At this year's Asset Finance Awards ceremony staged by the trade journal "Leasing Life" at the beginning of November 2010 in Milan, Italy, the Heidelberg Financial Services division of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) was named "Captive Finance Provider of the Year 2010".

Leasing Life is the leading European trade journal for the leasing and asset finance sector. The Asset Finance Awards, presented for the first time in 2007, are designed to honor the services of the sector's most successful companies and experts.

In receiving the accolade of "Captive Finance Provider of the Year 2010", the team from Heidelberg won through against well-known international companies from a range of sectors. The short-listed captive finance providers were assessed based on their success in providing support for the parent company in pursuing and implementing its strategic goals.

The panel of judges, made up of independent experts from the leasing and asset finance sector, said that they chose Heidelberg Financial Services as this year's winner due, among other things, to its constant and consistent strategy and comprehensive expertise.

Dirk Kaliebe, Chief Financial Officer at Heidelberg, said: "I am delighted that Heidelberg has received this award. It recognizes the outstanding results we have achieved in recent years and reflects the success of our strategy. We have carved out a leading position for ourselves vis-à-vis our competitors and other companies in the mechanical engineering sector and are determined to drive forward our concept through intensive dialog with our customers and financial partners. This award is a great achievement for the whole team."

Heidelberg Financial Services

In an environment dominated by customers from small and medium-sized businesses, financial services are a great help when it comes to making economically astute investments in Heidelberg products. It is these services that enable customers - regardless of whether they are located in industrialized countries with mature financial markets or emerging markets such as China or Brazil - to invest in high-quality technology. The associated opportunities and risks require unique know-how and transparency that has little to do with more traditional areas of business. All sales financing activities at Heidelberg are combined in a dedicated segment - Heidelberg Financial Services. In addition to direct financing through one of the Group's own financing companies, it also puts customers at small and medium-sized companies in touch with Heidelberg financing partners.