Bertelsmann Printing Group

Bertelsmann Printing Group is the printing and associated production-services division of Bertelsmann, the German international media, services and education group. Established effective January 1, 2016, it brought together the printing businesses previously managed through Be Printers with printing operations that had been located in Bertelsmann's Arvato division. The consolidation created a single organizational platform for Bertelsmann's offset and gravure printing activities, while allowing the individual operating companies and established brands to continue under their own names. The group is headquartered on Carl-Bertelsmann-Straße in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its activities have included book, magazine, catalog and other commercial printing, as well as related marketing, data, media-production, storage-media and fulfillment services. The group has operated facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico and Asia. Its portfolio has included companies such as Mohn Media, GGP Media, Prinovis, Vogel Druck, Sonopress, AZ Direct, Campaign, DeutschlandCard, rtv media group, Berryville Graphics, Coral Graphics, MBS Nürnberg and Offset Paperback Manufacturers. Bertelsmann created the group against a background of structural pressure in the printing sector, including overcapacity and declining prices. Its corporate history is closely connected with Prinovis, the gravure-printing joint venture formed by Bertelsmann and Axel Springer in 2005. Bertelsmann ultimately became Prinovis's sole shareholder after Axel Springer sold its stake in 2015. That change gave Bertelsmann greater scope to streamline and coordinate its printing activities before launching the new group. At formation, Bertelsmann Printing Group was reported to generate approximately €1.7 billion in annual revenue and employ more than 8,000 people. These figures describe the group at the time of its establishment and should not be treated as current performance data. In 2017, additional businesses from Arvato's digital-marketing activities were transferred into the group, broadening its scope beyond conventional presswork. The group has been described as a European market leader in offset and gravure printing and as one of Bertelsmann's eight corporate divisions. In the United States, the organization has primarily served as an internal or affiliated printing resource for Bertelsmann's book-publishing activities. More broadly, its role is to combine industrial-scale print capacity with specialized services across publishing, commercial communications and media production. Its structure reflects Bertelsmann's preference for coordinating related businesses within a group while retaining operating brands and local facilities.

Bertelsmann Printing Group emerged from a long-running effort by Bertelsmann to consolidate and reorganize its printing businesses. The background was the difficult economics of the printing industry, where persistent overcapacity and falling prices encouraged companies to combine production assets and seek greater operating efficiency. A major predecessor was Prinovis. In 2005, Bertelsmann and Axel Springer combined their gravure-printing operations under that name. The Hamburg-based enterprise was presented as a leading European gravure printer from its creation. Bertelsmann held its interest indirectly through Arvato and Gruner + Jahr, while Axel Springer retained a minority share. The joint-venture structure gave the partners a way to coordinate substantial gravure capacity during a period of industry pressure. In 2012, Prinovis became part of Be Printers, a newly created Bertelsmann division intended to house most of the group's printing companies. The change formed part of a broader reorganization associated with Thomas Rabe's arrival as Bertelsmann chief executive. Be Printers provided a more centralized framework for managing printing operations, but the wider Bertelsmann structure still contained additional printing activities in other divisions, particularly Arvato. Axel Springer sold its stake in Prinovis to Bertelsmann in 2015. Bertelsmann thereby became the sole shareholder and gained greater freedom to coordinate and streamline the relevant operations. Later that year, Bertelsmann announced the creation of Bertelsmann Printing Group, effective January 1, 2016. The new division combined the companies of Be Printers with the printing operations previously associated with Arvato. Other production and service businesses, including Sonopress, were also brought into the group. The new organization did not erase the identities of its operating companies. Brands and facilities continued to conduct business under their established names, while the group supplied an overarching management and reporting structure. At its formation, the group was reported to have approximately €1.7 billion in annual revenue and more than 8,000 employees. Those figures were contemporaneous estimates rather than a current financial disclosure. Bertelsmann Printing Group became one of Bertelsmann's eight corporate divisions. Its scope covered offset and gravure printing around the world, together with related marketing, data, media-production and storage services. The listed operating portfolio included AZ Direct, Berryville Graphics, Campaign, Coral Graphics, DeutschlandCard, GGP Media, MBS Nürnberg, Mohn Media, Offset Paperback Manufacturers, Prinovis, the rtv media group, Sonopress and Vogel Druck. In 2017, further companies from Arvato's digital-marketing activities moved into the division. This reinforced the group's broader positioning as a communications and production-services platform rather than a narrowly defined printing company. Its facilities have been described across Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico and Asia. In the United States, it has primarily functioned as a house printer for Bertelsmann's book-publishing business. Leadership initially consisted of Bertram Stausberg and Axel Hentrei as equal chief executives. After Stausberg left in autumn 2016, Hentrei continued as sole head according to the referenced account.

• 2017

  Digital-marketing businesses are added

  [1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Additional businesses from Arvato's digital-marketing operations transfer to Bertelsmann Printing Group.

• 2016

  Bertelsmann Printing Group launches

  [1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The division begins operations on January 1, combining Be Printers companies with printing operations formerly belonging to Arvato.

• 2015

  Bertelsmann becomes sole Prinovis shareholder

  [1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Axel Springer sells its interest in Prinovis, giving Bertelsmann full ownership of the printing venture.

• 2012

  Prinovis joins Be Printers

  [1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Prinovis becomes part of Be Printers, Bertelsmann's newly established division for most of its printing businesses.

• 2005

  Prinovis is established

  [1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Bertelsmann and Axel Springer combine their gravure-printing operations in the Prinovis joint venture.

A diversified industrial printing and production-services platform within Bertelsmann, with a strong European position in offset and gravure printing.

• Publishing print

  Book printing

  The group provides industrial book-printing capacity for publishing customers and, particularly in the United States, serves as a house printer connected with Bertelsmann's book-publishing activities. Its capabilities sit within a wider portfolio that also includes magazines, catalogs and commercial print products.

• Publishing print

  Magazine and periodical printing

  Magazine and periodical production is part of the group's publishing-printing scope. These activities rely on high-volume offset or gravure processes and are supported by the specialized facilities retained within the Bertelsmann operating-company structure.

• Commercial printing

  Catalog and commercial printing

  The portfolio includes catalogs and other commercial communications produced through large-scale print operations. Related marketing and customer-data capabilities, including businesses such as AZ Direct and Campaign, extend the offering beyond physical presswork.

• Media production

  Media and storage production

  Sonopress represents the group's associated media and storage-production activities. Its inclusion illustrates the division's broader remit, which has covered selected production and service businesses alongside conventional offset and gravure printing.

• 2017

  Expand the division with digital-marketing businessesStrategy

  Background

  Bertelsmann continued adjusting the boundaries of its operating divisions after the printing-group launch.

  Action taken

  Several businesses from Arvato's digital-marketing activities were transferred into Bertelsmann Printing Group.

  Aftermath

  The division's scope broadened to include additional marketing and communications-related activities alongside printing and production.

  Source

• 2015

  Create a unified Bertelsmann printing divisionStrategy

  Background

  Bertelsmann had printing operations distributed across Be Printers and Arvato, while the industry faced overcapacity and price pressure. The acquisition of Axel Springer's remaining Prinovis interest created an opportunity for further coordination.

  Action taken

  Bertelsmann announced that the relevant printing companies and associated production businesses would be combined in Bertelsmann Printing Group from January 1, 2016, while retaining the operating brands.

  Aftermath

  The new division became one of Bertelsmann's eight corporate divisions and was reported at launch to have approximately €1.7 billion in annual revenue and more than 8,000 employees.

  Annual revenue at formation. Approximately €1.7 billion (At establishment in 2016)

  Source

• 2017

  Additional Arvato digital-marketing businesses transferred[1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Businesses from Arvato's digital-marketing activities were moved into Bertelsmann Printing Group, expanding the division's activities beyond traditional printing.

• 2016

  Bertelsmann Printing Group begins operations[1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The new division commenced operations by bringing together the printing companies of Be Printers and printing activities formerly assigned to Arvato.

• 2016

  Bertram Stausberg leaves group leadership[1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  After Bertram Stausberg stepped down in the autumn, Axel Hentrei became the sole head of Bertelsmann Printing Group.

• 2015

  Bertelsmann announces creation of Bertelsmann Printing Group[1]Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Bertelsmann announced that its major printing businesses would be combined under a new Bertelsmann Printing Group from January 1, 2016.

1. 1Bertelsmann Printing Groupen.wikipedia.org