Bobst Well Positioned for 2010

LAUSANNE, Switzerland—At a press conference late last month, Bobst Group CEO Jean-Pascal Bobst detailed the moves the group has made in response to changes in world markets, and revealed plans for product launches in 2010. It was announced that, in parallel with exhibiting at the UK based IPEX 2010 trade fair, Bobst will run live machine demonstrations at two local UK locations, one dedicated to commercial print and one to packaging manufacturing. Bobst will also use the show to launch a free Web portal for the buying and selling of used Bobst equipment. Dates were announced for the joint corrugated and folding carton industries “Bobst Competence” open house later in the year.

“People and knowledge are the keys to the ongoing success of Bobst Group, and will continue to differentiate us from other players in the market in the future,” says Jean-Pascal Bobst. “We plan to continue our strong focus on research and design and innovation, and our new sheet-fed business unit will launch a large number of new products in 2010 which will provide our customers with an even broader range of high-performance, quality products.”

Bobst reviewed trends in the markets during 2009 and explained that the third and fourth quarters of 2009 showed some very positive signs. “Our response to the global downturn has been, externally, to actively support our customers’ needs in these difficult times and, internally, to launch a group transformation project to further increase customer satisfaction, broaden market coverage, extend our sales and service coverage, and gain approximately $95,000,000 in savings by 2011,” says Bobst.

The group transformation program has been designed to help define opportunities for organic growth and ensure effective operation. “With this and our strong equity situation, Bobst Group will emerge stronger from the global crisis,” promises Bobst.

The new Bobst Group sheet-fed business unit now serves clients in the folding carton and corrugated packaging industries, as well as in commercial print. It encompasses the Bobst, Martin, and Asitrade brands. The focus of this business unit is on offering technical solutions for each customer’s needs, strong customer connections, and long-term business sustainability.