Uteco Reports Continuing Strong Performance

Printing press manufacturer, Uteco Group, is reporting continuing excellent results in 2011. This is following notable positive results in 2010 in terms of sales volumes, production value, and economic margins and indexes. For 2010, revenues increased 23 percent due to strong incoming orders, which were up about 20 percent compared to 2009, which had also seen a strong recovery (+30 percent).

Despite ongoing instability and political, economic, and financial turbulences that are impacting all the world markets—as well as the intensification of pricing pressures on raw materials and components—the Uteco Group is getting excellent results in 2011. Compared to the same period in 2010, sales and production volumes are up 10 percent, and the company reports the noteworthy achievement of canceling its total debt.

This trend of continuous growth is expected to be even stronger in 2012 with further enhancement and expansion of several projects and investments that impact all business sectors. Research & development is growing in terms of global resources to enhance and expand the several technical developments already initiated by the Group (including, the Kiss & Go, the SmartMatch, the G.I.M.). At the same time the company sales force is expanding through the involvement of new agents/external distributors, as well as area sales managers inside the company.

The company will also continue its close collaboration with international groups in the food and beverage market in order to continue the research of the best technological solutions in this specific segment. The company’s growing sensitivity to environmental sustainability, energy savings, and the concept of “green,”—especially in the food sector—are closely related to these activities. After years of tests, Uteco is intensifying its contribution with the introduction of important patents and innovations in EB (electron beam) technology.

At the same time, new product lines in printing, converting, and special applications have been successfully launched, with keen interest in emerging markets such as China and the Far East. In addition to these product developments, new research projects are in place with universities involving the use of nanotechnologies in the printing of the electronic and photovoltaic circuits that allow wider the applications of flexographic printing.

Last but not least, development projects in offset line machinery have led to the first offset machine sold by Uteco Group in 2010 currently being installed at the customer’s plant. This is in addition to the integration of digital technology in flexographic presses, being done in cooperation with digital specialists.

In October, Uteco demonstrated its commitment to ongoing growth, organizing a 5-days event at its Italian headquarters. During the week, Uteco’s top management—including sales, production, purchasing, and finance—were involved in meetings and presentations to agents, customers, and suppliers. The event provided an important view of the current 2011 business year, along with initiating the 2012-2014 Business Plan. This plan will include a continuously growing sales budget spurred on by the results of the last two years, along with a series of investments, starting from the ones in currently in progress in R&D.