Langley Holdings, the diverse engineering group, has published its IFRS Annual Report & Accounts for the year ended December 31, 2014. The group reported a profit before tax of €100.6 million on revenues of €779.4 million. Group Chairman Tony Langley said in his review of the business that the group’s divisions had performed in line with, or ahead of, expectations – and that 2014 had been another remarkably successful year.
Manroland Sheetfed, the printing press manufacturer Langley Holdings acquired in 2012, is the group’s largest division in revenue and employee terms, and reported a small profit for the same period.
Piller, the producer of power protection systems for data centres, and Claudius Peters, the plant machinery constructor, performed up to expectations while the “other businesses” division, principally packaging machinery specialist Bradman Lake, also had a satisfactory year. ARO, the manufacturer of welding machinery for the automobile sector, experienced another successful year despite the expected downturn in demand that, in fact, did not materialize in 2014.
In his concluding remarks Langley acknowledged the contribution made by the group’s 4,000-plus employees and welcomed around 300 employees of the newly acquired DruckChemie group to the family of businesses, saying that he is confident 2015 will be another successful year.
Manroland flagship presses lead the way
Manroland’s flagship R700 and R900 series HiPrint presses helped complete its strong sales year, particularly in the fourth quarter of 2014, with a number of new units sold in Canada and the U.S. The OEM also recently unveiled its new Roland 700 Evolution Press at the company’s Print Technology Centre in Offenbach, Germany, incorporating industry-evolving technological advancements designed to give printers “unprecedented levels of efficiency, productivity, ease of operation and quality.”
One of the press manufacturer’s top sales successes in 2014 was the installation of the first 73-inch, 8-colour perfecting press in North Amercia capable of producing a 64-page imposition in one single pass – equipped with Inline ColorPilot and Inline Register – to a Canadian printing and packaging facility.
Other notable installations included:
- Two twelve-unit Ultima configuration R700 HiPrint packaging presses for a mid-west U.S. customer.
- An R700 series six-colour HiPrint press equipped with double coaters, ColorPilot and a host of QuickChange make-ready automation for a customer in the eastern U.S.
- An R900 series eight-colour and coater packaging press equipped with delivery and feeder logistics systems for a Canadian customer.
- A perfecting 8-colour and a coater R700 HiPrint for another Canadian customer.