In a move that it claims combines the company’s declared policy of sustainability with both the space and facilities to cater for the new ways of doing business, Heidelberg UK has relocated its West London headquarters to Stockley Park. The new high-tech 20,000 sq ft facility offers superb transport links being close to the M25 junctions with the M3, M4, and M40, as well as being adjacent to Heathrow Airport.
According to the company’s Marketing Manager, Eirini Spanou, “We are delighted to be up and running in a facility that allows us to offer a very strong level of service.”
The new facility is home to a demo suite for digital printing and post-press equipment, has training facilities including a press simulator, workflow and colour management training, and a setup that allows customers to explore Heidelberg’s Smart Print Shop tools. Importantly, the new HQ gives visitors the possibility of viewing live equipment demonstrations at Heidelberg’s main Wiesloch demonstration building in Germany.
In line with modern working practices, the new offices are equipped with team-building features such as breakout spaces, hot desks, and social areas. Heidelberg staff based at Stockley Park also enjoy the benefits of health-oriented facilities such as a kitchenette, gym, showers, football, and pool tables, and more. “We’re also aiming to be a more sustainable organisation, and one way we’re moving towards that is by providing chargers for electric cars in our parking area,” added Spanou.
The new UK move is a further confidence boost for the company after it reported a 14% increase in Group sales for the first half of 2022 over 2021. The Packaging Solutions segment enjoyed particularly strong growth, from a modest €415m in the previous year to €535m. Better sales prices were able to offset the substantial increases in raw material costs and net figures after tax saw growth from €13m to €44m in Q1 and from €27m to €39m in Q2.
In the second quarter, incoming orders continued to rise through currency effects and high demand from Central Europe and North America with the company remaining cautiously optimistic, depending on how the global situation changes. Heidelberg says that it stands by its forecast for 2022/23, which should see sales increase to around €2.3bn provided there is no significant downturn in the general economic environment. Despite the cost increases that can be expected, profitability is also set to improve further in the second half of the year.
