Heidelbergs nine-month order level is up by around 631m (E1bn) on the same period last year due to particularly strong performances in sheetfed, web and digital.


At the end of December 2000 the nine-month order book was worth 2.8bn, almost 30% up on the comparable period in the 1999/2000 fiscal year.


Much of the order growth came in the first six months of the period, aided by excellent Drupa results. But orders slowed slightly in the third quarter, which Heidelberg attributed to the US economic slowdown.


Sales for the period were up 15% to 2.2bn and profit after tax rose 4% to 105m. This keeps the group well on target to achieve its aims for the year-end.


We expect sales in excess of 3.1bn for the complete 2000/2001 fiscal year and an increase in net profit of around 10%, said finance director Dr Herbert Meyer.


There were pleasing developments in various divisions. Digital orders were up 24.5% and Heidelberg is on course to install its 2,000th Digimaster in the spring.


Sheetfed orders rose by 33% and web orders by 27%. The newspaper division has just secured its 11th Mainstream order from El Universal in Mexico.


Meanwhile, the group looks likely to double its free-float on the German stock exchange over the next 10 months, which would see it listed on the Dax-30 group of leading German companies.


Currently 16% of its shares are free-floated, 56% are owned by utilities group RWE, and a further 28% by institutions such as Allianz and Commerzbank.


Institutions have so far been reluctant to dilute their holdings as under German law they would be taxed heavily. However, the law is due to change on 1 January 2002 to free up capital and stimulate large parts of German industry.


Story by Lauretta Roberts