KBA's Brisk Trade At Drupa But Figures Unavailable

KBA has reported that business at the Drupa 2008 exhibition in Dusseldorf has been brisk with contracts for a number of commercial web presses signed by printers from Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

However, at the top of the orders list new orders are printing companies from the Middle East, eastern Europe and China.

Orders have also been received from companies in Latin America, Switzerland, France, Scandinavia, Italy and other countries in western Europe.

KBA added that German printers have shown a preference for the company's new medium-format Rapida 106 press and some large-format machines.

All the presses exhibited at the show have now been sold and will be shipped to France, Germany, Denmark and Spain.

After largely holding investments in sheetfed presses in recent months, printers from the USA and Canada are now considering investments in new equipment.

One reason for that is the bonus depreciation programme launched by the US government, which is due to expire at the end of this year, which is creating a positive impact.

That is helping to offset the effects of the weak dollar and the knock-on effects of the global financial crisis.

And with new projects initiated during the first few days of the show, KBA said that it anticipates further contracts for sheetfed, commercial and newspaper presses in the coming weeks and months following Drupa.

The company added that the volume of new orders for sheetfed presses, particularly for medium and large formats was high whilst the presses that for the company's compact system range the Cortina and Commander CT newspaper presses - have also proved popular.

KBA commented that it is confident that during the second half of Drupa contracts will be secured with printers from Germany and other European countries, although no sales figures are being issued.

The company said that is because when contracts have been signed it must clarify that the funding is in place before orders can be finalised.

The final tally of sales resulting from Drupa will not be available until a few weeks or months after the show, since new business generated at Drupa can take some time before it is realised.

Alongside machine demonstrations at Drupa, KBA has organised trips to users in Germany, including medium-format and large-format packaging print firm Grieger Offsetdruck in Nettetal.

Trips have also been staged to Kurten and Lechner in Bergisch Gladbach, which produces very large format outdoor advertising and POS material, as well as to Eco Print Center in Lokeren, Belgium, which uses a multi-unit KBA Cortina press for waterless coldset and heatset production.

Back to top