• International specialist in packaging made from corrugated and solid board anticipates higher productivity and more flexibility for future growth
• First large-format press in Germany under Heidelberg Subscription

Schumacher Packaging, one of Europe’s biggest family-run packaging printers, has taken out a subscription contract with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG for its site in Forchheim (Bavaria) and anticipates higher productivity and more flexibility for future growth.

Schumacher Packaging GmbH & Co. KG, one of Europe’s largest family-run packaging printers, with annual sales of approximately € 650 million, has signed a subscription contract with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) for its site in Forchheim (Bavaria). The company, which is already a leader in productivity and technology in the corrugated and solid board packaging sector, expects to significantly boost the productivity of sheetfed offset operations at its Bavarian site as a result of the move. The subscription agreement includes a Speedmaster XL 145-6+LX with fully integrated logistics, which is replacing a competitor’s press, and all consumables, along with vendor-managed inventory and a comprehensive service package that also covers wear parts and new functions such as remote maintenance and consulting services. The press is scheduled to enter operation in Forchheim at the end of January 2020 and is the first large-format press in Germany on a subscription.

“This shows that our subscription portfolio is an appealing and competitive offer for major packaging customers, too. A growing number of customers are being won over by the collaborative nature of this offer, which aligns the interests of both contract partners,” explains Prof. Ulrich Hermann, Chief Digital Officer Lifecycle Solutions at Heidelberg.

Schumacher Packaging has achieved sustainable, international growth over the years and plans to further expand its activities. Operating 30 sites in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, the UK, and the Netherlands, the company is already one of the biggest family-run packaging printers in Europe.

“Innovation, quality, flexibility, and reliability are our top priorities as we strive to meet the needs of our discerning customers across a wide range of sectors,” says Hendrik Schumacher, CEO at Schumacher Packaging. “We opted for the subscription model because it shows Heidelberg is prepared to work with us to continuously ramp up the performance of our company as a whole over the coming years. We see this subscription agreement with Heidelberg as a partnership that offers a huge opportunity to shape our continued growth on an efficient basis.”

Further information about Schumacher Packaging can be found here: www.schumacher-packaging.com. 

About Heidelberg Subscription
The Heidelberg Subscription model is following the growing pay-per-use trend in mechanical engineering and moving further away from simply selling presses. Under this Heidelberg model, customers only pay for the number of sheets actually printed. The price per sheet under the top configuration level of the new digital business model includes all equipment, all consumables required – such as printing plates, inks, coatings, washup solutions, and blankets – and a comprehensive range of services geared to availability. Heidelberg is launching new variants of the digital business model to widen its appeal to an ever-growing number of print shops. If customers so wish, Heidelberg will also take care of all aspects of logistics operations for consumables as part of a subscription package (vendor-managed inventory).

The rollout is going according to plan and is to be expanded. Establishing pay-per-use models in industrial offset printing is the result of the ongoing digital transformation at Heidelberg, and also the company’s software and data expertise. Heidelberg offers customers a complete smart system comprising press, services, consumables, consulting, and software solutions. A holistic system of this kind could not be managed dependably without big data applications – such as in predictive maintenance – and the company’s Push to Stop approach to autonomous printing.

Video material and further information about the Heidelberg Subscription model is available here: www.heidelberg-subscription.com.