Heidelberg buying MBO

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is taking over the international MBO Group, giving the company access to new customers in the pharmaceutical industry and adding mailing system offerings to its offset portfolio.

 

Heidelberg says the purchase is a bid to further expand its offerings in the growing market of postpress operations for digitally printed products.

 

Richard Timson, managing director, Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand, says, “It is a good thing for Australian customers, the takeover gives them more security in the future across spare parts, service works, and maintenance.

 

“It also expands our portfolio, with other products we may not have at the moment.

 

“I am speaking to the main office later today to see what new products we will be getting, potentially in smaller digital markets.

 

“It is inevitable that smaller companies move over and get acquired by larger companies in this market. It is good for the industry that Heidelberg has purchased the MBO.”

 

This decision highlights the company’s strategic focus on consistently aligning its portfolio and new business model with the growth segments of digital and packaging. Furthermore, Heidelberg aims to use this extended offering to tap into new customer groups for its entire product portfolio.

 

Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO, Heidelberg, says, “The planned takeover of the MBO Group enables us to attain further sustainable and profitable growth by leveraging new technologies and customer segments.

 

“By acquiring MBO’s digital portfolio, we are closing a gap for our customers and helping them achieve a smooth industrial process in the digital future. We also expect to see synergies in our own value added chain, which will bring about tangible benefits for customers, too.”

 

The acquired operations account for a sales volume of around €50m and will see Heidelberg expand its postpress offerings. The acquisition involves, among other things, taking over the sites in Oppenweiler and Bielefeld, Germany, and the production site in Perifita, Portugal, which employ a total of approximately 450 staff. Besides the German sites, the efficiently structured site in Portugal opens up particularly interesting opportunities for the entire Heidelberg Group.

 

Stephan Plenz, member, Management Board, Digital Technology, Heidelberg, says, “Even when postpress operations are running efficiently, there is still huge potential for boosting productivity throughout the entire print shop.

 

“The takeover is another important step in offering our customers a comprehensive portfolio that generates value and covers everything from technology and consumables right through to service.”

 

A spokesperson from Heidelberg says, “The MBO brand is well-established on the market and its technology complements the Heidelberg product range well. Continuing to expand offerings together will optimise the portfolio and supply chain, while leveraging the MBO dealer and service network will also result in mutual benefits. Overall, the acquisition is set to create a better basis for unlocking shared potential for future-focused developments that are geared toward market demands.

 

“The planned takeover of the MBO Group is another strategic step for Heidelberg as it seeks to secure its future by pursuing continuous innovation for the benefit of customers. The aim is to increase productivity and decrease costs by achieving maximum efficiency across all print shop processes. The Heidelberg Push to Stop concept and the company’s industrial digital print portfolio for the packaging market, which includes the Labelfire and Primefire product ranges, is driving forward digitalisation. In this regard, integrated postpress solutions are playing an increasingly important role when it comes to optimising the end-to-end process.”

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