The Era Of Benilanda Has Come To An End! New Lanta Plans To Achieve Profitability Within 2 Years

The acquisition of Landa Digital Printing (LDP) by Israel's largest private equity firm FIMI was finalized at the beginning of last month. Previously, the company's rescue agreement was approved by the court, and all necessary technical and legal details have been completed. This means that LDP has officially entered a new era led by FIMI, and although its charismatic founder Benny Landa has stepped down, the company's business will continue to operate.
As a key part of this acquisition and restructuring, FIMI has injected $80 million into LDP to meet the company's current operational needs. The newly appointed Executive Chairman Richard Clapholz emphasized that this investment is not a reflection of the actual value of LDP, as LDP's value is clearly much higher, but it reflects the funding needs we believe are necessary for the company to achieve self-sufficiency and ultimately profitability. "
This financial restructuring has significantly reduced LDP's debt burden. Except for a small amount of bank debt, the original debt and convertible loan notes have been basically cancelled, and the salaries of major suppliers and employees who are owed have also been paid. LDP's main supplier partners include Komori, Fujifilm, and Fiery.

New Management: The Return of Printing Industry Veterans
FIMI has appointed three representatives to join LDP's new board of directors in order to achieve the ambitious goal of building a strong and sustainable industrial company for the group. The newly appointed Executive Chairman Richard Clapholz will serve as a director alongside FIMI colleagues Giron Baker and Roy Gaget.
Although Krapuholz has ventured into diversified non printing businesses in recent years, he is not unfamiliar with the printing industry. He has a strong industry background: in the mid-1990s, he worked at Scitex for six years, and then at Orbotech, where he was responsible for the printed circuit board department for 16 years. His resume demonstrates his extensive experience in industrial technology and fine manufacturing.
Krapuholz revealed that positive feedback from clients was a key factor in FIMI's decision to acquire LDP. He said, "We have had sufficient communication with the client. Although we can conduct due diligence and review data, ultimately, the most important criterion for judgment is the client's usage of existing machines and their intention to continue purchasing in the future. It is based on these encouraging feedback that we have made up our mind to complete the acquisition
LDP CEO Gil Oren also expressed gratitude and commitment to customers. He mentioned that during the company's court protection period, all employees made every effort to ensure that the impact on the existing user base was minimized during the transition period. In the coming weeks and even just a few months, our focus will be on our existing customers, hoping to continue processing their orders and ensure that everything is running smoothly. We are committed to fully restoring them to normal. Once the company's situation stabilizes, we will naturally consider future development and expansion
In terms of product planning, Gil Oren stated that the company's current focus will be on the mature S11 and S11P B1 format single sheet inkjet printers in the market. However, the W11 flexible packaging roll paper printing machine still remains in the company's future product development blueprint, demonstrating LDP's long-term focus on the flexible packaging market.
Restructuring and Profit Schedule
Krapuholz elaborated on the financial foundation and objectives of the company's restructuring. He pointed out that after this drastic restructuring, LDP's losses will be significantly reduced, and it is expected to decrease by 70% by 2026.
The core measures of this restructuring include: completely eliminating the debt burden; Reduce the global workforce to approximately 250 people, which is only half of the total number of employees at the company's peak.
With a new financial foundation and a more streamlined operational structure, Krapuholz is confident in the future. He predicted, "We believe that there are about two years left until we reach breakeven, and from then on, the company will always be profitable

He also set more practical and pragmatic success standards for LDP: "We don't want to talk about grand visions that replace the entire industry anymore. Our success lies in profitability, steady growth, generating cash flow, customers being satisfied with our machines, and our suppliers and employees being equally satisfied. That's all." This marks that LDP's management focus has shifted from early technological idealism to solid business operations.
Salute to the founder and the beginning of the 'new era'
The new management gave high praise to founder Benny Landa. Krapuholz said affectionately, "Benny is the inventor and eternal founder of this technology. We have received his blessing, and he has also supported this restructuring arrangement in court
Nevertheless, a 'new era' has begun: Benny Landa no longer holds any position in the company. However, the contact between the two parties has not been interrupted. We will continue to consult with him and keep in touch - in fact, he came to celebrate Jewish New Year with us last week - so our partnership will continue, but this is indeed a new era for LDP, "said Krapkholz

Benny Landa is undoubtedly a legendary figure in the digital printing industry. He launched the famous Indigo digital printing press in 1993 and sold Indigo to HP in 2001. Subsequently, he returned to the printing industry with nano image inkjet printing technology and made a grand and sensational release at the 2012 Drupa Printing Exhibition.
For his personal next plan, this digital printing pioneer gave an unequivocal answer: "Me? Retired? Never! I'm just leaving the printing industry forever every 25 years. This is just a new chapter
Benilanda stated that he will continue to work at his beloved laboratory, dedicated to innovation and development. He plans to hold his own 'retirement party' at the Drupa Printing Exhibition in 2036, when he will turn 90 years old. This demonstrates his enduring passion for innovation and future technologies, as well as his never-ending and admirable spirit of exploration.