Heidelberg to cut another 2,500 jobs

[GeorgeA]

Things are looking even grimmer, so Heidelberg is doubling its previously-announced cuts.

WhatTheyThink has the press release:

Heidelberg Increases Cost-Cutting Measures - Printing Industry News from WhatTheyThink

[Erik Nikkanen]

Things are looking even grimmer, so Heidelberg is doubling its previously-announced cuts.

WhatTheyThink has the press release:

Heidelberg Increases Cost-Cutting Measures - Printing Industry News from WhatTheyThink

KBA also announced bad news today. They all are going to suffer badly but they all will not change the direction of their technology.

In this kind of shrinking market which also has the added problems of lack of credit, survival and even prosperity will not be obtained by cost cutting. Technical innovation is what is required to make one win out over the competition. The sad situation is that the kind of innovation that is required is not the kind that these traditional mechanical engineering organizations are willing to take, even when it is offered to them.

History is going to look back on them and think how inflexible and myopic they were when times were tough. Again I have to say that I wait patiently for the first large press manufacturer to get to the point where they are in so much pain that they will ask for help.

It is not the size of the manufacturer that counts but the profitability. Innovation is the only way to obtain that position. The manufacturers have to stop thinking that significant progress is not possible.