In the tower cranes product segment, Liebherr achieved €315 million in revenue, which translates to a €195 million decrease or 38.2 % year-on-year.

Despite persistent inflation and restrictive monetary policy, the global construction sector appears remarkably resilient. Emerging markets experienced significantly better growth here than the advanced economies. In Europe in particular, construction output is in decline. The challenges in housing construction, which are aggravated by high inflation rates, rising interest rates and a fall in construction permits, are particularly severe. Overall, however, the construction industry in the emerging markets is continuing to grow, due to diversified demand in the fields of energy and infrastructure.

The development of the market environment is reflected in the business results of this product segment. A downward trend was recorded again in the European Union – the main sales region. Germany and the Netherlands in particular experienced a significant decline in revenue. The markets in non-EU countries and North America also experienced a downward trend. The USA in particular recorded a massive slump in sales. The same is true of the Central and South America region. The completion of a project in the Africa, Near and Middle East region in the previous year resulted in an exceptional boom, but revenue once again fell back to a lower level in 2024. On the other hand, business in the Asia and Oceania sales region followed a positive trend. In particular, Australia was able to further expand its rental business.

The past business year was a year of important portfolio optimisations. The new NC-LH 12-55 and 195 HC-LH 6/12 luffing jib crane models were launched with an innovative hydraulic concept. The 440 HC-L, with its impressive and significantly increased lifting capacity, was also launched.

And the L-series fast-erecting cranes with the new Tower Crane OS 2 crane control were introduced. This control system not only features simplified functions and components, but also the first active Sway Control assistance system for dynamic load control.

The MK 120-5.1 mobile construction crane was introduced as the perfect addition between models MK 88-4.1 and MK 140-5.1, to meet specific customer requests.

Comprehensive monitoring of the process chain across all product areas is a decisive step towards Industry 4.0 in site work. With this in mind, intensive work was carried out in 2024 to ensure the future viability of products from this segment. Every product newly added to the series, such as the new L-series of cranes with their assistance systems, already meets the requirements for increased safety and efficiency on the construction site.

To embed these issues in a solid knowledge base, exchanges with renowned research institutions and universities in Germany were further intensified. The strong network supports Liebherr’s innovative strength and drives forward the development of future-oriented solutions.

In the tower cranes product segment, Liebherr’s outlook for the 2025 business year is relatively cautious.