The unit will focus on the "life-cycle management of presses", and is partly in response to chief executive Gerd Finkbeiner's comments at Ipex, that the firm is "keeping a close eye on the outsourcing/facilities management market".

Following Pendlebury's departure, Chris Marks (pictured), chairman of the executive board of MAN Roland Western Europe, will head up MAN Roland GB as chairman and managing director as an interim measure.

Marks will be MAN Roland GB's fourth managing director in four years.

"The pressures of the role are heavy, and ultimately these things happen," said Marks, who is nearing retirement.

"There will be an announcement about my successor [as MAN Roland Western Europe chairman] later this year... and the decision as to what will happen at MAN Roland GB will be taken by that person and the supervisory board," said Marks.

"The message now is: good team, good products and business as usual," he added.

Both MAN Roland GB director of post-press and sheetfed sales Gary Doman and web division director Norman Revill will assist Marks in the day-to-day running of the firm.

Pendlebury's new role will be based in the UK, reporting to Germany. The firm is in the early stages of defining the new unit, but expects to make further announcements in the coming weeks.

Initially the unit will run as a pilot operation in the UK, with a view to expanding. It will focus on building stronger relationships with customers generally, and specifically to meet "post-installation demands" of the firm's growing web customer base.

"We don't want to tell customers how to suck eggs. If they want us to provide a product maintained, operated, cleaned, oiled, greased basically everything to enable the printer just to come in and press a button then that's what we will offer," said Marks.


GB Managing directors

December 2002 Keith Gatfield leaves the firm

January 2003 Nick Charles takes over as MD

February 2004 Malcolm Pendlebury, previously MAN Roland GB service director, appointed MD

April 2004 Chris Marks, chairman of MAN Roland Western Europe executive board, appointed managing director as interim measure