Annual report 2022
Tower cranes
In the 2022 business year, turnover in the tower cranes product segment remained at the previous yearʼs level. At € 561 million, it was merely € 2 million or 0.4 % below the figure for 2021.
Turnover in € m from 563 - 0.4% |
Investments in € m from 81 + 17.3% |
Employees from 2,510 + 4.1% |
Turnover by sales regions
73.8%
European Union
12.1%
Non-EU countries
2.8%
North America
0.7%
Central and South America
6.1%
Asia and Oceania
4.5%
Africa, Near and Middle East
Germany remains the strongest sales market
High inflation created considerable headwinds in the construction industry, particularly in the European market. This had a knock-on effect in the tower crane segment and was compounded by disruptions in the procurement market that caused delivery delays. In spite of the difficult general conditions, turnover in the tower cranes product segment remained at the previous yearʼs level.
Liebherr achieved encouraging growth in Asia and Oceania as well as in Africa, Near and Middle East where Australia, Hong Kong, India, Egypt and Israel proved to be particularly strong drivers. North America also recorded an increase in turnover, with the individual markets of the USA and Canada providing impetus for growth. In the European Union and non-EU countries, Liebherr recorded declines compared to the previous year. Business in France declined significantly, mainly due to the sale of Liebherrʼs rental fleet to an external lessor. The slump in non-EU countries can mainly be attributed to the Russian market. Turnover also fell in Central and South America.
The research and development work on tower cranes is focused on networking construction sites and machinery.
Expansion of the successful EC-B series
The 470 EC-B flat-top crane introduced in 2022 has a maximum load capacity of 16 or 20 t. The design process focused equally on performance, assembly and transport. The jib and counter-jib can be attached to the slewing platform easily, conveniently and safely. Only five trucks are required to transport it to the construction site, thus saving time and money and reducing transport-related emissions.
Just in time for Bauma 2022 in Munich (Germany), Liebherr was ready to unveil the new 520 EC-B Fibre with fibre rope. This is the biggest new addition to the EC-B cranes and expands the series upwards. With a load capacity of up to 20 t, it can be used flexibly in residential, plant or bridge construction. Another milestone was fitting various large cranes outside the EC-B series with high-strength fibre rope for the first time. The 258 HC-L 10/18 Fibre, the 1188 EC-H 40 Fibre and the 370 EC-B 16 Fibre have been on the market since Bauma 2022. The new hydraulic luffing-jib crane 195 HC-LH 6/12 and the improved mobile construction crane MK 140-5.1 from the Liebherr plant in Biberach (Germany) were also showcased at the exhibition.
In the tower crane segment, research and development focused on networking construction sites and machinery. Particular emphasis was placed on the optimal use of cranes and a holistic approach to the construction site. With that in mind, Liebherr worked on digital solutions and developed optimisation strategies to support operators in their work on Construction 4.0.
Despite difficult market conditions, Liebherr is cautiously optimistic about the 2023 business year and expects a slight increase in turnover for tower cranes.