You are here
Liebherr Group: Products & Services for United States of America (en)
Other websites for United States of America (en)
Liebherr’s commitment to the United States and the North American market began in 1970 with the construction of two manufacturing facilities and the North American headquarters in Newport News, Virginia. Over the years, new companies formed to fulfill customer needs in various industries. In 2016, Liebherr USA, Co. was founded to bring ten of the Group’s product segments under one company in the US, providing a simpler structure and broader reach to deliver an exceptional and consistent experience.
In 2020 Liebherr invests $60 million into expanding the Newport News campus adding over 251,000 ft² (23,319 m²), further establishing Liebherr’s footprint in the North American market. The expansion of the new campus and its facilities and services is helping Liebherr to better serve its customers and partners with excellence now and in the future. With this continued growth comes key leadership provided by Managing Directors Kai Friedrich and Tim Gerhardt. Kai Friedrich joined Liebherr USA, Co. in August 2021 and serves as both Managing Director and Divisional Director of Earthmoving and Material Handling Technology. He was later joined by Tim Gerhardt who has been with Liebherr USA, Co. since January 2022. In the interview both Kai and Tim talk about Liebherr’s expansion and commitment to the US market.
Tim, Liebherr USA, Co. recently unveiled a newly expanded campus in May of 2022, what does this $60 million campus investment mean for Liebherr?
Tim: This is an investment for our future here in the United States. We have been slowly growing since 2016 and this expansion has established a solid footprint for each of our ten product segments in the US under the Liebherr USA, Co. umbrella. This new facility will also allow Liebherr to grow its market presence and better serve our customers spread across the nation through fulfilling product needs, creating a better distribution network, and providing the customization our US stakeholders are looking for.
And what capabilities did this investment create for the future?
Tim: This investment created a lot of physical space for our Newport News operations to grow into. We built a brand-new warehouse, workshop, training facility, and admin building, adding over 251,000 ft² (23,319 m2) of state-of-the-art facilities that benefit not only our internal staff, but also our distribution network providing a central location for both internal and external training operations. This expansion further enables and supports our entire core business across the USA through our shared services based in Newport News.
With rapid growth comes job creation, how is Liebherr providing local workforce development in the United States?
Tim: We know the job market is highly competitive, and it is critical we continue our efforts both on a regional and national scale. On a local level, Liebherr USA, Co. currently partners with Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) developing a pipeline of future talent and trade workers who develop experience with Liebherr machines. And with our new expansion, we now have a center for development where we can train Liebherr employees, partners, and dealers in real life applications at our Newport News facility. Going forward, it is critical that we continue to consistently find new ways of staffing for the future and evolving to meet our current employees’ needs.
Can potential candidates connect with our hiring team at Conexpo 2023?
Tim: Yes! We have a Career Center on site at our outdoor booth where anyone can speak with our HR representatives regarding job opportunities and the Liebherr Group. We can also make sure any potential candidates are guided to the correct contacts, making worthwhile connections at Conexpo.
As reflected by our investment in Newport News, we will continue to support a growing infrastructure for Liebherr employees, our partners and our dealer network.”
What is Liebherr USA, Co.’s plan for continued growth?
Tim: As reflected by our investment in Newport News, we will continue to support a growing infrastructure for Liebherr employees, our partners and our dealer network. It is important all our product segments, shared services and distribution network are supported and heard to provide the best service possible to our customers.
Kai, as Tim mentioned, Liebherr USA is working on rapid growth and development for the US market, can you share what sets the US market apart for Liebherr?
Kai: The North American market is very important for Liebherr. In the US, customers are very diverse in size and needs, and this presents a huge potential for our company and our unique product portfolio. We continually invest in cutting-edge technology and solutions. Our products are built from the ground up with key components we manufacture in-house to the highest standards based on our
customer’s individual requirements and local applications. This allows us to stay competitive in the market and provide solutions to the challenges they face at their operation sites every day.
And which product segments are featured at Conexpo 2023?
Kai: Liebherr USA, Co. currently offers ten product segments under one mixed sales umbrella. We are showcasing the latest generation of equipment manufactured by Liebherr from various segments including earthmoving, material handling technology, mobile and crawler cranes, tower cranes, components, and deep foundation machines. We are also showing live applications of our earthmoving machines in our new demo area.
With technology constantly evolving, what innovative technologies does Liebherr display at Conexpo?
Kai: Liebherr has chosen a technology-open approach to reduce emissions as efficiently as possible, depending on the machine and application, in a tailored and functional way. At Conexpo, visitors can, for example, view some of our latest technology including the LB 30 unplugged drilling rig, an electric machine that can be powered wirelessly with a battery. Visitors can also check out a few other innovative technologies including our LICCON3 system within our mobile and crawler cranes, our XXA 3 stability assistance within concrete technology, and the latest updates of our Generation 8 earthmoving machines.
Liebherr’s task is to modernize the drives of its construction machines in such a way that they produce significantly less CO₂ – across the entire product life cycle.”
Sustainability and reducing carbon emissions have become increasingly important in our industry, how is Liebherr supporting these initiatives?
Kai: Liebherr is actively working on finding the best drive concepts for our product segments. We recently collaborated with the economic advisor Frontier Economics, where we conducted a comprehensive life cycle analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by typical construction
machines. Similar machines were equipped with different drive solutions and examined. These results showed that there is no one standard solution for selecting the right climate-neutral drives to be installed in construction machines. Liebherr’s task is to modernize the drives of its construction machines in such a way that they produce significantly less CO₂ – across the entire product life cycle.
Looking at sustainable CO₂-free or at least CO₂-neutral drives, there will not be a single, one-size-fits- all conceptfor every application covered by construction machines. A compact wheel loader simply has different requirements than a crawler excavator for mining that are used in different climates and for different applications. In other words, a whole host of very different competences are required to develop drive concepts.
What can our US stakeholders expect going forward?
Kai: Liebherr will evolve to meet growing market demands. We will continue to provide developments in sustainable technology, cost-effective products, data optimization, and autonomous operations. It is of the most importance that we continue to manufacture and sell products that are efficient, safe, and benefit our customers.
