Rothlaender,66, was formerly head of machinery builder Claudius Peters near Hamburg when Langley acquired the business in 2001.

Rothlaender then went on to head the Piller Group, a producer of heavy electrical systems for data centres near Hanover, between 2005 and 2008, following Langley’s acquisition of that business, before retiring mid 2010.

But it was to be a short retirement, the industry veteran kept in touch with his former boss and said that he was ready to come back should Langley make a further acquisition in Germany.

Commenting on the appointment, Langley says, “Alfred knows exactly how we work when taking on a new business. He is a vastly experienced MD who I know can be relied on during the transition between the former institutional management style of manroland AG and the leaner more flexible way that our companies do things.”

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