Koenig & Bauer is continuing on the path that it adopted in 2014 to transition from a unitary to a divisional group and is positioning itself in 2025 with a new segment structure.
It has initiated a group realignment, which includes the downsizing of its business segments, the exit of COO Michael Ulverich, and the appointment of Christian Steinmaßl to group management.
It said as a result of the “leaner structures”, the number of its segments will be reduced from three to two, namely Paper & Packaging Sheetfed Systems (P&P) and Special & New Technologies (S&T). The group said its focus will remain on the high-growth packaging market.
Within the P&P segment, all the previous activities of the sheetfed segment will be consolidated within this division. In addition to this, the corrugated cardboard activities for the Chroma series bundled under the Celmacch joint venture, which were previously assigned to the Digital & Webfed segment, will be allocated to this segment due to the close technological and customer overlap between folding box and corrugated cardboard producers.
The activities of the Koenig & Bauer Durst joint venture will continue to be based here.
This segment will be specialising in end-to-end solutions for the high-growth folding box and corrugated cardboard box markets, addressing all aspects such as the preprint stage, printing with an integrated digital workflow and post-print processing.
Koenig & Bauer CEO Dr Andreas Pleßke said, “The Group’s top priority is to align itself with its customers and markets and to streamline decision-making paths within its business units”.
The company’s deputy CEO and CFO Dr Stephen Kimmich added, “The bundling of folding carton and corrugated board activities in one segment is our response to customer needs due to the strong technological and cross-customer overlap of these groups. Koenig & Bauer is thus continuing to develop as a ‘one-stop shop’ for cardboard and corrugated board packaging”.
As for the S&T segment, it will consolidate the previous activities of the Special segment (banknote and security printing, systems for industrial marking and coding and special systems for metal and glass/hollow container direct printing), as well as the remaining activities of the former Digital & Webfed segment.
This includes the special packaging printing applications, primarily web digital and flexo web printing.
Likewise, the partnership forged between Koenig & Bauer and the Volkswagen subsidiary PowerCo for the development of dry coating for battery cell production will be integrated in this segment.
New applications (inspection systems and protection technologies) will be spun off from security printing into an independent Vision & Protection business unit.
Michael Ulverich (COO) to leave the company
The restructuring of the Koenig & Bauer group will also result in changes to central responsibilities for operations as well as cross-sectional functions. The company said some of these will be re-assigned to the segments to address the individual requirements of the various markets more effectively.
Consequently, it said the previous role of a central group COO will no longer be required – Michael Ulverich will leave Koenig & Bauer and step down from the executive board from 30 November.
“Under his leadership, the foundations were laid for efficient materials management, purchasing and logistics, and the production companies were successfully restructured. He was also instrumental in initiating the development of a uniform platform for all press types, which will continue to be pursued in the segments,” the company said.
“The supervisory board and the other members of the executive board thank Mr Ulverich for the successful further development of the group’s operations, which has made a decisive contribution to its success.”
Christian Steinmaßl appointed to group management
In addition, Koenig & Bauer has hired Christian Steinmaßl, who brings with him over 25 years of experience in the paper and packaging industry, in a key role within the new S&T segment.
He will be holding responsibility for production, the Vision & Protection and Kyana (formerly Digital Unit) business units and operational shared services within the group.
“With his management experience in various technology-oriented companies and his strong technical expertise, especially in the field of packaging and new business, he is ideally qualified to oversee the multitude of technology-driven developments in the Special & New Technologies segment and the group’s own manufacturing companies within the Industrial business unit,” the company said.
In 2025, Koenig & Bauer said further steps to reorganise the executive board will be taken incrementally as with this alignment, it possible to reduce the number of members to just two, namely CEO and CFO.
Chairman of the supervisory board Prof. Dr. Raimund Klinkner said, “This structure, which has been agreed upon jointly between the supervisory board and the executive board, will ensure that decisions are aligned more closely to the business model, while the leaner structures will increase the speed at which decisions are made and help to optimise costs”.
