KBA to Raise Prices on Sheetfed Offset Presses

WÜRZBURG, GERMANY—In response to the increased purchasing costs for materials, energy and other resource inputs, press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) has announced a price increase of 2.5 percent for its sheetfed offset presses, effective April 15.

This step is viewed by the company as part of an extensive program of measures supporting stronger and sustainable profitability across all fields of business. Since 2009, the KBA Group contends it has been the only major press manufacturer to realize a positive overall bottom line. The company has now declared the same goal specifically for the sheetfed offset segment, after considerable streamlining of the workforce, comprehensive cost reduction measures and development of a new press generation.

“With the Rapida 106 and Rapida 145, which we presented at drupa 2012, we offer users the most modern and efficient sheetfed offset presses on the world market for the medium and large formats,” said Ralf Sammeck, executive vice president for sheetfed sales. “The innovative technology of our highly automated presses, and their many unique features in terms of automation, fast makeready and inline processes, bring economic benefits for the user and enhance the long-term value of an investment, but they naturally also cost money.”

Sammeck added that the market has recognized this added value, and that KBA has been able to record a significant increase in both orders received and turnover in the sheetfed offset segment in 2012.

“In our opinion, the competition in this market is too price-driven," he said. "Needing to utilize excessive capacities, some manufacturers in the industry have for a long time concentrated blindly on securing market shares, regardless of any losses and to the detriment of their external investors. That hardly makes sense. The moderate price increase for our sheetfed presses is justified by their technical features and will contribute to sustainable improvement of our profitability.”