50 Years of Liebherr in the United States

A glance of the past, a glimpse of the future

Hans Liebherr, the founder of the the Liebher Group.

Hans Liebherr, the founder of the the Liebher Group.

Hans Liebherr: Pioneering entrepreneur and visionary

During the reconstruction of Germany after the Second World War, inventive talent and creative skills are called for. Hans Liebherr quickly recognizes the need for tools and machinery for the building industry and domestic construction. In 1949, he develops the mobile tower crane, which can be simply erected on-site, thereby enabling quick and low cost construction. The TK10 lays the cornerstone for the Group as it is known today and represents the start of a sustainable success story.

Lightweight and powerful: with the L300, Hans Liebherr builds the first hydraulic excavator in Europe.

Lightweight and powerful: with the L300, Hans Liebherr builds the first hydraulic excavator in Europe.

Turning ideas into reality

Think for yourself, do it yourself, finance yourself –the Hans Liebherr approach. The founder’s instinct for successful products and market diversification proved extremely effective. Within only a few years, new products such as gear hobbing machines, the first hydraulic excavator in Europe, refrigerators, concrete mixers and a wide selection of cranes are added to the product lineup and new factories within Germany are established to manufacture them.

The first Liebherr factory is built in Kirchdorf, Germany.

The first Liebherr factory is built in Kirchdorf, Germany.

The first Liebherr factory is built in Kirchdorf, Germany.

An eye for opportunity

As early as 1958 Hans Liebherr ventures outside Germany and commissions the first factory abroad. To gain a foothold in the British and North American market, the company builds a production site in Killarney, Ireland. The same year the first company outside Europe is founded in South Africa. Liebherr expands and establishes additional business units around the world to ensure close proximity to customers and the ability to respond quickly to the demands of each market.