KBA showed industry and media what it means by 'fit' in a production open day at its Würzburg factory.

On display were the fruits of a hefty investment in high-performance manufacturing which has run in parallel to the German press manufacturing group's realignment.

The Fit@All programme addressed overcapacity as newspapers, magazines, catalogue and book printers responded to the digital age with fewer orders for new presses. KBA says the global market for sheetfed offset presses has halved since 2007 and demand for web offset presses has shrunk by more than three-quarters.

More than15,000 jobs have been lost alone at Germany's three biggest manufacturers, Heidelberg, KBA and manroland.

Visitors were told KBA has now "largely implemented" its Fit@All programme which included relocation of more than 50 machine tools, the closure of production sites in Ternitz and Trennfeld, and the shedding of 1500 jobs. Excluding apprentices, trainees and employees on phased retirement schemes at the end of March 2015 there were 4,711 employees on group payroll, more than 3000 fewer than eight years ago.

Belief in print and a positive future for its main site is behind the investment of 14 million Euros on the 2011 renovation of its foundry, and a further 7 million Euros on production facilities in Würzburg with the installation of five high-tech machining centres. New coating equipment has also been installed at the plant in Radebeul, Saxony.

The group is already offering its services and facilities to cast and machine challenging large parts for external mechanical engineering and plant manufacturers.

On the production open day last Friday, executive vice-president for production Michael Kummert and chief executive and president Claus Bolza-Schünemann welcomed local government, industry and education representatives, clients and media.

Teachers and students from the region were also invited to "the cradle of press engineering" to find out more about training opportunities at state-recognised in-house training school.

On Saturday, current and former employees and their families were back to see what has changed. An open day for the general public - like one in September 1992 which attracted several thousand visitors - is planned for September 2017 in celebration of the company's 200th jubilee.