This has turned into something of a black week. The announcements from Goss, Heidelberg and now KBA are indicative of just how horrendous things are for the heavy metal manufacturers. Within the space of just a few days a further 3,350 industry jobs are heading for oblivion. I'm almost surprised not to have heard anything from manroland too.
For Heidelberg to decide in one fell swoop that it needs to double the amount of planned job cuts from 2,500 to 5,000, while simultaneously scrapping its agreement on job security with the unions, is mind-boggling. Ructions at KBA too where chief Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann has done the honourable thing and carried the can for dismal results in the group's sheetfed division. A German financial analyst has called for the Heidelberg board to do likewise. On the face of it this seems a rather harsh judgement because just as in car manufacturing, the pipeline of new sales has all but been switched off and our press suppliers are at the mercy of events beyond their control.
What will be the result of these ructions? Changes of ownership structure at many of our major press suppliers is being widely mooted. At drupa last year a contact predicted that by the time we reach the next drupa in 2012 the "big three" German press manufacturers will no longer still exist as separate entities. This week's news makes it feel like that might be the case by Northprint. Or perhaps more realistically, Ipex.
