Large Format Review - Business News

 

Oce reports net loss of €23 million in the fourth quarter

Action program on track

 

Highlights fourth quarter:

 

• Market development continued to affect printing industry strongly
• Revenues € 683 million (-11% organically)
• Normalized operating income € 16 million
• Restructuring costs € 27 million
• Net loss € 23 million

 

 

Highlights full year:

 

• Free cash flow € 82 million
• Cost-cutting measures delivered results (€ 154 million)

 

 

Comments by Rokus van Iperen, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors: "Our revenues continued to decline in the fourth quarter as customers remained uncertain about the economic situation and sustained their efforts to reduce costs. Towards the end of the year, we saw some bottoming out in the sales of continuous feed systems in the United States.

We are on track with the implementation of our action program related to job reductions and saving out-of-pocket expenses. Although we have spent a significant amount on restructuring, we improved our cash flow by further reducing inventories and trade receivables. Our net debt developed positively for the third consecutive quarter.

In 2010, we anticipate that the markets will remain challenging. In order to further strengthen our competitive position and drive sales under difficult market conditions, we will continue to introduce innovative products.

The fourth quarter was marked by the important announcement of Canon’s intended recommended offer for Océ, which is aimed at creating the global leader in the consolidating printing industry. In the meantime, the transaction process is on track and all relevant anti-trust approvals have been obtained."

 

 

• Download the full report

 

 

We put this list together following an informal discussion here at LFR HQ about who the real big players in the LFP market were, who might buy who (when we eventually pull out of recession, and our market continues to be shaped by acquisition and merger), this in turn led to us looking for stats on turnover, profit etc,.

We thought that the chart we ended up with was interesting and topical enough to make it worthy of publication here on LFR - we can only hope that you agree.

Listed below are the publicly traded companies involved directly (or through subsidiaries) in the large format digital print marketplace.

The uppermost list shows those listed in the Forbes Global 2000, with their current rank, whilst the list below shows some of the other big players, who are important through either financial size or their market presence. All figures are in $ USD Billions.

The Forbes Global 2000 is a comprehensive list of the world's biggest and most powerful companies, as measured by a composite ranking for sales, profits, assets, and market value.

 

Rank Company Sales Profits Assets Market Value 36 Hewlett-Packard 118.70 8.05 109.63 69.57 122 Canon 45.12 3.41 43.79 32.05 189 3M 25.27 3.46 25.55 31.54 192 DuPont 31.84 2.01 36.21 16.93 295 Fujifilm Holdings 28.53 1.05 32.26 9.78 613 Dainippon 16.19 0.45 15.90 6.01 768 Xerox 17.61 0.23 22.45 4.48 778 Konica Minolta 10.74 0.69 9.46 4.14 1222 DIC (Sun Chemical) 10.80 0.31 9.51 1.12 1222 Seiko Epson 13.51 0.19 11.39 2.28 1546 Eastman Kodak 9.42 -0.44 9.18 0.86 1594 Avery Dennison 6.71 0.27 6.04 2.14               Sequana (Antalis) 7.17         Paperlinx (RHG) 5.74         AGFA Gevaert 4.33         Oce 4.16         Bemis (MACtac) 3.78         Toyo Ink 1.36         Sakata (INX) 1.14         EFI 0.56         Gerber Scientific 0.55         Roland DG Corp 0.30         Mutoh 0.29         Mimaki 0.27

 

All figures are in $ USD Billions.

Sources: Forbes Global 2000 list for 2009, Financial Times Market Data. E&OE.

 

Roland DG (UK) Ltd, worldwide leading manufacturer of wide format digital inkjet printers, engravers and 3D equipment today announces the launch of its brand new fully-functional website.

After consultation with a variety of both internal and external users, the new Roland website boasts a wide range of new features and benefits designed to help users and potential customers get the best possible information and support for Roland products.

‘We felt that our customers, both existing and new, deserve a better online presence from Roland’, says Jerry Davies, Managing Director at Roland DG (UK) Ltd, ‘Customers need clear and accessible information in order to make informed decisions. Our aim was to guide people through every experience with Roland online as simple as possible. We hope that the new Roland website and the subsequent ways in which we will evolve online will continue to make Roland the easiest company to deal with in the industry’.

One of the most noticeable improvements is the new online technical support centre. This latest feature allows users to access FAQs, help files and downloads for their Roland equipment as well as log support tickets for technical queries. Another new feature is the extensive applications pages, which provide new ideas to those already in business as well as those just starting out.

Davies continues, “This new Roland website not only enables users to find the information they need at the click of a button. Specific help files or media profiles can be made live within seconds, allowing us to respond quickly and efficiently to marketplace needs. It has been designed to grow and develop with the company, and we are extremely pleased with the results so far.”

The new Roland website can be accessed at www.rolanddg.co.uk

 

Following on from, and perhaps as a direct result of, Litho Supplies' recent fall into administration, a new provider of printers, inks, consumables, software and service to wide-format producers has arrived in the UK and Ireland, with the launch of Digital Print Innovations (DPI).

The Midlands-based firm has been formed by Stewart Bell, the former National Sales Manager of Litho Supplies' wide-format division Andersons, who was made redundant on December 22nd.

Stewart brings some 20 years’ experience in the sector, and takes over existing supply contracts as DPI becomes the exclusive distributor for MTL and WP Digital UV-curable printing solutions.

“What’s been missing for out-of-home advertising and other display producers is the reliability and security provided by a focused, one-to-one service,” explains Bell, whose experience includes sales management for NUR and GBC Pro-tech. “In the days of corporate giants who can only offer impersonal technical support, we recognise that people buy from people. As a result, we are best placed to offer our customers continuity with complete, reliable and innovative solutions they need in the current era.”

DPI’s focus is on high-speed and versatile production machines for wide-format output of applications requiring speed, quality and reliability. Supplying both the successful Meital 300-series of UV-curable flatbeds, which feature the ability to create innovative applications for a low cost of ownership, and the WP Digital (formerly Spühl) flat-bed and roll-fed Virtu RS25, RS35 and RR50, which claim to print on virtually any material, the company’s support package includes RIPs such as Onyx and Caldera, as well as colour profiling requirements, full technical support and service.

Additionally, DPI is appointed as UK reseller for EskoArtwork’s Kongsberg cutting systems and software for the sign and graphics market and also offers the Seiko II series of solvent-based printers. “These technologies were hand-picked to make sure that our service combines the most creative equipment with an innovative support approach,” continues Bell. “Our team is dynamic and unfailingly full of good ideas and, thanks to our experience, we realise not only how these solutions have developed but also how to put them to the best use possible.”

Situated in Castle Donington, Digital Print Innovations’s central location enables easy access to the UK and Ireland courtesy of the M1 and East Midlands Airport.

 

 

One of the most utilised and popular services on offer from the BAPC is the free 24-hour seven-days-a-week Legal Advisory Help line.

Statistics received by the Association for usage during 2009 clearly illustrated that members had a wide and diverse range of issues which required specialist advice.

Specifically these statistics show that over 50% of all enquiries received relate to contracts and employment, whilst other advice requested covered matters such as health and safety, research, copyright issues and various forms of litigation.

Tony Honnor, Association Director, commented “It is clear that this service is being used by more and more with employment matters being again the key issue.  Members of the BAPC truly benefited from this facility at a time when they faced unprecedented challenges “

The BAPC is the leading trade association for the creative industry, which includes graphic arts, print and communication sectors. The BAPC run by printers for printers provides members with a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience. Being frontline the Association has concentrated on developing services and facilities that will directly help members survive and succeed. It is the aim of the BAPC to cultivate a “community of print” that acts as a forum for the graphic arts industry to work together for mutual benefit.

For further information, visit www.bapc.co.uk

 

Reference is made to the joint press releases of Canon Inc. (trading symbol CAJ) ("Canon") and Océ N.V. (trading symbol OCE) ("Océ") of 16 November 2009 announcing that Canon intends to make a fully self-funded, public cash offer for all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Océ (the "Ordinary Shares") at an offer price of € 8.60 in cash per Ordinary Share (the "Offer") and 14 December 2009 in respect of the progress being made on the preparations of the Offer.

The European Commission and the Taiwanese competition authorities have granted clearance for Canon's proposed acquisition of Océ, without imposing any conditions. As announced on 21 and 22 December 2009, the anti-trust procedures in respectively the United States and Switzerland are also successfully completed.

With the approval of these competition authorities, an important step in the offer process has been taken.