In the 2024 business year, Liebherr achieved revenue of €697 million in the material handling machines product segment. This represents a year-on-year decrease of €28 million or 3.9 %.

Economic cycles in the global market for material handling machines are generally slightly slower than in other industries, and are staggered over time. Although the positive trend from the previous year carried on into the start of the year, the generally cooled economy and the geopolitical situation began to affect the market situation as the year progressed. As a result, the global market followed a slight downward trend throughout the rest of the year, in line with expectations.

Due to the high order backlog from the year 2023, the impact of the cooled economy was only felt by Liebherr in the second half of the year. Overall, Liebherr recorded a slight drop in revenue in the material handling technology product segment, with different trends observed in the individual sales regions. Declining revenue was recorded in the Africa, Near and Middle East sales region as well as in the Central and South America sales region. The European Union, which is traditionally the most important market in this segment, also recorded a downward trend. By contrast, the non-EU countries achieved a significant increase in revenue, primarily driven by the positive developments in the United Kingdom. Liebherr also recorded growth in the North America sales region, primarily driven by the single market of the USA. Revenue in Asia and Oceania also increased slightly year-on-year.

In 2024, the focus in the material handling technology product segment was placed on further developing the existing portfolio of machines. At the IFAT trade show, the new LH 40 M Port electric material handling machine was presented to the public for the first time. It expands the existing portfolio of powerful material handling machines and highlights the open approach to technology that Liebherr pursues in the field of drive concepts. In the attachment tools area, Liebherr presented the GMM 35-5 – a multi-tine grab for efficient and economical cargo handling. It was specifically designed to ensure the best possible gripping of mixer and shredder waste as well as chips with content of up to 0.6 m³.

Liebherr expanded its digital offering with the introduction of a new portal for used machines: the Used Equipment Marketplace. The portal is also available as an app for quick access on a smartphone. In addition, Liebherr added MyLiebherr Maintenance and MyLiebherr Performance to its digital service offering for material handling machines. These two new functions within the MyLiebherr online portal improve digital machine management for customers.

In the material handling technology product segment, the cooling economy will continue to have an impact on 2025, so that at best a sideways trend or stagnation of the markets can be expected. Liebherr is therefore looking to the 2025 business year with extreme caution for the material handling technology product segment.