German firm Jagenberg has sold its folding-carton production unit to Heidelberg-based Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, the companies recently announced.
Included in the deal are Jagenberg Diana, based in Neuss, Woschnik + Partner Maschinenbau, based in Mönchengladbach, and Jagenberg Slovensko, a production facility for mechanical components and preassembled parts located in Slovakia.
This Jagenberg unit develops and manufactures sheet die-cutting machines and folding-carton gluers for converting carton and corrugated board stock. With their staff of 372, the various companies generate world sales of around €40 million.
"For this product range Jagenberg has found a buyer of international repute whose strong position in the printing and converting market will provide good development and marketing opportunities for the companies' sales," said Dr Andreas Beyer, Jagenberg's CEO. The companies now remaining within the Jagenberg Group account for sales of about €164 and employ a workforce of 800.
"This acquisition fits perfectly in with our strategy of strengthening and expanding our conversion activities," said Bernhard Schreier, Heidelberg's CEO. "With these die-cutting machines and folding-carton gluers we are closing a gap in our portfolio and are hence able to offer our customers extended solutions in the important market of package printing," added Schreier.
The global market for folding-carton gluers and die-cutters totals around €600 million annually, and in taking over these companies Heidelberg will command a share of about 8 per cent of the total market. "Our aim is to double this over the coming years," emphasised Dr Jürgen Rautert, in charge of Postpress at Heidelberg.
The world market for package- and label-printing machinery totals around €2 billion, with annual growth rates of 2 per cent. In the market for package printers, Heidelberg, according to a company statement, commands a world share of almost 20 per cent, and in the label production market close to 30 per cent.