Langley Holdings Reports on H1, Gains AI Data Centre Boost
Manroland has been making large-format presses for more than 70 years
Langley Holdings has revealed that the first installation of a Heidelberg Cartonmaster CX 145 VLF press is set to go live early next year.
The CX 145 is based on Manroland Sheetfed's Roland Evolution 900, with the cooperation between the two press manufacturers announced in June.
Langley Holdings chairman and CEO Tony Langley highlighted the "landmark strategic partnership agreement" in his commentary on the group's first-half results, and stated: "This collaboration will integrate advanced Roland Evolution 900 press technology with Heidelberg's Prinect digital ecosystem to offer a comprehensive VLF solution for packaging printers.
"The first installation is scheduled to become operational early in 2026," he stated.
Manroland has been making large-format presses for more than 70 years. UK managing director Daniel Godbold, who took up the role just over a year ago, noted: "Large-format requires superior engineering excellence and experience. Both of which are offered from Manroland, backed up with continuous training to ensure your press meets your needs."
He said his first year in the job had been a journey of "growth, excitement, ambition, filled with moments I'll always value", and he was "grateful for the trust, support, and passion from our team, customers, and partners".
Langley Holdings' Print Technologies division remained loss-making in H1 with losses expected to continue in H2.
Langley said Manroland Sheetfed was facing "particularly strong headwinds", with the key Chinese market worst hit. It typically accounts for around 40% of Manroland's sales.
"Capital spending is depressed across the entire sector", he noted, with uncertainty over US tariffs "a major contributing factor".
Printing chemicals wing Druck Chemie fared much better, with a very positive first half and an equally promising outlook for the full year.
Druck Chemie expanded with the acquisition of fellow German business WS Print in February.
The Print Technologies wing had sales of €313m (£270m) last year.
In the six months to 30 June 2025 the overall group posted sales up 14% at €596.6m, while operating profit increased from €39.4m to just under €55m.
Other businesses in the engineering group have been boosted by the power-hungry requirements of AI, and the resulting growth in data centres which Langley said was "expected to eclipse everything before it", citing previous growth that was driven by the dotcom boom and smartphones.
"The demand for electricity to power the data centres behind AI is so strong that in many cases the grid cannot cope and connection times are often many years away."
Langley companies Bergen and Marelli have technology for so-called "behind the meter power generation", which can be used to power facilities in remote locations that are off-grid.
Its Piller business also provides specialist tech for stabilising power at data centres that are critical to governments and financial institutions worldwide.
Langley has already signed its first deal for a 200MW gas-fired plant, which will power an AI data centre in the US.
Production at its operations in Norway and Italy is being scaled up as a result.
Langley said the group's first-half performance overall was satisfactory. The forecast for the full year is for sales of €1.35bn and pre-tax profits of over €139m.