5.1.1 Order intake

Order intake (units)

The continued growth of the Chinese market, the larger volume of orders received from Russia and Brazil, and equally strong demand in Europe enabled the KION Group to further improve its intake of orders for new trucks in 2011. Global order intake rose by 19 per cent year on year to 144,800 units in 2011 (2010: 121,500 units). The KION Group therefore remained Europe's undisputed market leader and the second largest provider worldwide.

Electric and internal-combustion engine counterbalance trucks, which constituted almost half of the KION Group's order intake and are mainly used in industrial applications, benefited significantly from the economic recovery in western Europe, especially in Germany, and from the robust demand from the major emerging markets. These trucks generated much stronger growth than the Company's warehouse technology.

Order intake in China – the third-largest market for the KION Group's sales – rose by 23 per cent year on year to 14,500 units in 2011 on the back of the strong growth of the market as a whole and the introduction of additional market-specific products. Consequently, the KION Group achieved growth rates in excess of general market growth levels. China generated especially strong demand for low-priced IC trucks, which the KION Group sells under its Baoli brand. The KION Group also expanded its market share slightly in the technologically more sophisticated electric forklift truck segment, which is the second most important market segment. In China, the KION Group is represented by its Linde and Baoli brands, which cater to different market segments and customer needs. Overall, the KION Group is by far the most important international supplier in China, which is the largest single market.

Demand also increased in Brazil, rising by 12 per cent year on year to 5,200 units. It was particularly encouraging that the KION Group gained significant market share despite tough operating conditions. Almost one in four of the new trucks sold in Brazil in 2011 was manufactured by the KION Group. KION will be in an even better position to develop the South American market from 2012 once it has completed the construction of an additional production facility for IC trucks in São Paulo.

The KION Group managed to increase its market share in eastern Europe as well. Its enlarged footprint in Russia as a result of its acquisition of local dealer Liftec in 2011 had a particularly positive impact on its order intake, which doubled in Russia year on year to 2,700 new trucks. The KION Group's market share jumped to 12 per cent.

Order intake in western Europe also saw significant growth in 2011. The KION Group increased its total volume of orders by 19 per cent year on year to 100,000 units. Growth in Germany, the largest single market in the region, was especially impressive. Order intake here surged by 23 per cent to 36,400 units in 2011 compared with 29,600 new trucks in 2010. France remained the second-largest market with approximately 23,000 units sold. One in three of the new forklift trucks sold in western Europe in 2011 once again bore a KION Group brand name. As market leader, the KION Group also benefits from its efficient distribution network in the industrial-truck markets of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Total order intake (€)

The total value of the orders received by the KION Group in 2011 rose by 21 per cent year on year to €4,682 million. This order value includes not only business in new trucks but also rental business, the sale of used trucks, and aftersales services. Order intake in all product categories rose year on year. The benign macroeconomic trends prevailing in 2011 increased industry's willingness to invest in capital equipment, thereby boosting KION's business in new trucks. The further rise in fleet capacity utilisation in the market also created an additional need for services and spare parts. Stronger demand for used and rental trucks generated further growth as well.

Linde Material Handling (LMH), which is the largest segment in the KION Group, saw its business in new trucks boosted primarily by China's economic growth. Demand from Germany also continued to strengthen, which enabled LMH to achieve the largest year-on-year increase in order intake in its domestic market. The intake of orders for new trucks in the LMH segment grew by 22 per cent compared with 2010 to 88,300 units. This corresponded to a total order intake value of €3,107 million – or a year-on-year increase of 24 per cent – in 2011.

The intake of orders for new trucks in the STILL segment amounted to 51,200 units in 2011, growing by 15 per cent year on year. This encouraging trend was largely driven by the German market, Brazil and the emerging markets of eastern Europe. The total value of orders received by STILL grew by more than 15 per cent from €1,518 million in 2010 to €1,752 million in the reporting year.