Liebherr Group Achieves Highest Turnover in its History

Turnover up by more than 9% to €9.1 billion, workforce increased to 37,800 – investments totaling approximately € 840 million

World economic development was weaker in 2012 than in the previous year. Although growth was still 3.2%, the emerging markets’ rates of growth declined as well. The industrial nations continued to pursue a course between consolidation and economic stabilization. Within the Eurozone only a few countries achieved economic growth. The volume of world trade increased by 2.1%.

Turnover according to product groups

The 2012 business year progressed well for the Liebherr Group. Although the reduced dynamism of the world economy had a noticeable effect on orders received in the final months of the year, this no longer influenced turnover significantly. The Group increased its total turnover in the past business year by more than €760 million (more than 9%) to €9.1 billion.

In the construction machinery and mining equipment product areas, Liebherr increased its sales revenue by almost €490 million or 9%. Total sales revenue from these areas was approximately €5,870 million. As in the previous year, this represented about two-thirds of the Group’s total turnover.

There was an above-average rise in turnover from the mining division, by almost €280 million or 28%. This was a slight increase on the previous year’s rate of growth. Total sales revenue was €1,290 million.

Whereas turnover from the mobile cranes division fell last year, it has now also grown at an above-average rate, by more than 200 million € or 12 % to a total figure in excess of 1,940 million €.

In the earthmoving, tower cranes and concrete technology divisions, sales revenue remained at approximately the same level as in the previous year. Sales of earthmoving equipment brought Liebherr a turnover of approximately €2,060 million. The tower cranes and concrete technology division generated a turnover of some €580 million.

In areas outside construction machinery and mining equipment, the Liebherr Group achieved a total turnover of€ 3,220 million, equivalent to an increase of about €280 million or 9%. There was growth in all the relevant divisions, namely in the maritime cranes, aerospace and transportation systems, machine tools and automation systems areas and in domestic appliances.

The maritime cranes division recorded growth of more than €20 million or 3% to a total turnover of approximately €830 million.

The increase in turnover from the aerospace and transportation systems division was above average: compared with 2011 it rose by almost €120 million or 13%, and reached approximately €1,030 million. Progress in the machine tools and automation systems area was particularly satisfactory: turnover reached almost €260 million, more than €70 million or 39% higher than in the previous year. Turnover from the domestic appliances division totalled some €890 million and was therefore €45 million or 5% higher than in the previous year. Growth was also achieved in the Group’s other product and service areas, where turnover went up by almost €20 million or 9% to more than €210 million.

Turnover according to region

In the 2012 business year the Liebherr Group’s turnover went up in all its sales regions. Particularly high rates of growth were recorded in Eastern Europe and Africa. The Group’s largest individual markets during that period were Germany, Russia, the USA, Australia, France, Great Britain, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands and Austria.

Turnover rose slightly again during 2012 in Western Europe. The Liebherr Group’s sales revenue there was in the region of €3,970 million, an increase of more than €150 million or 4%. In Eastern Europe Liebherr’s total turnover increased by nearly €150 million or 16%, to more than €1,050 million.

The Near and Middle East regions generated a turnover of almost 310 million € in the past business year, an increase of nearly€ 20 million or 6%.

In America, turnover also developed positively, with an increase of almost €140 million or 11% to approximately €1,500 million.

The Liebherr Group recorded a most welcome increase in turnover on the African continent, where turnover reached some €590 million, more than €120 million or 26% higher than in the previous year. In the Far East/Australia region, Liebherr was able to repeat the positive tendency noted in the 2011 business year. The 12% increase in turnover for 2012 was approximately the same as had been achieved in the previous year. The region yielded sales revenues of approximately €1,670 million, about €180 million more than in 2011.

Earnings

The annual accounts of Liebherr-International AG, Bulle (Switzerland), indicate a surplus for the Group of approximately €540 million, an increase of nearly €60 million or just under 12%.

Investments

In the 2012 business year, total investment by the Liebherr Group was in the region of €840 million, an increase of more than 170 million € or over 25 %. These investments were devoted to modernisation and enlargement of the worldwide production network and further strengthening of the sales and service organisation.

Investment in the construction machinery and mining product areas was in the region of €560 million, representing an increase of about €120 million or 26%. More than half of this sum was devoted to the earthmoving division.

Near Kirchdorf an der Iller (Germany) Liebherr is planning to build a logistic center, to be used initially by the earthmoving division. A production building for the final assembly of hydraulic cylinders is to be erected on the same site, as a means of increasing the current hydraulic cylinder manufacturing capacity at Liebherr-Hydraulikbagger GmbH. The Liebherr Group’s internal IT service company is also to be moved to this location.

In Bischofshofen (Austria), at the Group’s wheel loader manufacturing plant, a new building for welfare and administrative staff has begun to take shape. The Liebherr plant in Dalian (China) is currently being extended by a production shop 12,000 m² in area and an adjacent administrative building. This production facility for hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, material handling machines and gearboxes was opened in 2002 and occupies a site with a total area of 90,000 m². The investment is aimed at boosting production capacity for the Chinese market and for various other threshold countries.

The mining division invested almost €100 million. Progress was made again in the review year on enlarging the production facilities for mining trucks in Newport News (U.S.) and for mining excavators in Colmar (France). Another example is the location in Adelaide (Australia), which is being extended in order to provide mining equipment customers in the region with even more comprehensive support. A 12,000 m² store and logistic center and a component reconditioning center measuring 16,000 m² in area are being added.

€90 million were invested in the mobile cranes division. At the Ehingen plant in Germany, where Liebherr develops and builds all its mobile cranes and also crawler cranes above a service weight of 300 tonnes, work on the construction of a new assembly building continued.

In the past business year the tower cranes and concrete technology division invested well over €80 million. In Biberach an der Riss (Germany), where Liebherr tower cranes are developed and manufactured, current investment projects include the building of a new training center and a new automated high-bay store with incoming goods reception area. A new production facility began operation in Pune (India). The first truck mixers, mixing plants and tower cranes for the Indian market were assembled there in a production building 8,000 m² in area.

In the autumn of 2012 Liebherr took over the Waitzinger concrete pump manufacturer based in Neu-Ulm (Germany). Since January 2013 the company has traded under the name Liebherr-Betonpumpen GmbH. Acquisition of this company completes the division’s product program in the concrete technology area and makes it a single-source supplier. The Liebherr product program in the concrete technology area includes mobile and stationary mixing plant, truck mixers and belt conveyors for truck-mixer installation.

Near Sydney (Australia) a new sales and service center was completed in the review year and opened early in 2013. It will coordinate sales and service for earthmoving and special deep-foundation machines and mobile cranes in Australia and New Zealand. The building complex consists of a repair and servicing shop with spare parts store on an area of some 5,900 m² and adjacent office space totaling about 3,000 m².

Outside the construction machinery and mining equipment area, investments totaled €280 million and were therefore more than €60 million or 27% higher than in the previous year.

The maritime cranes division invested almost €100 million.

Investments at Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH (Austria) were devoted to replacement purchases in the machinery, operating and business equipment areas and to the construction of a new administrative building. In the past business year Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd. of Killarney (Ireland) began construction work on a new structural steelwork assembly building. Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH of Rostock (Germany) invested in the construction of a further structural steelwork assembly building for ship and offshore cranes. In Miami (U.S.) a new sales and service subsidiary with an area of 40,000 m² was built, and will be officially opened in the summer of 2013. This new subsidiary will enable Liebherr to offer customers in North and South America even more comprehensive support.

Total investment in the domestic appliances area was more than €50 million. In Ochsenhausen (Germany) there was investment in the acquisition of technical equipment and machinery and in operating and business equipment. At Liebherr-Hausgeräte Marica EOOD in Radinovo (Bulgaria) extensive funds were devoted to ongoing optimization of the production facilities. The company also acquired a 45,000 m² site for the construction of a logistic center. At Liebherr-Hausgeräte Lienz GmbH in Lienz (Austria) the bulk of the sum invested was devoted to machinery and plant.

Investments by the machine tools and automation systems division totalled just under €10 million. At the Kempten (Germany) location, technical plant and machines accounted for the bulk of the sum invested.

The aerospace and transportation systems division invested well over €60 million. In Lindenberg (Germany) a start was made on extending the production facility for landing gear and flight control and actuating systems, the aim being to increase production capacity significantly in the long term. The extension and restructuring will probably be completed by 2018. Compared with 127,000 m² today, the plant will cover an area of more than 160,000 m² when the work is complete.

In Toulouse (France), where the division develops and manufactures aircraft air conditioning systems, construction work has begun on a new logistic center. The two-storey building will have an effective area of 6,300 m² and is intended to accommodate all activities in the logistics area.

In the miscellaneous products and services area, which includes the components division, investment reached approximately 60 million €. Construction work on a further component manufacturing facility began during the review year on a site of 150,000 m² in area close to Biberach an der Riss (Germany). It will be used to manufacture switchgear, electric motors and other items. At the Colmar (France) location, a new 50,000 m² site has been developed and will be used by the components division for a research and development center and a production plant for mining components.

The Liebherr Group’s investments must be set against depreciations in the sum of approximately €430 million.

The workforce

To match the Group’s growth, the workforce grew again significantly in the review year, at the end of which Liebherr employed some 37,800 people worldwide, an increase of approximately 2,470.

At the end of the year the Group had some 15,500 employees in Germany, about 980 more than at the same time a year previously. The number of employees at Austrian Liebherr companies went up to approximately 4,790 in 2012, about 60 more than in the previous year. Nearly 320 new jobs were created in France, for a total in the region of 3,270 on December 31, 2012. In Switzerland, there were about 80 new employees, bringing the total up to approximately 1,280. In the remaining European countries the total workforce increased by about 370 to approximately 5,070 employees.

In regions outside Europe, the workforce grew by about 650 to a total of about 7,880. Liebherr companies on the American continent had some 3,480 employees in all on December 31, 2012, about 260 more than at the end of 2011. Some 300 new jobs were created during the review year in Asia and Australia; this put the total workforce up to more than 3,550. In Africa the workforce increased by about 90 to a new total of almost 850.

Outlook for 2013

In 2013 the Liebherr Group currently expects total turnover to reach the same level as in the previous year. Relatively moderate development is to be expected in the construction machinery and mining areas in particular.

Investments in the 2013 business year will be at approximately the previous year’s level. Since the sales and service network is to be enlarged again and capacity increased at various production locations, creation of further new jobs is planned for 2013.

Liebherr at the Bauma

The Liebherr Group is exhibiting at the Bauma in Munich (Germany) from April 15 to 21, 2013. This is the world’s largest trade fair for construction machinery, machines for the processing of construction materials, mining machinery, construction-industry vehicles and equipment for the building trade. Liebherr has 117 exhibits on display from its construction machinery, mining equipment and component product areas, more than ten of which are having their world premiere.

www.liebherr-bauma.com