Westmont, Illinois — MAN Roland is consolidating its manufacturing operations to further fuel its growing success in the graphic arts marketplace, which saw the company register $3.9 million (3 million euro) in operating profits last year. The change focuses on MAN Roland’s sheetfed unit. The pressmaker’s highly integrated sheetfed facility in Offenbach currently handles the majority of production and assembly functions for the division, while two satellite plants are located in nearby Mainhausen and Geisenheim. The new plan calls for putting the Geisenheim facility on temporary hiatus and consolidating its current manufacturing tasks into Offenbach’s workflows. A still-to-be-determined portion of Geisenheim’s labor force of 314 will be transferred to the main plant to ensure that no lag in production occurs. The Mainhausen factory, meanwhile, is the scene of a new round of labor negotiations aimed at reducing production costs and improving productivity. “This is an example of practicing what you preach,” says Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland Inc. “We’re continually reminding the graphics arts industry about the importance of integrating and consolidating workflows to maximize productivity in a tough business environment. That’s what we’re doing here in our ongoing efforts to build more value into our presses for our customers.” The escalating cost for energy and higher prices for steel have had an impact on all manufacturers of major capital equipment. “But you shouldn’t use those challenges as excuses,” Rogivue continued. “The solution is to work smarter by utilizing your resources more productively. That’s precisely what these streamlining measures are all about.”