The economic slowdown is forcing business owners to cut spending, yet warehouse logistics is emerging from the crisis unscathed. However, the uncertain market situation means that used equipment is seeing higher growth dynamics than new forklifts. STILL summarizes the past year and forecasts for 2013.
Steady growth in demand for new and used equipment, investment plans in Poland, and the expansion of the product range. Companies offering solutions for warehouse logistics continue to gain customers, even though in times of market uncertainty, many entrepreneurs are cutting costs and looking for savings in every investment. Hence, the used forklift segment is seeing higher growth.
– In 2012, we sold 15% more used forklifts than in the previous year, exceeding the 800-unit mark. Growth is also visible in the sale of new equipment, where we also achieved double-digit growth – says Wojciech Szmulczyński, Sales Director at STILL Polska. – We believe this is a great success during such an uncertain market situation.
Data for the first half of 2012 collected by the KION Group, the owner of the STILL brand, shows that demand in the primary forklift market in Europe fell by 7.9% (164,200 fewer units sold than in the second half of the previous year). A significant decline in sales mainly concerns Western Europe, where demand was 8.8% lower. In Eastern Europe, the decline was 3.3%. Against this background, the situation at the Polish branch of STILL looks very favorable, especially considering the investments made in 2012 and further development plans.
2012 – so much happened!
The past year started with a strong accent for STILL. In March, the company’s fourth branch in Poland was established. The facility in Gdańsk took over the service duties previously performed by Techtrans. The expansion allowed the company to provide its services faster and more effectively in northern Poland and to create a thriving service and sales network. As a result, the corporation completely took over the authorized service of its products in Poland, which allowed for the standardization and assurance of high-quality services. Significant from STILL’s point of view is the establishment of cooperation with Mateco AG. The companies decided to complement each other’s assortment, thanks to which STILL gained 5 new forklift rental locations and enriched its offer with lifts and mobile platforms. The year 2012 was also a period of intensive activity at trade fairs and industry conferences. Among many activities, it is worth mentioning that STILL once again supported the National Logistics Olympiad organized by the College of Logistics in Poznań, took part in the Polish Logistics Congress Logistics 2012, and numerous industry trade fairs and conferences.
2013 – so many plans!
This year promises to be just as busy. The STILL European Forklift Refurbishment Center is being built near Poznań, with its opening planned for the end of 2013. In the newly created facility, used forklifts from other STILL branches will be refurbished, which will then be sent to markets across Europe and beyond. This is one of the largest investments of this type in this part of the continent, which testifies to the high quality of services provided by the Polish service center. Many new products are also planned for this year. First, the large internal combustion forklifts from the RX70 series with a lifting capacity of 6 to 8 tons will premiere, which are ideal for heavy industry and transporting non-standard sized goods. Their sale will start as early as January. At that time, the first 3.5-ton RC40 models will also be available for purchase.