest rates, as well as changes within the graphic arts industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft makes no warranty and assumes no liability that future developments and actual results will correspond to the assumptions and estimates expressed in this press release.
Specialist Group Communication
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82-2821
