Around 700 shareholders attended the Annual General Meeting of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) for the financial year 2023/2024 at the Congress Center Rosengarten in Mannheim today. Just under 27.5 percent of HEIDELBERG’s share capital was represented at the event. The Management Board detailed the company’s strategic direction, the balance sheet figures for the past financial year (April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024), and the future outlook to the shareholders.
At his first Annual General Meeting for the company, CEO Jürgen Otto emphasized, “I am convinced that we can and will create a good and successful future for HEIDELBERG.” HEIDELBERG has achieved a stable financial position at the end of the 2023/2024 financial year, generating a net profit for the third consecutive year. The company is a global technology pioneer for the printing industry and a total solution provider for all modern printing processes, which led to the best order intake in recent years at the drupa trade fair at the start of the new 2024/2025 financial year. Otto also highlighted the expertise within the company, which is a key strength to maintain.
Focus on Growth Strategy
The company is vigorously working on a growth strategy to counteract rising costs. “HEIDELBERG must grow again in the future—especially in terms of turnover,” said Jürgen Otto. “We also need to maintain a high level of cost discipline, particularly with regard to personnel costs.”
- Leveraging International Position: HEIDELBERG’s strong international presence in around 170 countries, with the largest global sales and service network in the printing industry, is a significant lever for sales growth. The company aims to expand further, particularly in growth markets such as Asia, the USA, and emerging countries. Potential collaborations are being explored to use the global network to open up new sectors.
- Expanding the Value Chain: The focus is on digital and packaging printing. Cooperation with Canon for the industrial inkjet printing segment and the development of the Boardmaster system for flexible paper packaging underscore this approach.
- Exploring New Markets: HEIDELBERG’s industrial business aims to tap into new markets by leveraging its skills and resources beyond the printing industry, particularly in high-precision mechanical engineering, the automotive industry, and the energy sector.
Supervisory Board Elections
Shareholders voted on nine of the ten items on the agenda, including the election of three of the six shareholder representatives on the Supervisory Board. Ms. Li Li (a member since 2019), Ms. Karin Dohm, and Mr. Jeppe Frandsen were elected. The vast majority of shareholders supported the candidates proposed by the management. The newly elected members will actively support the company with their skills and experience.
The terms of office of Supervisory Board members Dr. Fritz Oesterle and Ms. Li Li expired at the end of the Annual General Meeting on July 25, 2024. Additionally, Mr. Ferdinand Rüesch resigned from the Supervisory Board effective at the end of the meeting. Shareholders also passed eight other resolutions.
