KBA Reports Jump in Press Orders

Demand for multi-unit web presses picked up in the second half of the year, but remained well below pre-crisis levels. Most of the orders booked for newspaper presses, where KBA is the market leader, came from Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Operating profit more than doubled
In KBA’s core markets—sheetfed, commercial web offset and newspaper printing—persistent excess capacity on the supply side continues to weigh heavily on prices. Nonetheless, a double-digit jump in revenue, and the cost savings delivered by consolidation, enabled KBA to more than double its operating profit from €8.7 million to €22.2 million, with both divisions posting a positive operating result.