Liebherr Group equals previous year’s turnover in 2013 despite weak economic climate

In view of only moderate overall economic development, the Liebherr Group expects its total turnover to reach 9,086 million € in 2013, which equals the previous year’s figure.

A slight downturn is anticipated in the construction machinery and mining area, where turnover according to current forecasts will be in the region of 5,620 million €, just 249 million € or about 4 % lower than in 2012. The Liebherr Group’s construction machinery and mining area includes the earthmoving, mobile cranes, tower cranes, concrete technology and mining divisions.

Outside the construction machinery and mining area, on the other hand, growth is anticipated. The Group expects turnover in this business area to reach 3,466 million €, an increase of 245 million or 8 %. The area comprises the maritime cranes, aerospace and transportation systems, machine tools and automation systems and domestic appliances divisions, together with miscellaneous products and services that include the components division.

The Liebherr Group has invested in modernisation and expansion of its worldwide production network, and also in further strengthening of its sales and service organisation. The Group’s total investments in the 2013 business year are expected to reach slightly more than 800 million €, a figure below the previous year’s total.

According to current estimates, the Group’s workforce will increase by 1,870 in 2013, to a total of 39,670.

Despite gradual recovery in the highly developed national economies, only moderate global economic growth is anticipated: the International Monetary Fund assumes that growth will be 3.6 %.

The Liebherr Group views the coming business year with restrained optimism. In its initial forecast for 2014 it expects total turnover to reach a volume similar to that achieved in the previous year. The workforce will probably increase slightly in size.