The first half of 2021 has gone well for Koenig & Bauer in several respects. The group reports an increase in orders of around 28% compared with the same period last year. This performance was supported in particular by an increase in orders in the Special segment of almost 45%. In June, the subsidiary of the MetalPrint Group recorded one of the best order intake figures in its history.
The manufacturer also recorded an increase in order intake in the Sheetfed segment of around 30%, with the packaging printing market growing strongly and being very resilient in the face of the health crisis.
Record number of orders at China Print
Koenig & Bauer announced that it had set a new record for the number of orders it received at the China Print exhibition in Beijing in June. At the center of the presentations was the world premiere of the new generation Rapida 105. The Rapida 145 and Rapida 164 large-format sheetfed presses were also in high demand, reflecting the particular need for high-quality packaging. However, some investments have been postponed because of the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.
"Our customers' decisions show that we have done a very good job in recent years and that our focus on growth markets such as conventional and digital packaging printing is paying off." comments Andreas Pleßke, CEO of Koenig & Bauer AG.
At 493.2 million euros as of June 30, 2021, the group's sales were lower than the previous year's figure of 515.7 million euros due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, sales in the second quarter of 2021 increased by approximately 2.5 percent compared to the first quarter of 2021.
