German press manufacturer KBA has recorded a 40.3 per cent jump in sheetfed press orders in the first quarter of the year. The company attributes the surge in demand to its drupa press launches, and says it will keep its factories working at capacity until the final quarter of the year. However web offset sales increased by just two per cent, and the company recorded a first quarter loss of Euro 4.8m (A$8m), slightly higher than last year. KBA puts the loss down to a temporary glitch, caused by the quarterly turnover, which fell short of annual targets, by higher prices for materials and by poor margins arising from some contracts booked in previous years.
Total inflow of orders in the first quarter surged to Euro382.4m, 23.5 per cent up on the prior year period, with the sheetfed division outclassing all rivals to post a 40.3 per cent jump in bookings to Euro243.9m. New orders for web and special presses lifted two per cent to Euro138.5m. Group sales for the quarter totalled Euro311.3m, 20.7 per cent higher than twelve months earlier. Sheetfed sales climbed 16.4 per cent to Euro168.1m, web and special press sales rose 26.2 per cent to Euro143.2m. KBA exports 81.7 per cent of its total output.
Citing the lacklustre economy in Germany and other key regions, uncertainty in currency markets regarding the movement of the euro against the dollar and yen, relentless pricing pressures in key segments and higher prices for steel and other commodities, KBA president and CEO Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann announced that a detailed yearly projection will have to wait until later in the year, when management is better able to assess the impact of external factors such as these.
