The new order, for a 'flagship' 96-page heatset web, has been placed by German printer Mohn Druck.

Kuisle says the two-and-a-half month period under insolvency, activities of the now-separated web systems division enabled it to maintain its segment-leading market position.

But there have been inevitable  complications from the restructuring, including dealing with new order deposits and warranty obligations. Kuisle says these are being dealt with on a customer-by-customer basis. "There is always a legal answer, and an answer going forward," he says.

Kuisle is full of praise for the company's new owner, Possehl Group, a charity fund with turnover of 2.5 billion Euros in which ten companies "perform to purpose", delivering consistent profits. 

"I am confident we shall be a strong partner, still the strongest in the marketplace," says Kuisle.

The "right-sized" business now has 1510 staff including sales subsidiaries, a reduction of only 25 per cent on pre-insolvency days, Kuisle says.

Former subsidiary ppi Media will have a new owner following completion of the restructuring but remains a close partner, Kuisle says.

A new operating concept tied to manroland's 'one touch' process approach, is to be launched at DRUPA, where the company will also show the fruits of its strategic alliance with Oce at the Dusseldorf show. A manroland-developed book folder for digital production is among systems Oce will show at its Poing customer centre during the show.

The company will also launch a new long-grain 32-page commercial web at the show.

The Valentine's Day briefing was also another significant date for manroland Web Systems: "it's the first day we have been able to send invoices, following the issuing of a new tax number," Kuisle says with obvious relief.