Manroland draws interest from potential investors

A number of parties have shown interest in buying the operations of German printing press manufacturer manroland AG, according to the company's insolvency administrator.
 
Law firm Schneider, Geiwitz & Partner said the prospect of a successful investors' agreement for the insolvent manroland AG has ‘improved’, and that auditor Werner Schneider has conducted numerous negotiations with interested parties in the past few days. Schneider said: ‘We now have parties seriously interested in all three production sites in Augsburg, Offenbach and Plauen, with whom we are involved in ongoing negotiations.’
 
Schneider, Geiwitz & Partner said the ultimate aim continues to be the selling of key company segments by the end of the current insolvency proceedings on January 31 in order to ensure continued operations and to save as many jobs as possible. Given the promising interest of potential buyers, it said this remains a feasible aim, although no agreement has been reached yet.
 
In the meantime, manufacturing at the German sites is continuing without any restrictions. Two large Lithoman printing presses were recently shipped, with a third to follow in a few days. The sheet-fed business sector will deliver 29 presses by the end of January. Based on the current order situation, production will continue beyond January 31, 2012.
 
Intensive negotiations by both the insolvency administrator and manroland AG management prevented the cancellation of orders so far. All commitments are currently being met and the operative business is continuing smoothly thanks to interim financing. Similarly, the service business for existing customers has not been affected.