However, KBAs sheetfed press sales fell by 10% to 191m, and total sales slumped 26.9% to 353.5m, due to the poor web market, especially in the European newspaper sector, where MAN Roland has had success.
KBA thinks that progress in sheetfed will let its full-year sales hit the targeted 850m. Our 40in and large-format presses are doing well and Karat sales are rising, said Klaus Schmidt, director of marketing. But most firms interested in DI are repro houses and small printers and theyre having problems getting finance.
KBA made an 18.8m pre-tax loss for the first half and expects to report a post-tax loss for the full year.
It has also suffered delays in implementing job cuts at its web press production plants (PrintWeek, 6 June). It had planned to shut its Kusel commercial web press assembly plant by the end of July but Schmidt said some staff were still working.
MAN Roland expects to make a high loss this year after sales in the first half fell 20% to 475.5m and new orders fell 9% to 496m.
The group made a loss of 26m compared to pre-tax earnings of 7.7m in the first half of 2002.
Sales of sheetfed systems fell 9% to 201m, while sales of web-fed systems dropped by a third to 202m. Sales from distribution and services fell 5% to 72.4m.
However, second-quarter sheetfed sales improved by 44% compared to the first quarter to 118.7m.
Most of MAN Rolands losses were at its sheetfed works, where the workforce will have been cut by 1,300, or 30%, between mid-2001 and the end of 2004.
MAN Roland GB marketing director Murray Lock said suppliers were struggling. Were a reflection of the industry. It would be surprising if any big manufacturers werent going through a downturn.
Story by Gordon Carson and John Davies
