January 19, 2022
(press release)
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Durst, the industrial printer manufacturer based in Brixen, is again growing strongly and expanding its production. The South Tyrolean headquarters is currently being expanded by 5000 square meters of production space. At the site in Lienz, the second production plant of the Durst Group, the number of employees in development and production is to be increased by around ten percent. The East Tyrolean plant has already invested heavily in software. And in Kufstein, the competence center for textile printing located there will be strengthened by 2025. This was announced by Durst CEO Christoph Gamper in an interview with TT. Durst employs around 880 people worldwide, of which just over 200 are currently based in the Tyrol. The company produces printers for industrial companies, which use them to print large-format advertising media, textiles, tiles or packaging, among other things. The portfolio includes printer systems, inks, software and services. A growing area of business is 3D printing for the aviation and automotive industries, among others. Durst grew strongly again in the previous year, after the pandemic had put a damper on the company in the crisis year 2020. At that time, the group's consolidated sales shrank to 204 million euros (in 2019, they were still 240 million euros). In 2021, group sales rose to around 260 million euros, according to preliminary figures. This was achieved by adjusting the strategy and investments as well as further product developments, Gamper explained. However, supply chain problems, travel restrictions and quarantines also caused difficulties at Durst. Gamper's plans for the coming years are ambitious: "We have set ourselves a number of goals for 2022 - we want to grow by over 20 percent once again on a consolidated basis." After that, things are to continue at a similar pace. In 2025, sales of 400 million euros are targeted. In the previous year, Durst expanded strongly in its important American market and acquired a majority stake in the company Vanguard Digital Printing Systems in the USA. The company builds printers for companies that use them to print signs and interior decorations, among other things. Vanguard will also launch in Europe in the spring. Manufacturing, marketing and distribution will be based at the company's expanded headquarters in Bressanone, Italy. Two other new Durst companies and the in-house 3D printing service provider will also move there. The pandemic has also reorganized things in the printing world. Textiles are once again increasingly being printed in those markets where they are then also sold. As a result, there is an increasing demand not only for giant printers for Pakistan or India, but also for smaller and environmentally friendly devices, Gamper said. The Durst development company in Kufstein is therefore researching ink technologies for small textile printing machines. These are to be built in East and South Tyrol from the middle of the year. A lot of research is also being done on the subject of sustainability. The company has already succeeded in developing inks that no longer contain any harmful substances. Sustainable growth is the group's declared goal. However, Gamper admits, "We also have a lot of room for improvement. A major issue, he says, remains the overpacking of goods or even the thermal efficiency of the machines. Durst has subsidiaries in Europe, Australia, America and Asia. For digital packaging systems, the company operates a joint venture with German printing press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer. This is located in Lienz.
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