A shake up for Heidelberg’s main factory at Wiesloch-Walldorf is on the cards following the appointment of Orhan Bekyigit as plant manager.
The company wants to strengthen integration between operations at the vast site. This includes sheetfed press assembly and machining, manufacturing, electronics production and logistics.
Bekyigit says: “We want to set up production the way a medium sized company would: efficiently, transparently and competitively. The reorganisation is a prerequisite for us to be able to produce more economical in Wiesloch.”
The vast site was geared up for mass production of printing machines with numerous buildings for sub assembly of key components, machining of castings produced at Heidelberg’s foundry in Amstetten and production of the electronics necessary for a modern printing press. One hall was a non-stop production line for GTO presses.
However, in recent years declining demand for presses as these become more productive has left many buildings redundant. Heidelberg has sold off a large chunk of the site to be developed as warehousing for third party businesses. It has moved its R&D operation and offices from the centre of Heidelberg to the factory site with R&D located alongside its Home of Print demonstration centre which was officially opened earlier this year.
The next step is to make production more efficient, leaner and most sustainable says the company. “The printing industry is facing major challenges: rising energy and personnel costs and intense global competition. Heidelberg is responding to this by creating transparency at its site and optimising production processes,” it explains.
Heidelberg CEO Jurgen Otto adds: “We are delighted to entrust this important task to Orhan Bekyigit, an internal manager with a wealth of experience. These changes send a clear message: we are investing in our future – locally and globally.”
Bekyigit joined Heidelberg in 1999 and has held a number of positions at the plant including management of the site’s fire brigade and liaison with the Turkish community in the area.
