The manufacturer reported a 5% year-on-year rise in global sales to €2.7 billion ($3.5 billion) in preliminary figures for the 12 months to 31 March 2013. Operating profit before special items jumped from €3 million to €28 million.
Heidelberg recorded a loss of €110 million, partly due to €65 million in one-off costs associated with its Focus 2012 restructuring programme. The previous year’s loss was €230 million.
Staffing levels fell by 8.4% to 14,215 during the reporting period.
[Related: Heidelberg ANZ tightens credit terms]
The group’s results for the three months to the end of March 2013 saw a 5.7% rise in sales to €830 million and a 173% jump in underlying operating profit to €60 million.
Chief executive Gerold Linzbach said the results were “a key milestone on our way to profitability”.
“Focus 2012 lays the foundation for us to start making a profit again from financial year 2013-14 onwards,” he added.
The managing director of Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand, Richard Timson, told ProPrint that the local business also had good news to report.
“The [global] figures are pleasing in that we are heading in a positive direction and expect to further improve our performance in the coming years,” he said.
“Australia and New Zealand have a very strong machinery backlog and we look forward to a good year.”
Heidelberg will publish its finalised results on 13 June.
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