Liebherr Group’s 2013 turnover at similar level to previous year

The world economy grew last year by only 3.0 %. Whereas some fully developed national economies demonstrated a gain in dynamism, the speed of growth was lower in certain threshold countries.

The total turnover of the Liebherr Group in the 2013 business year reached approximately the same level as in the previous year. The sales revenue of 8,963.6 million € earned by the Group was only 126.6 million € or 1.4 % below the 2012 total.

In the construction machinery and mining area, turnover reached 5,630.4 million €, 238.5 million € or 4.1 % below the previous year’s figure. This figure accounts for rather less than two-thirds of total Group turnover. The Liebherr Group’s construction machinery and mining area comprises the earthmoving, mobile crane, tower crane, concrete technology and mining divisions.

Turnover from the earthmoving division reached 1,884.7 million € in 2013, and was therefore 172.5 million € or 8.4 % lower than in the previous year. There was also a drop in turnover from the mining division: after extremely gratifying growth in 2012, turnover from large hydraulic excavators and mining trucks fell back last year by 250.9 million € or 19.4 % to 1,041.7 million €. This development was part of a negative trend throughout the worldwide extractive industries sector.

As in the previous year, Liebherr achieved distinct growth with its mobile cranes. Turnover rose by 138.2 million € or 7.1 % to 2,077.8 million €, due especially to increases in Germany, the USA and the Netherlands, the division’s largest markets during the past business year. The tower crane division in particular achieved a most welcome increase in turnover, of 37.4 million € or 10.4 % to 395.5 million €. Growth was recorded in Germany, Switzerland and Russia, the three largest markets for Liebherr tower cranes. Results from the concrete technology division were also positive: turnover went up by 9.3 million € or 4.2 % to 230.7 million €.

Divisions outside construction machinery and mining recorded an increase in turnover of 111.9 million € or 3.5 %, to 3,333.2 million €. The divisions in question are maritime cranes, aerospace and transportation systems, machine tools and automation systems, domestic appliances and other products and services, the latter including the components division.

In the 2013 business year the maritime cranes division achieved a turnover of 830.1 million €, a small but positive increase of 2.4 million € or 0.3 % compared with 2012. The aerospace and transportation systems division continued the previous year’s positive development with an 87.5 million € (8.5 %) increase in turnover to a total for the year of 1,120.1 million €. Turnover from the machine tools and automation systems division remained at the previous year’s satisfying level. Following the very significant increase in 2012, turnover in the review year was 266.4 million €, an increase of 3.7 million € or 1.4 %. Turnover from the domestic appliances was 909.4 million €, an increase of 19.5 million € or 2.2 %.

Turnover from other products and services almost equalled the previous year’s figure. Sales revenue dropped by 1.2 million € or 0.6 %, to a new total of 207.2 million €. Other products and services include sales revenues from the sale of driveline and control system components to customers outside the Liebherr Group, and also turnover generated by the Group’s six hotels in Germany, Ireland and Austria.

During 2013 the Liebherr Group’s workforce increased in size by 1,623 employees or approximately 4 %. At the end of the year 39,424 people were employed at Liebherr Group companies. In the 2013 business year, the Liebherr Group’s investments reached a total of 830.0 million €, and thus matched the previous year’s level.

In the current year, the world economy will probably develop rather more dynamically than in 2013; the International Monetary Fund forecasts growth of 3.6 %. In its initial estimate for 2014, the Liebherr Group expects total turnover to be equivalent to the 2013 figure, though development will differ from one division to another. There will probably be a further increase in the size of the workforce.

The 2013 annual report can be called up at http://www.liebherr.com/en-GB/691.wfw