WarehousingIreland.ie – Jungheinrich Cautiously Optimistic

Jungheinrich Cautiously Optimistic

Jun 16, 2013 Warehousing Ireland Materials Handling 0

Annual General Meeting in Hamburg/Incoming Orders Revitalized/Capital Expenditures on Future Growth About to be Completed

Hamburg—The Jungheinrich Group got off to a decent start to the 2013 financial year. Incoming orders displayed pleasing development in the first four months and were slightly up year on year. The company was cautiously optimistic about the remaining course of the fiscal year at its Annual General Meeting on June 11, 2013.

In the first four months of 2013, the world material handling equipment market grew by some 3 per cent to 334 thousand forklift trucks (prior year: 324 thousand units) irrespective of the global economy’s persistently sluggish recovery. Markets continued to display disparate regional development. On the whole, Europe experienced a marginal decrease of 2 per cent—despite a 9 per cent increase in sales volume in Eastern Europe—whereas the positive trend continued in North America, which posted a gain of 12 per cent. Asian market volume rose slightly, advancing by 2 per cent, driven by 5 per cent growth in China. Last year’s high level in terms of warehousing equipment—Jungheinrich’s domain—was surpassed by 6 per cent worldwide. Sales of IC engine-powered forklift trucks expanded somewhat, increasing by 2 per cent.

By the end of April 2013, the value of incoming orders, including all business areas, had risen by 3 per cent to 775 million euros (prior year: 754 million euros). Owing to weak demand in the fourth quarter of 2012, net sales in the first four months of the current year amounted to 700 million euros—slightly less than the very strong level of 711 million euros achieved in the same period last year. As of April 30, 2013, orders on hand from new truck business totalled 377 million euros and were thus 24 million euros, or 7 per cent, higher than the 353 million euros achieved in last year’s corresponding period. The rise compared to the 298 million euros in value at the end of 2012 was substantial, amounting to 79 million euros, or 27 per cent. Production output in terms of units in the first four months of 2013 was 10 per cent down year on year due to the low level of incoming orders in the fourth quarter of 2012, amounting to 23.0 thousand trucks (prior year: 25.6 thousand units).

At the Annual General Meeting on June 11, 2013, a draft resolution was presented to the shareholders, envisaging paying ordinary shareholders a dividend of 0.80 euros per ordinary share (prior year: 0.70 euros) and preferred shareholders a dividend of 0.86 euros per preferred share (prior year: 0.76 euros).

By implementing its strategic investment projects, all of which will be completed this year—the spare parts centre in Kaltenkirchen, the new factory in Qingpu (China) and the logistic system equipment plant in Degernpoint near Moosburg—the Jungheinrich Group is establishing all the prerequisites for future growth. “Our company’s strategy has a long-term horizon and is designed to generate organic growth. Jungheinrich aims to sustainably rank among the world’s top three intralogistics service and solution providers. We have developed a detailed roadmap for the entire Group through 2015 to this end and are in the process of extending our planning through 2020,” declared Hans-Georg Frey, Chairman of the Board of Management of Jungheinrich AG.

Jungheinrich ranks among the world’s leading companies in the material handling equipment, warehousing and material flow engineering sectors. The company is an intralogistics service and solution provider with manufacturing operations, which offers its customers a comprehensive range of forklift trucks, shelving systems, services and advice. Jungheinrich shares are traded on all German stock exchanges.