Lars Brzoska is optimistic

After closing the 2020 financial year better than had been initially expected, Jungheinrich predicts that the global market for materials handling equipment will continue to grow in 2021 in the mid-to-high single-digit percentage range. For its core market of Europe, it expects an increase in market volume in the mid single-digit percentage range. The company attributes much of its success to its handling of the coronavirus crisis. It immediately created a central crisis team and established additional local crisis teams in its organisational units and factories in order to identify upcoming risks at an early stage and keep the impact of these risks as minimal as possible through timely, appropriate and coordinated measures. The top priority was to protect the employees, customers and business partners. To do so, Jungheinrich alone procured over 215,000 masks and over 20,000 litres of disinfectant in 2020. At the same time, extensive precautionary measures were taken to minimise the impact of the pandemic on supply chains and production. Jungheinrich chairman Lars Brzoska notes that in November 2020, the company presented its new corporate Strategy 2025+ to the public. That strategy will see Jungheinrich focus on increasing profitability, efficiency and sustainability. After the group had already achieved its strategic growth target for 2020 one year earlier than planned, Jungheinrich has made it its goal to create sustainable value for all its stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders, business partners, and society at large. The Group is focusing in particular on expanding its presence in the markets of Europe, China and North America. All activities are based on its holistic understanding of sustainability that takes equal account of economic, environmental and social aspects. "Our intention is to be our customers' first choice over the long term, offering them added value through forward-looking solutions and technologies. At the same time, we as a group want to help shape economic, ecological and social developments. To achieve this, we are making Jungheinrich more profitable, more efficient and more sustainable," he explains. "The crisis year 2020 was an extraordinary test for us all - both professionally and privately. Because of our strong position, we were able to successfully pass this test. We have proven how resilient and crisis-resistant Jungheinrich is. Even if the current year has more uncertainties related to the coronavirus in store, we are taking an optimistic approach due to the expected positive market development. We are concentrating on our profitable growth, increasing our efficiency and successfully implementing our strategy," Brzoska adds.