Krones Press Feed

RedDot 7.5 Krones Press Feed http://www.krones.com/en/press/press.xml Krones Press Feed Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Friday, June 26, 2009 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en <![CDATA[ The Krones Variopac is a best-seller: 1000 machines in 10 years ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8771.htm In September 2009, Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, will be delivering its thousandth Variopac packer. Flexible, product-specific, customised packing, grouping containers in a wide choice of sales packs, responsively geared to the market’s requirements and wherever possible with just one single machine: these stipulations from many bottlers and canners governed the design concept for the first fully automatic, continuously operating Variopac packer from Krones. And that still applies today.

It was in June 1999, ten years ago, that the Variopac embarked upon its triumphal progress, when the first machine was commissioned at the mineral water bottlers VMH Rosbach. In just eighteen months, by February 2001, 100 of these machines had been supplied to clients in the beverage, food and non-food industries all over the world, for packing cans, glass or plastic containers.

Following purposeful design enhancement, the Variopac shrink-wrapper for non-returnables was soon available for the high speed range of up to 100 cycles a minute. Empirical feedback from continuous operation with an uninterrupted material flow led in 2007 to renewed optimisation of selected components. Reflected in a new name: as the Variopac Pro, it has since then been meeting the global market’s multifaceted requirements in the following versions: TFS (tray-film-shrink), PFS (pad-film-shrink), FS (film-shrink) and T (tray). And the triumphal progress of the Variopac family shows no signs of flagging.

06.23.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Ernst Baumann is the new Chairman of Krones’ Supervisory Board ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/8763.htm On 17 June 2009, the 29th regular AGM of Krones AG was held in Neutraubling, Germany. Supervisory Board Chairman Dr. Lorenz M. Raith (70) laid down his office on expiry of the 2009 AGM. Dr. Raith had been a member of the Krones Supervisory Board since 1996, and its Chairman since May 1997. It was during his term of office that Krones initiated its strategic refocus under the aegis of its “Impulse” programme. The “Growth Programme” launched a decade ago has borne invaluable fruit during this time: sales revenues rose 2.6-fold to reach their most recent figure of 2.38 billion euros, net income for the year improved 4.3-fold to its most recent figure of 106.5 million euros, shareholders’ equity grew 2.3-fold, the market capitalisation tripled, and the workforce increased 1.6-fold to reach more than 10,000 people. Dr. Raith’s final year in office was crowned by glittering success: for the ninth time in succession, the company achieved a record year in terms of order bookings, sales and net income.
After what was meanwhile around 13 years as Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Lorenz M. Raith stepped down from this office at his own request for reasons of age. The Executive Board of Krones AG thanked Dr. Raith for his invariably constructive and successful contributions.

In the subsequent constitutive meeting of the Supervisory Board, Dipl.-Ing. Ernst Baumann (60) was unanimously elected as his successor.
Ernst Baumann was first elected to Krones’ Supervisory Board in 2001, when he was a director of BMW AG, responsible for human resources and staff welfare, as well as being Labour Director; he had joined BMW in 1973, after gaining a degree in mechanical engineering. During his career there, Ernst Baumann was responsible for numerous remits. Before being appointed to the Managing Board, as Technical Director of the BMW plant in South Africa, of the BMW plant in Regensburg and as overall project manager he had been responsible for the large and medium-sized series at BMW AG.
Upon reaching the age limit, Ernst Baumann left BMW AG on 30 November 2008, after a good ten years on its Managing Board.

State Parliament MP Dipl.-Ing. agr. Philipp Graf von und zu Lerchenfeld (57) was newly elected to the Supervisory Board as a representative of the shareholders. An agricultural engineering graduate, and a qualified tax consultant and auditor, he has been a member of the Bavarian State Parliament since 2003. Following his re-election as an MP in 2008, Count Lerchenfeld has been a member of the Committee for State Budgeting and Finance.

There was also a change among the representatives of the workforce. With the departure of Herbert Gerstner (58), an active member of the Supervisory Board since 1997, Krones’ Employees’ Council member Johann Robold (52) stepped up to the Krones Supervisory Board.

06.19.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones completes share buyback programme ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_8760.htm On the basis of the authorisation approved by the AGM on 18 June 2008, the Executive Board of Krones AG had decided on 21 January 2008 to purchase on the stock market up to 3,159,307 of the company’s own shares (up to 10 per cent of the capital stock) before expiry of this authorisation.

The buyback programme thus approved ended when the new authorisation enacted at the AGM on 17 June 2009 came into force. The company thus completed its buyback programme on 17 June 2009. All purchases were handled in XETRA trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange through Commerzbank AG.

A total of 1,425,421 shares, or around 4.5 % of the capital stock, was purchased at an average price of 25.93 euros per share.

06.19.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ NitroHotfill process ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8743.htm

The most cost-efficient option for PET hotfill applications

With its new NitroHotfill process, Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, is offering a financially interesting alternative to conventional hotfill processes. NitroHotfill rounds off the choice of systems available, so that Krones can now provide the best solution for each and every filling application involving sensitive beverages.

Krones’ in-house expertise in bottle design and stretch blow-moulding technology has now enabled a concept familiar from other applications to be used for a PET hotfill process as well. Process control is based on the newly developed “Relax-Cooling” (RC) concept, where the installation of a nitrogen injection dosing feature just before the capper creates a positive pressure of 1.5 to 2 bar inside the bottle. The positive bottle pressure compensates for the shrinkage in product volume downstream of the recooler, thus preventing any bottle deformation due to underpressure. This means the panel design hitherto required to compensate for the vacuum pressure with hot-filled products can be dispensed with. The process can be utilised for the bottle production process in the Contiform H, which also enables aluminium moulds to be used, and reduces the machine’s air consumption dramatically.

The most affordable option for hot-filling in PET

The Krones NitroHotfill technology scores in terms of material savings with the PET bottle itself, with reduced blow-air consumption, enhanced performance in the stretch blow-moulding process, and increased output from the line as a whole. Depending on the preform and bottle material being used, and the differing as-is parameters like filling temperature, bottle shape, and stipulations for bottle design and closure, material savings of up to 30 per cent can be achieved. The Relax-Cooling (RC) technology also enables the Contiform H’s flushing air consumption to be substantially reduced. This is the result of a small flow rate and a shorter flushing time. Air recycling with the Air Wizard IV helps to reduce air consumption still further.

The NitroHotfill process offers the most affordable option for a PET hotfill process. The major pluses are its beneficial effects on operating costs and the price per bottle. The option for producing their own hotfill containers in-house makes bottlers more independent and flexible. And responsibly prudent husbanding of material resources and energy consumption is, of course, a paramount concern in our present-day era.

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Preview report for drinktec 2009 ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8707.htm Cutting your operating costs, saving space, increasing line efficiency levels, creating complete-system capabilities, using state-of-the-art technologies to expand the bandwidth of the products being handled, putting optimised hygiene and safety conditions in place, in short – creating need-responsive solutions: these are the driving considerations behind what Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, has developed for drinktec 2009. As a complete-system vendor, Krones has long since complemented its filling and packaging segments by in-house capabilities for process technology, information technology, intralogistics and factory planning - a logical step forward in the group’s holistically inclusive strategy: a whole series of clients have already single-sourced their complete factories from Krones.

On the Krones stand in Hall B6, visitors will find high-performance systems for both wet and dry ends, intelligent IT solutions, customised material flow concepts, and much, much more.

The issue of sustainability also plays a prominent role among Krones’ exhibits. After all, the food and beverage industries, in particular, have made sustainability an integrative constituent of their brand images, in the full knowledge that more and more consumers nowadays decide for or against a brand on the basis of ecological criteria. Krones has taken this fact fully on board, and has accordingly incorporated the issue of sustainability in its enviro programme, which renders visible and tangible the economic and ecological commitment to responsible resource husbandry that Krones prioritises in its machinery design work, enabling the users of Krones’ technology to manifest their conservationist credentials.

Making optimum use of your capacities
How available capacities can be utilised to still better effect, how production costs can be permanently downsized: this is what Krones Life-Cycle Service (LCS) will be demonstrating with a variety of responsive programmes, including productivity optimisation, maintenance, support, design and training.

Krones AG, Hall B 6

05.29.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Licher’s showcase brewhouse officially inaugurated ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8567.htm On 23 April 2009, the privately owned Licher Brewery ceremonially inaugurated its new showcase brewhouse from Krones. The most prominent figure among the guests was Hesse’s Prime Minister Roland Koch, who personally attended the official inauguration, thus underlining the importance attached to this “brewery from the heart of the countryside”. The brewery’s Managing Director, Dr. Ulrich Peters, also welcomed the management of the Bitburger Brewing Group, which has owned the Licher Brewery since 2004. Plus, of course, numerous guests of honour from the surrounding region, Krones Director Christoph Klenk, and senior staff from the brewery itself.

In a turnkey order, Krones had supplied the Licher Brewery with a new brewhouse capable of producing 475 hl of hot cast wort from 11 brews a day. The new brewhouse replaces two older, more energy-intensive brewing lines, and features state-of-the-art brewhouse technology, with two ShakesBeer mashing systems, a Pegasus lauter tun, a Stromboli internal boiler system, a classical whirlpool, plus the requisite peripherals, like a buffer tank, a hops supply, a CIP system, an energy storage system and a water house.

The use of an energy storage system for heat recovery, plus ultra-efficient, optimised processes for sustainable management of energy and raw materials, ensure up-to-the-future consumption figures and operating costs. The quality of the entire job is manifested in the technology, and the consummate workmanship, thanks not least to all the kit being manufactured in Germany, in line with the corporate commitment to excellence espoused by both Krones and the Licher Brewery. Besides maximised efficiency for raw material usage and energy consumption, the Licher Brewery also attached major importance to visual design. A large window reveals the showcase brewhouse’s operator control level, while a visitors’ platform inside the brewhouse offers a panoramic view. The new brewhouse is part of a long-term investment programme at this facility.

Excellent advance planning by the Bitburger Brewing Group and the Licher Brewery, underpinned by prudent, responsible time-scheduling, were crucial to a successful job. After all, no matter how intensive the planning is, a new structure in an existing historic building is always going to be a tough challenge. Close cooperation between Bitburger/Licher and Krones was thus the key to a shared success.

04.30.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones’ profits up again in the 2008 business year ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_8558.htm Krones AG, the world’s market leader for beverage filling and packaging technology, had another highly successful year in 2008. At 2,381.4 million euros, consolidated sales were 10.5 % up on the preceding year’s figure. Order bookings climbed by 1.1 %, from 2,300.2 million euros to 2,326.5 million euros. As a full-service vendor, Krones was particularly well placed to benefit during the first half of 2008 from the high demand worldwide for complete job packages. In Asia and Africa, especially, international beverage conglomerates invested in new and expanded beverage factories. The company’s growth was also boosted by the continuingly high proportion of beverages sold in plastic (PET) bottles, since Krones is the leading vendor in this segment.

A significant improvement in Krones’ cash flow
Krones’ earnings before taxes rose by 1.6 % in 2008, from 153.6 to 156.1 million euros. The EBT margin, meaning earnings before taxes in relation to sales, dropped from 7.1 % to 6.6 %, a fall attributable primarily to human resources and restructuring costs entailed by the action package Krones launched in the fourth quarter of 2008 to prepare for the challenges awaiting it in the 2009 business year. Profits after tax rose in 2008 by 4.6 % from 101.8 million euros to 106.5 million euros, earnings per share from 3.25 to 3.39 euros. The company’s cash flow improved substantially during the 2008 business year. Thanks to improved working capital management, the cash flow from ongoing business operations increased from 104.3 million euros in 2008 to 183.8 million euros. The free cash flow, i.e. the cash flow from ongoing business operations minus investments, rose from 16.1 to 78.4 million euros.

The Executive and Supervisory Boards will propose to the AGM that a dividend of 0.60 euros per share be paid out for the 2008 business year. Krones sees this dividend, reduced by 0.10 from the preceding year, as an appropriate response to the difficult macro-economic environment.

Krones finishes 2009’s first quarter with a loss
Due to the global economic crisis, Krones’ clients are currently reluctant to invest. In the first quarter of 2009, sales fell by 19.0 % on a like-for-like basis, from 595.2 to 482.3 million euros. Order bookings, at 414.5 million euros, dropped by 31.7 % in the period January to March 2009. On 31 March 2009, the company’s order backlog was 769.6 million euros (preceding year: 903.0 million euros).

Due to the sizeable fall in sales, Krones’ earnings before taxes during the quarter under review on a like-for-like comparison dropped from 45.6 to minus 4 million euros. The high level of fixed costs, predominantly personnel expenditure, hit earnings hard in the year’s first quarter. Since Krones is fully confident that in the long term the markets will resume their growth trajectory, the company intends to retain its permanent staff even in this business-hostile macro-economic environment. The cost-cutting initiatives that the company embarked upon back in the fourth quarter of 2008 will only take full effect as the year proceeds.

Outlook
The totally unprecedented macro-economic imponderabilities preclude any meaningful prognoses for consolidated earnings in 2009. The company has to proceed on the assumption that the worldwide financial and economic crisis will over the course of 2009 significantly affect its sales and earnings. In the event that clients’ reluctance to invest persists for a lengthy period to its present degree, with a resultantly sizeable fall in sales, the possibility of a negative consolidated result for 2009 can no longer be entirely ruled out. Krones expects the markets to recover in 2010.

Back in the 4th quarter of 2008, the Executive Board began an extensive action programme, implemented throughout the group under the name “Conversion”, and designed to counteract the fall in earnings anticipated due to the economic crisis. Krones intends to emerge from the recession faster and in better shape than its competitors, and to further upgrade its role as market leader. The group’s exceptionally sound asset and financial situation is a crucially reassuring factor against the backdrop of the global crisis. The Executive Board is confident that once the economic crisis has been overcome the company will very quickly be restored to its familiar strength.

04.27.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones publishes its provisional figures for the 2008 business year ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_8501.htm Neutraubling, Germany, 18 March 2009 – Krones AG, the world’s market leader for beverage filling and packaging equipment, has yet again turned in a very good result for the 2008 business year, as demonstrated by the provisional figures involved. Consolidated sales were up by 10.5 % over the previous year, to reach 2,381.4 million euros. Order bookings, too, at 2,326.5 million euros, rose above the preceding business year’s level of 2,300.2 million euros, a plus of 1.1 %. In the year’s first six months, particularly, Krones, a full-service vendor, profited from the buoyant demand for complete-system packages.

Earnings before taxes (EBT) came to 156.1 million euros in 2008, thus exceeding the previous year’s figure by 1.6 %, with the EBT margin falling from 7.1 % to 6.6 %. Among the determinant factors behind this decrease were higher personnel expenditure and change-over costs, incurred during the year’s fourth quarter and aimed at preparing the company for the tough challenges awaiting us in the 2009 business year. Profits after taxes rose by 4.6 %, from 101.8 to 106.5 million euros.

In 2008, Krones’ cash flow showed a marked improvement, with cash flow from ongoing business operations rising by 79.6 million euros to reach 183.8 million euros. Free cash flow was upped from 16.1 million euros to 78.4 million euros. At the end of 2008, Krones possessed liquid funds amounting to 108.4 million euros (preceding year: 53.8 million euros) and had practically no liabilities to banks.

Krones is preparing for a difficult business year 2009
In the wake of the international economic crisis, Krones, too, has noticed an increasingly lower propensity to buy on the part of its customers worldwide. Following a fall in order bookings of a moderate 15 % in 2008’s fourth quarter, we anticipate incoming orders will fall by about one third in this year’s first quarter, as compared to a good first quarter in 2008.

Since the present-day imponderabilities are unprecedented, it is impossible as yet to make a soundly based forecast for consolidated earnings in 2009. We have to proceed on the assumption that the worldwide economic and financial crises will perceptibly affect our sales and earnings as the year goes on. In the event of our customers’ reluctance to invest persisting to the extent currently observable, with a concomitant slump in turnover, we can no longer entirely rule out a negative result for the group in 2009.

During the fourth quarter of 2008, the Executive Board had already embarked upon a comprehensive range of initiatives aimed at counteracting the fall in earnings, which must inevitably be expected as a result of this development, and at enabling Krones to emerge from the ongoing crisis better and faster, thus extending its competitive lead over its rivals.

The group’s soundly based asset situation, backed up by its stable finances, is one of the crucial factors providing some reassuring solidity in the ongoing global crisis.

Taking a long-term view, definite growth opportunities can be expected in our markets. All our products and services are closely connected to consumption, i.e. to eating and drinking, thus profiting indirectly from the growth of the Earth’s population, and from increasing global affluence.

September 2009 will see the most important sectoral trade fair for Krones worldwide, the “drinktec” in Munich. Krones will be using this event as a timely opportunity to convince our customers of our innovative vigour and our solutional competence.

The company is confident that once the general economic crisis has been overcome it will very swiftly resume its familiar strong performance.

03.18.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Trade fair preview for the Ipack-Ima 2009 ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8480.htm Ipack-Ima, the international trade fair for packaging technology and food/beverage processing held at the exhibition centre in Milan from 24 to 28 March, is going to have significantly more international focus than the last event three years ago. Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, has taken this international focus fully on board, and will, for instance, be showcasing its global Life-Cycle Service. Since the beginning of 2009, Krones AG’s European clients have been able to access their own service portal on the net. In the new interactive Life-Cycle Service Portal, Krones has grouped together a whole series of existing online features from its Life-Cycle Service portfolio. The next phase planned is to expand the Life-Cycle Service Portal and offer it worldwide.

Sleevematic Inline
The exhibits will also include a Sleevematic Inline labeller. With this machine, Krones has created an affordable option for using sleeve labelling to apply special dress in all speed ranges. The Sleevematic Inline scores in terms of compact dimensions and good accessibility. Its exceptionally high speed, not least when compared to its competitors, of up to 27,000 bottles an hour per station signifies a good price-performance ratio. The Sleevematic Inline is also able to handle all commonly used sleeve formats on just one single station.

An innovative concept for full-sleeve labelling, developed in conjunction with Plada (Heinz Group), including a closure for Plasmon baby food in a glass jar, has been nominated for the Oscar dell'Imballaggio. The Packaging Oscar, which will be awarded during the Ipack-Ima, is an accolade for the best food and beverages packages.

PET recycling – sustainable resource-economy
Another important issue for the future, not least in terms of sustainability and resource-economy, will be mechanical recycling of PET containers. For this purpose, Krones will at the Ipack-Ima be exhibiting its concept for compact-sized PET bottle-to-bottle recycling systems, aimed at both bottlers and converters, for making beverage-quality PET from used PET material. Krones is the only manufacturer able to offer the entire recycling process, featuring both a washing module and a B2B module. The compactly dimensioned concept for the PET recycling system has been designed for outputs of 500 or 1,000 kg of recyclate per hour. The first of these Krones recycling systems will be going into operation this year in Europe, Asia and North America.

Hall 2 Stand A01 B02

03.02.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Roll-out for Lifecycle Service Portal in Europe ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8360.htm Europe is online: since the beginning of 2009, the European clients of Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, have been able to access their own service portal on the web. In the new, interactive Lifecycle Service Portal, Krones has grouped together a series of existing online features provided under the aegis of its Lifecycle Service operation. Krones’ clients can, of course, also obtain their access authorisation online simply by registering on the website www.lcs.krones.com, and receiving their authorisation data by email. This gives them access to the portal, in which for the first time numerous LCS services are incorporated for convenient direct utilisation. These include eGate, the eCat spare parts shop/catalogue, and the latest support agreement data.

Through the Lifecycle Service Portal, the machine’s owners are directly networked to Krones, with access to all the latest upgrade options for their machines. This means that in future all clients can quickly generate over the internet a quotation request covering the upgrades on offer for their specific machines. In an upcoming phase, the Lifecycle Service Portal is to be expanded and offered worldwide.

02.02.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones decides on share buyback programme ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_8354.htm Neutraubling, Germany, 21 January 2009 – The Executive Board of Krones AG, following authorisation by the AGM held on 18 June 2008, decided on 21 January 2009 to purchase on the stock market up to 3,159,307 of the company’s own shares, equivalent to up to 10 per cent of the equity capital. The value per share (excluding the ancillary costs of purchase) must not be less than EUR 22.61 and not more than EUR 27.64. If the price of Krones AG’s shares should rise above or fall below the specified bandwidth, the Executive Board can decide upon a new buyback tranche with a new bandwidth. The relevant information on this will be announced on the company’s website under www.krones.com.
Use of the repurchased shares will be decided upon at a later juncture, subject to approval by the AGM.

The Executive Board of Krones AG is convinced that the price of the Krones stock, against the background of the crisis on the financial markets, does not adequately reflect the profitability and the future prospects of Krones AG. In view of the company’s good liquidity situation , the buyback will essentially be funded from the firm’s own resources.

The buyback will be conducted by Commerzbank AG, Frankfurt a.M. in appropriate conformity with the “safe harbour” regulations of Ordinance (EG) No. 2273/2003 from the European Commission, independently and without any influence being exerted by the company.

Krones AG will provide regular information on the progress of the share buyback under www.krones.com.

01.21.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ riha invests in cold-aseptics and a high-bay warehouse for its Spanish facility ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8304.htm Ever since 1994, the German riha WeserGold Group has been operating the Agrozumos facility in Lekunberri, a town in the Spanish province of Navarre, founded back in 1981 as a bottler of juices and squashes, most of them in soft packages. riha WeserGold is now upgrading the facility to incorporate an aseptic PET bottling capability and a fully automated high-bay warehouse. For both these projects, Krones has been awarded the entire job package.

For cold-aseptic filling of still (or carbonated) juices and squashes in PET containers, riha WeserGold opted for a dry sterilisation process, so as to minimise water consumption. Krones is supplying an H2O2 system with the entire peripherals, a Sleevematic and a Contiroll labeller, plus a Variopac Pro packer, and pallet conveyors for linking up to the material flow system.

Krones is supplying an automated APW high-bay warehouse system featuring 14,000 europallet slots and five storage and retrieval units. 165 pallets an hour can be provided at the loading zone. The entire project, for a rating of 24,000 containers an hour, is set to go into operation early in 2009.

01.13.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ 40,000 pallet storage slots for Hassia ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8303.htm The Hassia Group, with its six subsidiaries and 1,200 employees, ranks among Germany’s best-selling mineral water brands. At its hometown facility in Bad Vilbel, Hassia Mineralquellen is now building an automated bay-type warehouse, a job being handled in its entirety by Krones. The 20-m-high, 75-m-long and 113-m-wide warehouse has been designed as a channel warehouse featuring approximately 40,000 pallet storage slots. A total of 16 transverse travelling carriages with lift capability handle two pallet levels at a time on the shelving.

Besides a link-up to the existing electric overhead conveyor, the delivery package also includes creating an additional pallet conveyor level for connecting the warehouse to the newly installed order-picking system and the dispatch zones, designed for rear and side loading. In addition, Krones is supplying the control system and the material flow computer. The warehouse will be ready to begin operation for the 2009 season.

01.13.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones develops an automatic order-picking system ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/68_8305.htm Rising numbers of articles in the food and beverage industries are rendering the order-picking process ever more complicated. Efficient solutions are needed. For this reason, Krones has developed a modularised, automatic order-picking system – known as EOP System A – for the food and beverage industries.

From homogeneous pallets, each with a different stock-keeping unit, mixed pallets are automatically formed, each stacked with several different articles in accordance with customers’ purchase orders, for subsequent dispatch to supermarkets, shops or filling stations. The system can, for example, put together up to 400 different articles (SKUs) at a speed of 4,000 units an hour, enabling a huge number of packages to be handled at high outputs. With manual or (for high speeds) automatic layer depalletising, product pallet stacks are disassembled and the packs transported to homogeneous pack buffers. Special optimisation software computes efficiently stackable layers for stable transportation units, enabling the individual packs to be cycled out of the pack buffers in the correct sequence.

A logical pack tracking feature, underpinned by visual checks, ensures the correct sequence on the pack conveyors to the order storage lanes, from where they are withdrawn before being oriented, positioned and pregrouped into the requisite layers by the Robobox pack grouping system. The pallet stacks are then put together by the Modulpal layer palletiser, whereupon they are wrapped, labelled and made ready for dispatch. This automatic order-picking system has been developed by Krones for tough operating conditions using standard components based on state-of-the-art machinery and information technology.

01.13.2009

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones sued by American financial services provider ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_8603.htm We have today learned that the US company of the Krones Group, Messrs. Krones Inc. in Franklin/WI (USA), and Krones AG, Neutraubling , Germany, including their executive bodies, are to be sued by the American leasing company CIT Group/Equipment Financing Inc., which is demanding compensation for loss or damage allegedly incurred.

The Executive Board of Krones AG regards this lawsuit, already registered with a US court, as groundless, and sees no evidence for any responsibility on the part of Krones companies. Krones will fight this unjustified lawsuit with all the means at its disposal.

The suit must be seen in the context of the major financial scandal concerning the American company Le-Nature’s. During the period 2005/2006, Krones had produced, delivered and successfully commissioned bottling lines worth a total of approximately US$ 100 million for Le-Nature’s facility in Phoenix/AZ (USA).

10.29.2008

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Report for the 3rd quarter of 2008 ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_7974.htm During the first nine months of 2008 Krones remained on course for growth, despite the cyclical downturn. On a like-for-like basis, sales rose by 12.5 % to reach Euro 1,765.9 m. During the period under review, the company benefited from the increasing number of clients looking for all-inclusive job packages. Another growth driver during the year’s first three quarters was the group’s Plastics Technology Division. Krones is the world’s leading vendor of machines and lines for producing bottles from PET and other plastics, and for bottling beverages in plastic containers. With annual increases of almost 5 %, plastic has the highest growth rates of all the materials used in beverage packaging.

Order bookings at a high level
Order bookings were up by 6.1 % during the first three quarters of 2008 compared to the preceding year, to reach Euro 1,870.4 m. On a regional breakdown, a rather hesitant level of demand from the USA, Western and Central Europe is being offset by buoyant ordering from Africa and Asia, the Near East and the Russia/CIS region. The order backlog, at Euro 996.3 m, was 6.0 % higher on 30 September 2008 than the preceding year’s equivalent figure.

Krones even more profitable
Earnings before taxes (EBT), at Euro 126.8 m, rose by 20.8 % in the year’s first nine months on a like-for-like basis. The EBT margin, meaning earnings before taxes in relation to sales, improved from 6.7 % to 7.2 %.

This renewed rise in profitability is attributable not least to improved internal processes. One example here is the Krones WORK programme (World market leader, Optimisation, Rationalisation, Key complexity reduction). The objective of this programme is to design Krones’ entire value creation chain so as to ensure that all production sequences can be run even more cost-efficiently. With the aid of WORK, the company aims to safeguard its profitable growth on a long-term basis and prevent its earnings from dipping in times of cyclical difficulty.

Since due to the reform of German corporation tax the taxation ratio fell to 31.5 % (preceding year: 37.0 %) in the first nine months of 2008, earnings after taxes rose more substantially than EBT, up by 31.3 % to reach 86.8 m euros, while earnings per share rose from 2.10 to 2.75 euros.

Outlook
Krones’ long term goal is to increase its revenues by 5 to 10 % each year. In view of the group’s good performance during the year’s first three quarters, the Executive Board expects that the growth in sales for 2008 will lie at the upper end of the forecast corridor, and that revenues will exceed the Euro 2.3 bn mark. Earnings before taxes (the EBT margin) are set to improve still further in 2008 (preceding year: 7.1 %). Since the company is benefiting from the reform of German corporation tax, earnings after taxes will increase more substantially than pretax profits. Krones is thus well on course to achieve the ninth record year in succession in terms of both sales and profits.

Whether 2009 will prove to be a tenth record year is difficult to assess at present. The worldwide financial crisis is hitting the global economy hard. In view of the uncertainty surrounding the market’s future performance, it would be irresponsible at present to make anything more than a tentative prognosis for the 2009 business year. In its internal planning, however, Krones is proceeding on the assumption that following a possible dip in the first half of 2009 modest growth can again be anticipated in the year’s second half.

10.29.2008

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones’ growth continues strong in the first three quarters of 2008 ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_7969.htm During the first nine months of 2008 Krones remained on course for growth, despite the cyclical downturn. On a like-for-like basis, sales rose by 12.5 % to reach Euro 1,765.9 m. During the period under review, the company benefited from the increasing number of clients looking for all-inclusive job packages. Another growth driver during the year’s first three quarters was the group’s Plastics Technology Division. Krones is the world’s leading vendor of machines and lines for producing bottles from PET and other plastics, and for bottling beverages in plastic containers.

Order bookings were up by 6.1 % during the first three quarters of 2008 compared to the preceding year, to reach Euro 1,870.4 m. The order backlog, at Euro 996.3 m, was 6.0 % higher on 30 September 2008 than the preceding year’s equivalent figure.

Earnings before taxes (EBT), at Euro 126.8 m, rose by 20.8 % in the year’s first nine months on a like-for-like basis. The EBT margin, meaning earnings before taxes in relation to sales, improved from 6.7 % to 7.2 %. Earnings after taxes were up by 31.3 % to reach Euro 86.8 m.

Outlook
Krones’ long term goal is to increase its revenues by 5 to 10 % each year. In view of the group’s good performance during the year’s first three quarters, the Executive Board expects that the growth in sales for 2008 will lie at the upper end of the forecast corridor, and that profits will exceed the Euro 2.3 bn mark. Earnings before taxes (the EBT margin) are set to improve still further in 2008 (preceding year: 7.1 %). Since the company is benefiting from the reform of German corporation tax, earnings after taxes will increase more substantially than pretax profits. Krones is thus well on course to achieve the ninth record year in succession in terms of both sales and profits.

10.29.2008

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ New records for Krones in the 2007 business year ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_7455.htm Krones AG, the world’s market leader for beverage filling and packaging technology, achieved new record highs in all its major figures during the 2007 business year. Sales rose by 12.8 % over the preceding year to reach 2,156.0 million euros. Order bookings were up by 16.9 % at 2,300.2 million euros.
At 890.9 million euros, (preceding year: 746.7 million euros), Krones possessed a comfortable order backlog on 31 December 2007.

Dynamic growth in 2007 was driven primarily by continually increasing demand for packaging machinery. The company also benefits from its ability to offer the entire spectrum of products and services required for building bottling and canning plants. International beverage conglomerates in particular, who are building numerous new facilities in regions like Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, make full use of Krones’ complete-job-package capabilities.

Profitability improved significantly
Earnings before taxes rose in 2007 by 40.1 % to reach 153.6 million euros. The EBT margin, i.e. pretax earnings in relation to sales, thus improved from 5.7 % to 7.1 %. For profits after taxes, Krones broke the 100-million-euros barrier for the first time in 2007. At 101.8 million euros, profits were 31.4 % up on the preceding year’s level. Earnings per share increased from 2.45 euros to 3.25 euros. The Executive and Supervisory Boards will propose to the AGM that the dividend per share be increased from 0.52 euros to 0.70 euros per share. This would be the ninth dividend increase in succession.
The return on capital employed (ROCE) improved in 2007 from 16 .1 % to 20.2 %, and thus exceeded the targeted figure of at least 20 %.

A good start to the 2008 business year
Krones achieved substantial growth in the first quarter of 2008, with sales up by 17.9 % on a like-for-like basis at 595.2 million euros. Order bookings rose by 9.0 % to reach 607.3 million euros. On 31 March, orders on hand at Krones totalled 903.0 million euros, 13.0 % up on the preceding year’s figure.

Earnings before taxes (EBT) rose in the year’s first quarter by 26.3 % to reach 45.6 million euros. The EBT margin thus improved from 7.1 % to 7.7 %. Profits after taxes rose by 34.1 % to reach 30.7 million euros, earnings per share from 0.72 euros to 0.98 euros.

Outlook
In the long term, Krones is targeting an annual increase in revenues of between 5 and 10 %. In view of a good first quarter and auspicious prospects, the Executive Board anticipates that sales growth in 2008 will lie towards the upper end of the forecast corridor, and that revenues will exceed 2.3 billion euros.

Krones aims to further improve the return on sales before taxes (EBT margin) in 2008 (preceding year: 7.1 %). Since the company benefits from the reform of Germany’s corporation tax legislation, earnings after taxes will increase more steeply than pretax earnings.

04.29.2008

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Substantial rises for Krones’ sales and earnings in the first quarter of 2008 ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_7452.htm Krones, the world’s market leader for beverage filling and packaging technology, achieved significant growth in the first quarter of 2008. Sales were 17.9 % up on the preceding year’s figure, at 595.2 million euros. Order bookings climbed by 9.0 % to reach 607.3 million euros. On 31 March 2008, Krones’ order backlog totalled 903.0 million euros, 13.0 % up on the previous year.

Earnings before taxes (EBT) rose in the year’s first quarter by 26.3 % to reach 45.6 million euros. The EBT margin thus improved from 7.1 % to 7.7 %. Profits after taxes were up by 34.1 % at 30.7 million euros, with earnings per share increasing from 0.72 euros to 0.98 euros.

Krones aims to improve the return on sales before taxes (EBT margin) still further in 2008 (preceding year: 7.1%). Since the company benefits from the reform of Germany’s corporation tax legislation, earnings after taxes will show a higher increase than the pretax profits.

04.29.2008

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones publishes provisional figures for the 2007 business year ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_6976.htm Neutraubling, 13 March 2008 – In the 2007 business year, Krones AG, the world’s market leader for beverage filling and packaging technology, has achieved new records for all significant statistics, according to the provisional figures. In comparison to the preceding year, sales were up by 12.8 % at 2,156.0 million euros, a steeper increase than originally anticipated. Order bookings rose by 16.9 % to reach 2,300.2 million euros. At 890.9 million euros (preceding year: 746.7 million euros), Krones possessed a comfortable order backlog on 31 December 2007.

The healthy growth in 2007 (the eighth record year in succession) was driven primarily by the continuingly buoyant demand for packaging machinery. The company also benefits from being able to offer the entire range of products and services required for building bottling and canning facilities. Internationally operating beverage conglomerates who are building numerous new factories in regions like Eastern Europe, South America, Asia and Africa, are particularly prominent users of Krones’ full-service capabilities.

Profitability significantly upgraded – net income for the year exceeds 100 million euros
Krones invests substantial sums in its production operations, so as to work even more cost-efficiently. These initiatives bore fruit in 2007. The EBT margin, i.e. earnings before taxes in relation to sales, improved significantly from 5.7 % to 7.1 %. The company thus exceeded its targeted return for 2007. Pretax earnings rose by 40.1 % to reach 153.6 million euros.
For profits after taxes, Krones exceeded 100 million euros for the first time in 2007. At 101.8 million euros, profits were up by 31.4 % on the preceding year’s level.

The ROCE (Return on Capital Employed) improved in 2007 from 16.1 % to 20.2 % and was thus above the originally targeted figure of at least 20 %.

A solidly based balance sheet underpins further growth
The capital structure continues to exhibit a highly favourable ratio between equity and outside capital. On the balance sheet cutoff date, the equity capital was up by 12.6 %, resulting in a capital-to-assets ratio of 42.0 % (preceding year: 42.7 %). In addition, on 31 December 2007 the company possessed liquid funds amounting to 53.8 million euros.

Outlook
As a long-term target, Krones aims to increase its revenues each year within a corridor of 5 to 10 %. Thanks to the company’s good order situation in the initial months of the ongoing business year, and the auspicious outlook, the Executive Board expects the rise in sales during 2008 to reach the upper levels of the forecast corridor
Pretax earnings are set to increase at least in proportion to revenues. Since Krones is profiting from the reform of Germany’s Corporation Tax Act, earnings after taxes will in 2008 rise by a higher percentage than earnings before taxes.´

03.13.2008

]]> Friday, June 26, 2009 <![CDATA[ Krones ups its sales by 14.3 % in the year’s first half ]]> http://www.krones.com/en/press/66_7794.htm Krones AG, the world’s market leader for beverage filling and packaging technology, smoothly progressed its vigorous growth during the first half of 2008. Sales were up by 14.3 % on the preceding year’s figure, from 1,053.9 to 1,204.9 million euros. Order bookings rose by 12.0 % to reach 1,242.5 million euros.
On 30 June 2008, Krones possessed a comfortable order backlog of 928.4 million euros (preceding year: 802.3 million euros).

One of Krones’ principal growth drivers during the year’s first half was clients’ rising level of demand for complete, single-sourced job packages. Since the company offers the entire spectrum of products and services required for building bottling and canning plants, it is benefiting significantly from this trend. International corporations in particular, who are building an abundance of new factories in regions like Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, are keen to make use of Krones’ full-service capabilities.

Profitability further upgraded
Earnings before taxes during the year’s first half, at 91.8 million euros, were up by 21.3 % on a like-for-like basis. The EBT margin (earnings before taxes in relation to sales) thus improved from 7.2 % to 7.6 %.
Profits after taxes rose by 31.1 %, from 47.6 to 62.4 million euros. Earnings per share during the period under review climbed from 1.49 to 1.98 euros.

Outlook
Krones’ long-term target is to increase its sales each year within a corridor of 5 to 10 %. In view of the group’s healthy performance in the year’s first half, and the auspicious prospects, the Executive Board expects growth in sales during 2008 to be near the upper end of the forecast corridor, with revenues exceeding 2.3 billion euros.

Krones is aiming to further improve the pretax return on sales (EBT margin) in 2008 (preceding year: 7.1 %). With an EBT margin of 7.6 % in the first half of this year, the company is well on the way to achieving this target. Since it is benefiting from the reform of the German corporation tax, earnings after taxes will show a steeper increase than their pretax equivalent.

07.29.2008

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