manroland web says it increased new web press orders last year and claims a 45 per cent share of the market.

in what it describes as a "still challenging economic environment", it says it managed to develop its market position: Incoming orders grew by more than ten per cent to around 260 million Euros in comparison to 2014, and its global market share for new web offset printing presses grew to about 45 per cent from 36 per cent in 2014.

The company says it recorded a significant increase in profit, with the margin now at three per cent or 6.2 million Euros. Profitability is expected to grow even further in 2016.

Completion of restructuring measures from 2014 and improved capacity use also had a major impact: "In 2015, the manroland web systems company group generated a positive operating result of 6.2 million Euros before interest and taxes (EBIT).

"An order backlog in new press business of more than 150 million Euros gives reason to expect good use of factory capacities and a further increase in profitability for manroland web systems in 2016", managing director Jörn Gossé says.

Not including external personnel and trainees, the company had a total staff of 1,200 worldwide - 1068 of which were at the Augsburg site - at the end of last year. It has announced that all trainees and young skilled workers who are finishing training in 2016 will be taken on - currently 63 young people are training in various technical and commercial positions - and says 16 new traineeships will be offered starting in September.

Among major projects in 2015 were an order for a Cromoman 4-1 at Namasthe Telangana in India, and the Geoman press relocation and reconfiguration for Fairfax Media in New Zealand. The company has also had success with new inline control systems and long-term service contracts. It reports growing demand in the USA and, in particular, the west European market "proving very innovative" with orders including four 96-page Lithoman heatset presses.

FoldLine and FormerLine finishing systems for digital printing are "taking the world by storm", partly due to openness to digital printing press manufacturers. Orders came from South America, Africa and Middle East.

In a stagnating web-offset market, manroland web says it wants to develop its market position in newspapers and commercial web offset further and remain an innovative driver in industrial digital printing, with the DRUPA trade fair which opens in may, seen as an ideal platform.