At drupa 2012 manroland will present itself as high-performance partner of the printing industry under the new company name manroland web systems GmbH, featuring highly productive solutions for the industrial web offset production of newspapers, magazines, and advertising material as well as many innovative products from the printnet and printservices divisions. Together with manroland sheetfed systems GmbH, the sheetfed offset division of former manroland AG, the latest developments will be shown in hall 6.

They comprehend autoprint components, a new operating concept for newspaper and commercial presses, pressupdate and tuning concepts as well as novelties from the printnet and printservices divisions. Last but not least the new newspaper press series COLORMAN e:line and the LITHOMAN S for 96 page heatset production will raise attention. Nevertheless the focus will be the dialog with customers from all over the world. “We are listening to our customers,” says Peter Kuisle. “We want to make sure that each customer gets the press that is most economical for his individual demands.”

Thinking and acting the medium-size way
The takeover of the web press business by L. Possehl & Co. mbH from Lübeck, Germany, as their tenth business division means a realignment for manroland web systems GmbH. Capacities and company strategy today match the present market demands. Medium-size structures and behavior create new leeway to quickly and targetedly react to customers’ requirements. “We’ll further strengthen our leading market position in the business for newspaper and commercial web offset presses,” says Peter Kuisle. “Our customers can rely on manroland web systems GmbH as a reliable, powerful business partner. Also they can trust that manroland will continue to bring forward the industrial printing industry with products and innovations.”

Complete portfolio for newspaper and heatset production
“We don’t just build large-format commercial and newspaper printing presses,“ Kuisle explains. “Our customers can profit from a comprehensive performance spectrum of new presses and a holistic consulting, service, and retrofit offer, up to process-relevant consumable components. As it used to be, for newspaper printing the offer spreads from the single-width high-performance CROMOMAN in single circumference over the proven eight-page press series UNISET and REGIOMAN as well as the double-width 16-page press series GEOMAN and COLORMAN as e:line or in satellite design up to the 24-page COLORMAN, XXL series. For commercial web offset the 16-page series ROTOMAN in the DirectDrive and HiPrint versions is available, the 24-page ROTOMAN S, the 32- and 48-page EUROMAN, and the LITHOMAN press series in short and long grain format from 32 to 96 pages. Depending on the technical advantage we use sleeve technology or the modern blanket technology with small gap for the commercial press series.

Powerful management team
The manroland web systems GmbH was founded in February 2012. Under the roof of Possehl group it manufactures web offset printing systems for newspaper and magazine printing. Managing Director is Uwe Lüders who also is Chairman of the Board of Possehl group.

Uwe Lüders is being supported by a management team of five. Peter Kuisle, Vice President Sales at manroland for many years, heads the service and sales divisions, complemented by the technical division led by Dieter Betzmeier. Franz Gumpp is responsible for the production and purchasing division. Company development and human resources management are led by Dr. Daniel Raffler. Dirk Rauh is leading the commercial division.

With this new management team the new company features a high level of continuity and experience as well as innovation potential. Around 1,500 employees are working for manroland web systems GmbH in Augsburg and in the markets. Moreover the capacities of the manroland site in Plauen are being used via a long-term delivery contract for components.

Optimistic prospects
Looking ahead Lüders is optimistic: “We have an excellently skilled staff, a good market position and ultra-modern and highly efficient products. In my talks with many customers I learnt that we are needed as a reliable partner in the future, too.” The new company aims at annual sales of about 300 million euro continuing the new presses business as well as the service and spare parts business.