Above: The new HEIDELEBRG Speedmaster XL 106 of the Peak Performance Generation will be unveiled later this month at drupa
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has released its preliminary figures for the past financial year 2023/2024, reporting solid results despite challenging economic and geopolitical conditions as well as cost pressure on materials, energy and personnel.
Heidelberg succeeded in keeping sales stable at around € 2.4 billion (previous year: € 2.435 billion) and the adjusted EBITDA margin at 7.2 per cent. Free cash flow reached around € 50 million, whereby no special items, such as from the sale of non-operating assets, were included in the reporting year.
“We were able to achieve our financial year targets in a difficult economic environment,” said Heidelberg CEO Dr. Ludwin Monz said
“Heidelberg ‘s financial performance was solid. Our value enhancement program is an important building block in positioning Heidelberg for the future.”
As part of the value enhancement program, Heidelberg has identified more than 250 measures to increase productivity and strengthen the financial base, which are being implemented on an ongoing basis.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, the measures initiated at an early stage successfully compensated for the considerable negative impact on earnings from declining production volumes and rising costs.
Tania von der Goltz, CFO of Heidelberg, said: “The resilient development of profitability and free cash flow are proof of our financial discipline and our ability to deliver reliable results even in a difficult environment. In a financial year that was characterised by a decline in orders across the industry, we achieved our targets and met our forecasts thanks to the value enhancement program we initiated at an early stage.”
Incoming orders were also solid in the past 2023/2024 financial year. Although this was around 6 per cent down on the previous year, it developed better than the industry average thanks to H Heidelberg ‘s good market position. After a weaker third quarter (€ 508 million), the situation improved significantly in the fourth quarter with incoming orders of just under € 600 million. This positive development was driven by strong business in Asia, particularly in China.
The company said it is preparing for a successful drupa trade fair with technological innovations that support print shops with their biggest challenges.
Automation and digitalisation of the value chain as well as solutions for more resource-efficient production are the focus in both of the company’s segments. Innovative products in the field of offset, digital and flexo printing, supplemented by collaborative robotics for the post-processing of print products, will demonstrate the company’s forward-looking orientation at the upcoming trade fair.
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