June 16 - During 2013, Liebherr Group achieved a turnover of USD12.12 billion against what it described as a backdrop of moderate international progress.
Sales revenue for the group was only 1.4 percent lower than in its 2012 financial year. Its mobile crane division reported a 7.1 percent year-on-year improvement in turnover to USD2.81 billion due to strong performance in its key markets of Germany, USA and the Netherlands.
In 2013 its maritime cranes division achieved a turnover of USD1.12 billion, a small but positive increase of 0.3 percent compared with 2012.
Liebherr Group's construction and mining equipment areas - which include the company's earthmoving, mobile crane, tower crane, concrete technology and mining divisions - achieved a turnover of USD7.61 billion in 2013, 4.1 percent below the previous year's figure.
Liebherr Group said that its ten largest markets were Germany, the USA, Australia, Russia, France, Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil and South Africa.
In Western Europe, Liebherr Group was able to increase its turnover by 4.8 percent to USD5.62 billion. In Germany, its largest market of all, the increase in turnover was above average.
Negative market conditions in Russia damaged overall turnover from the Eastern European market in 2013, down 13.2 percent to USD1.23 billion, says Liebherr.
In the Near and Middle East, Liebherr's turnover was USD414.6 million, equivalent to a drop of 0.5 percent when compared with the previous year, although significant increases were recorded in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In the Americas the Liebherr Group was unable to maintain the previous year's positive business pattern. At USD1.99 billion, turnover was down slightly by 1.9 percent.
In Africa, the group's 2013 turnover grew by 2.4 percent year-on-year to USD819 million, but its sales slumped 9.7 percent year-over-year in the Far East/Australia region to USD2.04 billion.
In the 2013 business year, the Liebherr Group's investments reached USD1.12 billion, matching 2012 levels. The mobile crane division invested USD113.1 million, which included a new assembly building for experimental work in Ehingen.
Liebherr Group anticipates a steady performance for the current financial year, with the world economy probably developing more dynamically than in 2013. In its initial estimate for 2014, the Liebherr Group expects total turnover to be equivalent to the 2013 figure.
