Haulotte sees 3% rise in 2013

Haulotte’s revenues last year rose 3% on 2012 levels to € 343 million (US$ 466 million), this was despite a -3% decline in revenues in the fourth quarter of the year, when the company’s sales fell to € 85.6 million (US$ 116 million), compared to € 88.3 million (US$ 120 million) for the same period in 2012.

The company said it suffered from negative exchange rates in 2013, and that most of the growth it saw was driven from the Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions. It also said revenues from servicing activities were up +11% year on year and +27% in the final quarter of 2013, “which seems to confirm the high utilisation rates of our machines in the fleets of our business rental customers,” it said in a statement.

Haulotte also said it expected earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to be up in 2013 when the effects of the sale of its UK rental business were excluded.

Looking to the future it said, “The start of 2014 is showing the first signs of a significant recovery of the business, particularly in Europe, which has resulted in a significant increase in our order books at the end of January 2014. This should allow Haulotte Group to show sales growth of more than 10% in 2014.”