Heidelberg expands in China

German press manufacturer Heidelberg celebrated the official opening of the third construction phase at its Qingpu site near Shanghai in China recently, bringing the plant's production area to some 45,000 square meters - a threefold increase in four years.

Heidelberg, which has been manufacturing small- and medium-format presses in Qingpu since 2005, started building the larger 700 x 1000mm format last year.  The site, which currently employs some 400 staff, produces machines for the domestic market, but the plan is to grow the export trade to neighboring countries.
 
Speaking for the company, Heidelberg CEO Bernhard Schreier said: ‘China is now our leading sales market and plays an important role in our business development.  The demand for print products is growing all the time in China, and has more than tripled over the past ten years.  Every third machine sold by Heidelberg in China now comes from Qingpu.  By offering locally produced machines, we have been able to tap into additional customer segments in our industry's most important future market.’

Heidelberg is the only press manufacturer based in either Europe or Japan to have its own production facility in China, further consolidating its place in the world's strongest growth market for print.  By operating its own production facility at the Qingpu site, the company is able to benefit from cost advantages, and minimize currency exchange risks.