News

A leading pan-European agency specializing in public relations and marketing communications for graphic arts, industrial, and technology markets, duomedia, is a sponsor and exhibitor at this year’s 8th Annual Packaging and Converting Executive (PACE) Forum, held in Prague, Czech Republic, from February 13-15th.

The continuing challenges in European economy have significantly impacted the consumption of paper, exacerbating the effect of structural changes in paper end-uses and resulting in further decline in the demand of graphic papers in Europe. High costs and significant overcapacity continue to challenge the industry operators in Europe.

Autobond is continuing to see strong worldwide sales following the two installations of its machines in Russia. Synergy and Perfectum have installed a Mini 76 TH and a Mini 76 SD TP respectively, reaffirming the UK-based laminator manufacturer’s growing global reputation for building reliable machines that enhance a company’s productivity and capability to deliver high quality lamination and add value to print.

UPM announces a production curtailment at its Pestovo sawmill in Russia, and begins negotiations with employees. The negotiations will affect all of the approximately 180 sawmill employees. Starting today, production at the mill will be curtailed to the level necessary to fulfil the on-going contracts. At the same time UPM announces a search for a buyer for the Pestovo mill production area for restructuring or reorientation of production.

Hammer Poznań, the Polish subsidiary of Hammer GmbH in Lübeck, Germany, has been running the first Speedmaster XL 145 six-color dual-coating press in Poland since mid-2012. The folding carton experts use the press, manufactured by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), to produce high-end premium products for the food industry far more efficiently than has been possible in the past.

After 34 years there has been a change in the top management at Renz in Heubach. The owner Peter Renz (67) resigned from his position as CEO, due to his age. He now has a role on the recently initiated advisory board of the Chr. Renz GmbH. Peter Renz developed this business into a worldwide leading company that now has a legacy of over a 100 years.

This year we published "Stars of drupa - Cataloque". It was an appendix to the holiday issue of “Świat DRUKU” (The World of Printing). We presented there solutions showed at drupa 2012 which you and we think were the most innovative. Since that moment till the 31st of October our readers were voting for "Superstar of drupa". Uchida AeroCut Quatro system, distributed by Riset, won the title of the Superstar.

Roland DG's SOLJET PRO4 XR-640 was only presented to the industry in September but has fast become one of the most coveted printer/cutters on the market. Now, the PRO4 has received the industry's recognition as well and has been awarded with the "Best of 2012" prize in the signmaking category at Viscom 2012 in Frankfurt.

Ferrostaal will become the new master distributor in Germany, Russia, Belarus, the Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states for RYOBI, one of the biggest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing systems in the world. Ferrostaal is thus continuing to extend its portfolio in the printing systems sector. “The development of this cooperation, which has lasted for more than 15 years, shows the trust which RYOBI has in Ferrostaal as a long-term partner,” says Dr. John Benjamin Schroeder, member of the executive board of Ferrostaal GmbH.

After six and a half years at the helm of Warsaw-based KBA Polska and, following its change of name in March 2011 KBA CEE (KBA Central Eastern Europe), Oliver Becker (47) has taken up a new position in northern Germany and made way for Jan Korenc who will step into his shoes at KBA’s Polish sales and service subsidiary on 1 November.