A surge in big newspaper press orders is part of the reason KBA is “heading back into the black” with higher level of capacity utilisation, and a return to full-time work at most plants. Its half-year figures show group sales up 4.5% at 473.2 million Euros and the pre-tax loss slashed from 47.4 million to 22 million Euros, 21.3 million of which originated in the first quarter when sales were still weak. The company says it almost achieved a balanced result in the second quarter, with EBT improving to just -700,000 Euros. It also posted an operating profit of 500,000 Euros for the quarter, and although the accounts still show an operating loss of 18.9 million Euros for the first six months, this was well under half the corresponding figurein 2009. Both business divisions posted a higher volume of new orders and sales. Sales of sheetfed presses climbed 5.3 per cent, sales of web and special presses were up 3.9 per cent. The order intake for web and special presses soared 40.8 per cent to 375.7 million Euros. Both divisions reported continued brisk demand in July, and there was a surge in orders for big newspaper web presses.