{"id":100520,"date":"2025-04-03T15:11:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T13:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/?p=100520"},"modified":"2025-04-02T17:17:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T15:17:34","slug":"koenig-bauer-increases-profitability-despite-difficult-market-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/koenig-bauer-steigert-profitabilitaet-trotz-schwierigem-marktumfeld\/","title":{"rendered":"Koenig & Bauer increases profitability despite difficult market environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite global uncertainties, Koenig & Bauer has met its forecast for 2024. The printing press manufacturer is increasing profitability and cash flow and is strategically aligning itself for the future with a new segment structure and the \u201eSpotlight\u201c focus programme.<\/p>\n

Koenig & Bauer is optimistic about the current financial year after a strong spurt at the end of 2024. The global printing press manufacturer based in W\u00fcrzburg was able to fulfil its updated forecast despite economic uncertainties. With sales of 1.27 billion euros, the company achieved an operating EBIT of 25.8 million euros - adjusted for special effects. The \u201eSpotlight\u201c programme to increase efficiency and a new segment structure should contribute to further profitability gains in the future.<\/p>\n

Focus on efficiency and profitability<\/strong><\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n

For Koenig & Bauer, the 2024 financial year was characterised by structural changes and the consistent implementation of the strategic agenda. With the \u201eSpotlight\u201c focus programme, the company is pursuing the goal of strengthening its competitiveness in the long term. The associated measures - including personnel and material cost adjustments as well as the discontinuation of the CS-MetalCan division - led to special items totalling EUR 50.4 million. At the same time, the company has already achieved a positive EBIT effect of over 20 million euros in the current year. Gross savings of up to EUR 50 million are expected in 2025, and up to EUR 70 million in 2026.<\/p>\n

Strong order intake supports growth expectations<\/strong><\/p>\n

An order intake of EUR 1.4 billion (+8.9 % compared to the previous year) led to an order backlog of around EUR 1 billion - the highest figure in the company's recent history. According to the company, this order backlog forms a solid basis for the 2025 financial year, although the distribution across the divisions is not even.<\/p>\n

New segment structure for greater customer focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

The segment structure has been realigned in order to optimise market cultivation. In future, the company will operate in two segments: Paper & Packaging Sheetfed Systems (P&P) and Special & New Technologies (S&T). The previous central COO role will no longer exist and operational tasks will be anchored in the segments.<\/p>\n

Key financial figures 2024 at a glance<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sales: \u20ac 1,274.4 million (previous year: \u20ac 1,326.8 million)<\/p>\n

Adjusted EBIT: \u20ac 25.8 million (previous year: \u20ac 29.9 million)<\/p>\n

Free cash flow: \u20ac +31.6 million (previous year: \u20ac -93.4 million)<\/p>\n

Net working capital: \u20ac 294.2 million (target < 25 % of sales achieved)<\/p>\n

Free cash flow improved significantly, according to the W\u00fcrzburg-based company - primarily due to the reduction in net working capital. A free cash flow of \u20ac 67.4 million was achieved in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Generation change in the Management Board completed<\/strong><\/p>\n

On 1 July 2025, Dr Alexander Blum will take over the position of Chief Financial Officer from Dr Stephen Kimmich, who in turn will become CEO on 4 June 2025. The current CEO Dr Andreas Ple\u00dfke will retire at the end of the year, but will be available for special tasks until then. Further management changes have already taken place in the Digital & Webfed and Sheetfed segments.<\/a><\/p>\n

Outlook for 2025 and 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the current year, Koenig & Bauer anticipates a slight increase in sales to \u20ac1.3 billion and an operating EBIT of between \u20ac35 million and \u20ac50 million. Achieving this target will depend heavily on global and geopolitical developments. For 2026, the company continues to see potential for revenue of up to \u20ac1.5 billion and an EBIT margin of around six per cent.<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0<\/em>Koenig & Bauer<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With its focus programme and new segment structure, the company is planning further growth until 2026.","protected":false},"author":300,"featured_media":100530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","rank_math_description":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Koenig & Bauer","rank_math_title":"","csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[114],"tags":[60366,1487,59464,51],"class_list":{"0":"post-100520","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-aus-den-unternehmen-news","8":"tag-druckmaschinen","9":"tag-papier-pappe-karton","10":"tag-personen","11":"tag-verpackungsdruck-und-veredelung","12":"cs-entry","13":"cs-video-wrap"},"acf":[],"vimeo_video":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/300"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}