However, the company said that it remains confident that the market, which is currently hamstrung by the weak advertising sector, will be buoyant in the medium and long term.
In the first six months of the year MAN Roland achieved sales of 539.7m (850m), a 12% decrease on the same time last year. While pre-tax earnings for the same period fell 66% to 7m.
The company predicted that its operating results for the entire year would be around half of last years figure, which was 56.5m. New orders taken fell 34% to 491m.
MAN Roland said that the printing press manufacturing sector remained tense, with pressure on pricing policies. It added that a sweeping recovery is not foreseen in the near future.
The company adjusted capacity in its sheetfed business at the beginning of the year, taking full advantage of its flexible workforce, and has been able to deal with market fluctuations without making redundancies.
Story by John Davies
Have your say in the Printweek Poll
Related stories
Latest comments
"15 x members? Why don't they throw their lot in with the Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP) and get a louder voice?"
"Some forty plus years ago I was at a "sales" training seminar and got chatting to the trainer after the session had finished.
In that conversation he told me about another seminar he had..."
Up next...
Further breathing space
'Serious group' interested in Highcon, new deadline set
Automation welcomed
Colourbridge enhances efficiency with new Duplo multi-finisher
New business unit includes OpSec
