WÜRZBURG

Cory Francer is an analyst at NAPCO Research. He formerly served as editor-in-chief of Packaging Impressions.

Inside KBA’s facility in Würzburg, Germany, sits what may prove to be a key product in digital printing technology for corrugated packaging. HP and KBA partnered to develop the HP PageWide Web Press T1100S, a behemoth of a continuous-feed inkjet press, designed specifically for the corrugated packaging market. On Thursday, Dec. 3, industry journalists from around the world traveled to Würzburg to catch a glimpse of the T1100S in action.

The world’s first HP PageWide Web Press T1100S was jointly presented by HP Inc. and KBA this week, to almost 200 international packaging printers and trade journalists at the KBA headquarters in Würzburg, Germany. The gigantic inkjet web press with a web width of 2.80m (110 inches) was developed in under two years by HP Inc. and KBA-Digital & Web Solutions in close cooperation. It opens up new opportunities in terms of the flexible production of corrugated packaging in various formats and run sizes with digital pre-print liners.

German press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) published its 2008 financial statements on 30 April following preliminary disclosures on 26 March.
The global economic downturn had a disproportionately severe impact on the inflow of orders for batch-produced sheetfed presses, which plunged 22.6% to €598.5m (2007: €773.5m). The web and special press division, where multi-unit installations with lengthy production times dominate the schedule, exerted a stabilizing influence, with new orders totalling €643m (16.9% below the prior-year figure of €773.4m). Group orders therefore shrank 19.7% to €1,241.5m (2007: €1,546.9m).

WURZBURG, GERMANY—Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, president and CEO of press manufacturer KBA, resigned from the company during its supervisory board annual audit meeting in the wake of poor financial results. Helge Hansen, who was named CFO in February, now steps into the role of president.

Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann (57), president and CEO of German press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) since 2003, has resigned with immediate effect from all offices within the group. Bolza-Schünemann announced his decision at the March meeting of the company’s supervisory board, citing the substantial losses incurred by the sheetfed division in Radebeul near Dresden last year (financial results reported below). His brother Claus (53) is now the sole remaining representative of the founding family on the KBA board.

With the approval of the supervisory board, on 6 February 2009 Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann (56), president and CEO of German press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA), will hand his financial remit to Helge Hansen (61), a respected banker and business economist. Hansen, who was appointed managing director of Metronic AG (now KBA-Metronic) in July 2003, successfully restructured the company following its acquisition by KBA in 2004.

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