Decisive Milestones in Heidelberg's Realignment.Business Editors HEIDELBERG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2004 - Heidelberg transfers Digital Division to Eastman Kodak Co. - Heidelberg and Goss n. 1. Gorse. agree on major issues for the intended transfer of its Web Offset Division to Goss International - One-time cost of Euro 525 million already reserved in third quarter of FY 2003/2004 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) (FWB (Fixed Wireless Broadband) See fixed wireless. : HDD (Hard Disk Drive) See hard disk and HDD caddy. HDD - hard disk drive ) is handing over its Digital division to Eastman Kodak Co. and transferring its Web Offset division to Goss International. These steps contribute to Heidelberg's realignment re·a·lign tr.v. re·a·ligned, re·a·lign·ing, re·a·ligns 1. To put back into proper order or alignment. 2. To make new groupings of or working arrangements between. process, which it had announced in November 2003. "The two portfolio decisions will decisively accelerate the realignment process", said Bernhard Schreier, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. "From now on, Heidelberg will strengthen its focus on the Sheetfed Offset business in order to optimally serve commercial, packaging and label printers with a comprehensive product portfolio. We are convinced that this strategy will lead Heidelberg back to profitability very quickly." Heidelberg transfers Digital Division to Eastman Kodak Co. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG is transferring its Digital Print division to Eastman Kodak Co. The two companies signed a mutual agreement, which yet is to be confirmed by the antitrust Antitrust The antitrust laws apply to virtually all industries and to every level of business, including manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and marketing. They prohibit a variety of practices that restrain trade. organizations. The closing of the transaction will occur after all such approvals have been received. The agreement involves all Heidelberg Digital Print activities. Heidelberg's Digital b/w business (HDI HDI Human Development Index (UNDP yardstick of human welfare) HDI Help Desk Institute HDI Humpty Dumpty Institute (New York, New York) HDI High Density Interconnect LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control ., Rochester, USA), its 50 percent share in the Heidelberg/Eastman Kodak Co. joint enterprise venture (Nexpress Solutions LLC., Rochester), as well as its 100 percent share of Nexpress GmbH in Kiel, Germany, are all incorporated elements of the agreement. Within the next two years, Heidelberg will not engage in competitive activities related to its digital division to be transferred. Under the terms of the acquisition, the companies agreed to use a performance-based earn-out formula whereby Kodak will make periodic payments to Heidelberg over a two-year period, if certain sales goals are met. If all sales goals are met during the next two calendar years ending Dec. 31, 2005, Kodak will pay a maximum of US$150 million in cash. Additional sales related earn-out payments over a five-year period are agreed, if certain sales targets are achieved. Kodak will not pay any cash at closing for the business being acquired. Further financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. "This is Heidelberg's reaction to the changes in market dynamics within the Print Media Industry. As announced, Heidelberg will reallocate Verb 1. reallocate - allocate, distribute, or apportion anew; "Congressional seats are reapportioned on the basis of census data" reapportion allocate, apportion - distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose; "I am allocating a loaf of its resources and refocus Verb 1. refocus - focus once again; The physicist refocused the light beam" focus - cause to converge on or toward a central point; "Focus the light on this image" 2. its efforts, in alignment to its core customer base, on the Offset sector", said Bernhard Schreier, CEO of the company. "Our global sales organization will continue to work closely together with Kodak in the digital printing area." As part of Heidelberg's new alignment, announced in November 2003, the company will intensify in·ten·si·fy v. in·ten·si·fied, in·ten·si·fy·ing, in·ten·si·fies v.tr. 1. To make intense or more intense: its focus on the Sheetfed Offset, Prepress and Finishing businesses, as well as their attached workflow The automatic routing of documents to the users responsible for working on them. Workflow is concerned with providing the information required to support each step of the business cycle. systems, training and service activities. Integration of digital printing in print shops' workflows, using Prinect, will remain part of the Heidelberg service offerings and will be intensified in·ten·si·fy v. in·ten·si·fied, in·ten·si·fy·ing, in·ten·si·fies v.tr. 1. To make intense or more intense: . In effect, the Heidelberg location Rochester, NY (USA) will be absorbed by Eastman Kodak Co. Roughly 2.000 people worldwide focus on research, development, production, sales and service for the Heidelberg Digital business. In 1997, Heidelberg and Eastman Kodak Co. had created the Nexpress Solutions LLC joint venture to develop a digital color printing “colour separation” redirects here. For other uses, see colour-separation overlay. Color printing is the reproduction of an image or text in color (as opposed to simpler black and white or monochrome printing). press for the high-end market segment. Heidelberg acquired Eastman Kodak Co.'s Office Imaging black and white digital printing activities in 1999. In fiscal year 2002/2003, Heidelberg's Digital division achieved Euro 240 million in sales. This accounted for roughly six percent of Heidelberg's total sales (Euro 4.1 billion). Heidelberg and Goss agree on major issues for the intended transfer of its Web Offset Division to Goss International Heidelberg and Goss International have reached an agreement on major issues for the intended transfer of the Heidelberg Web Offset division to Goss International. After completion of the consultation process with the workers' councils A workers' council is a deliberative assembly, composed of working class or proletarian members, intended to facilitate workers' self-management or workers' control. Unlike a trade union, in a workers' council the workers are assumed to be in actual control of the workplace, rather in France and the Netherlands and the agreement of the antitrust organizations, Heidelberg will transfer the Web Offset Division to Goss International Corporation. An outline deal has been agreed in principle but some issues remain to be resolved before definitive documents are expected to be executed over the coming weeks. This transaction includes Heidelberg's Commercial Web and Newspaper presses. The transaction also incorporates the Web Finishing business in the USA. Heidelberg will become a new shareholder at Goss International, holding slightly below 20 percent of the company's shares. The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. "The market volume for Web Offset printing presses has diminished," explained Bernhard Schreier, CEO of the company. "The weak economy and the corresponding low levels of advertising spending contributed to this development". Both companies expect drastically improved capacity utilization Capacity Utilization measures the rate at which a firm makes use of their capital productive capacities, such as factories and machinery. Capacity Utilization generally rises when the economy is healthy and falls when demand softens. and optimized market penetration Noun 1. market penetration - the extent to which a product is recognized and bought by customers in a particular market penetration - the act of entering into or through something; "the penetration of upper management by women" from the business combination and restructuring restructuring - The transformation from one representation form to another at the same relative abstraction level, while preserving the subject system's external behaviour (functionality and semantics). of activities. At closure of the contract, nearly 2,100 employees at sites in the US, France and the Netherlands will be transferred to Goss International. In order to complement its own activities, in 1988 Heidelberg acquired Harris Graphic Corporation, with sites in the US and France marking Heidelberg's entrance to the Web Offset market. The acquisition of Stork stork, common name for members of a family of long-legged wading birds. The storks are related to the herons and ibises and are found in most of the warmer parts of the world. Contiweb in the Netherlands allowed Heidelberg to add splicers and dryers to their offerings for this market segment. In fiscal year 2002/2003, Heidelberg's Web Offset division achieved Euro 430 million in sales. This accounted for roughly ten percent of Heidelberg's total sales (Euro 4.1 billion). No further burdens to financial results in FY 2003/04 In connection to the announced realignment, in the third quarter of FY 2003/2004 Heidelberg had reserved an amount of Euro 525 million, mostly for depreciation of book values. "We expect no further burdens for the current fiscal year," said Chief Financial Officer Dr. Herbert Meyer. "The improved profitability of the Group will become visible by the beginning of next fiscal year." For further information, please contact: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG Corporate Communications Thomas Fichtl Phone: +49 6221 92 4747 Mobile: +49 173 3186947 Fax: +49 6221 92 5069 E-Mail: thomas.fichtl@heidelberg.com Eastman Kodak Company Technology Public Relations Anthony Sanzio Phone: +1 585 781 5481 Mobile: +1 585 259 0320 Fax: +1 585 724 0964 E-Mail: anthony.sanzio@kodak.com Corporate Media Relations Gerard Meuchner Phone: +1 585 724 4513 Pager: +1 585 781 3069 Fax: +1 585 724 0964 E-Mail: gerard.meuchner@kodak.com Goss International Corporation Marketing David Stamp Phone: +44 1772 226203 Mobile: +44 7971 156880 E-Mail: david.stamp@gossinternational.com Special note for the editorial office: Eastman Kodak Co. will host a conference call at 04:00 p.m. (CET CET abbr. Central European Time CET Central European Time CET n abbr (= Central European Time) → hora de Europa central CET abbr ). All interested parties are invited to participate by calling the following dial-in-number and access code. There is no need to pre-register for the call. Dial-in-number: +1 913 981 5558 Access code: 745708 The call will also be recorded and available for replay by 9:00 p.m. (CET) and will be active until March 15, 2004 at 11 p.m. (CET). Replay-number: +1 719 457 0820 (Replay) Access code: 745708 For those listening via Web cast, please access our Kodak.com Investor Web page at: http://www.kodak.com/go/invest. Important note: This Press Information contains statements about future development that are based on assumptions and estimates by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even if the management is of the opinion that these assumptions and estimates are accurate, future actual developments and future actual results may differ significantly from these assumptions and estimates due to a variety of factors. These factors can include changes to the overall economic climate, changes to exchange rates and interest rates and changes in the graphic arts graphic arts: see aquatint; drawing; drypoint; engraving; etching; illustration; linoleum block printing; lithography; mezzotint; niello; pastel; poster; silk-screen printing; silhouette; silverpoint; sketch; stencil; woodcut and wood engraving. industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft provides no guarantee that future developments and the results actually achieved in the future will agree with the assumptions and estimates set out in this press release and assumes no liability for such. |
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