(May 27, 2008) From July 1, 2008, Peter Tix (46) is taking over as Head of the new Consumables division at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg).

Peter Tix will be responsible for expanding the company's worldwide consumables business, including printing plates, inks, coatings, and printing chemicals, and significantly increasing the company's market share in this area. This will be achieved through organic growth and the targeted acquisition of further trading companies and manufacturers, such as the 2007 takeover of consumables supplier Stielund & Taekker and the recently announced takeover of the high-performance coating manufacturer Hi-Tech Coatings.

Heidelberg will also intensify sales collaborations with selected manufacturers.In order to showcase the realignment of the Consumables division, Heidelberg is using drupa 2008 to launch the "Saphira" brand, which will be used for the worldwide marketing of consumables that have been tested and optimized by experts or developed in close cooperation with suppliers specifically for use in Heidelberg equipment. Saphira products comply with the latest industry environmental standards, which play a key role in the development of all products and solutions marketed by Heidelberg.

Saphira consumables enable users to achieve smooth and reliable production that raises productivity levels and cut downtimes. Starting from drupa 2008, Heidelberg will also be offering packages of consumables known as Saphira Performance Kits, which have been developed for specific Heidelberg technologies and applications. The products in these kits have been fine-tuned to each other and to the machines on which they are used. Heidelberg also offers its customer expert advice in choosing the right consumables.

"Our customers tell us that using Saphira consumables with Heidelberg equipment enables them to unlock considerable potential in terms of quality and productivity, even with difficult print applications. We believe this proves that we also offer our customers the best price/performance ratio when it comes to consumables," explains Peter Tix, summing up the division's commitment and the benefits it offers customers.

Peter Tix reports to Board Member Dr. Jürgen Rautert, who will be responsible for sales and service from July 1, 2008. Peter Tix was previously Head of Business Management.