25.08.2004

Mobile crane sales down at Liebherr

The Liebherr Group has disclosed a 4.7 percent drop in its mobile crane sales to €864 million (UK£581 million) for the 2003 fiscal year, compared to revenues of €907 million (£610 million) reported the previous year.

The declining mobile crane sales, however, were offset by an increase in total crane and earthmoving equipment sales, which lead to a marginal improvement to the Group’s consolidated turnover of 0.1 percent to €4,087 million (£2,749 million), compared to €4,069 (£2737 million) reported in 2002.

This was due to an increase of 1.1 percent, or €27 million (£18.1 million), in the Group’s combined construction machinery revenues for the period, which amounted to €2,488 million (£1,673 million).

The company’s construction (tower cranes) crane and concrete machinery operations also reported a revenue increase of 3.2 percent, or €10 million (£6.7 million), to €326 million (£219 million) during the same period. However, it was strong sales in Liebherr’s mining and earthmoving sectors, which saw a five percent rise, or €61 million (£41 million), to €1,298 million (£874 million), during 2003 that were largely responsible for the consolidated growth.

Turnover in the maritime cranes sector increased by 3.7 percent to €258 million (£174 million).

‘Certain Asian markets had an important effect on stabilising the turnover,’ said Liebherr, with The People’s Republic of China and South Korea in particular, and also Japan, all being growth markets for the company in 2003.

'Only partial growth was experienced in Western Europe, according to the company,' with 'slight increases in turnover in countries such as Austria, France and Spain failing to compensate for falling sales elsewhere, such as Italy and The Netherlands. Turnover in Germany remained flat at just over €1 billion (£0.7 billion).'