Fiscal year 2027 is off to a start that is in line with Komori?s objectives. While its traditional printing press business remains the main contributor to earnings, the Japanese group is continuing the transformation outlined in its Komori 2030 strategic plan by expanding into other industrial sectors.
The printing industry continues to be driven by international markets
First-quarter sales reached 23.1 billion yen, up 2.5%. Profitability also improved, with operating income of 537 million yen, while orders totaled 33.2 billion yen, exceeding internal forecasts.
Business continues to be largely driven by international markets, which now account for more than 70% of revenue. Europe posted a 41% increase in sales, and Greater China a 74% increase, offsetting the slowdown seen in Japan and North America. Sheetfed offset presses remain the main driver of sales, with a 46% increase in orders received.
Komori is maintaining its full-year forecasts of 124 billion yen in revenue and 9.5 billion yen in operating profit, while raising its annual dividend to 100 yen per share.
A portfolio of businesses that now extends beyond offset printing
While Komori remains recognized as one of the world's leading manufacturers of offset presses, the group is now developing several complementary business lines centered on its printing technologies. Its operations are organized into four divisions.
The first is offset printing, which is used by commercial, publishing, and packaging printers.
The second area concerns security printing. Komori supplies presses used to produce banknotes, passports, and secure documents. The company serves more than thirty countries and is one of the very few global manufacturers active in this market.
The third category includes digital printing systems, developed for variable-data printing, short runs, and highly personalized applications.
Finally, the group is developing a business in printed electronics (PE), which applies printing processes to the manufacture of electronic circuits, components, Micro LEDs, RFID, perovskite photovoltaic cells, and interconnects for the semiconductor industry. This business is primarily driven by its subsidiary, Seria Corporation.
Semiconductors are becoming a key area of diversification
The announcement of the acquisition of Maruyama Chiller Corporation illustrates this trend. The company manufactures cooling equipment used in industrial processes, particularly in semiconductor production.
For Komori, this transaction serves several purposes. It adds new manufacturing capacity, expands the group's customer base to include electronic component manufacturers, and gradually reduces its reliance on investments from printers.
This diversification also draws on the expertise acquired in printed electronics. For several years, Komori has been developing equipment for the manufacture of printed circuit boards, the deposition of thin films, and the printing of high-precision patterns for electronic components. Offset printing and screen printing','www.printindustry.news/search/serigraphy');" class="lien-auto-article" href="https://www.printindustry.news/search/serigraphy">screen printing technologies have now been adapted to meet the requirements of the semiconductor industry and next-generation electronic packaging.
A Gradual Transformation of the Economic Model
The Komori 2030 Plan calls for maintaining offset presses and security equipment as core businesses while increasing the focus on growth areas, particularly digital printing and printed electronics. The goal is also to further develop services, print shop automation, Smart Factory solutions, and industrial applications using precision printing technologies.
With this focus, Komori seeks to leverage its expertise in precision engineering, functional ink deposition, and automation in industrial sectors whose investment cycles differ from those of the graphic arts industry. The acquisition of Maruyama Chiller marks a new step in this industrial diversification strategy.
