Finnish materials handling equipment maker Kalmar, has released its financial results for Q1, reporting a 5% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in sales to EUR420 million (USD493 million) with operating profit for the period of EUR51.5 million (USD60.4 million), up 13% y-o-y.

Kalmar reports orders for the January to March period were EUR451 million (USD529.2 million), a fall of 6% y-o-y while eco portfolio sales increased 10% y-o-y to EUR187 million (USD219 million).

“Looking ahead, we are maintaining our full year guidance and estimate our comparable operating profit margin to be over 12.5% in 2026,” Kalmar states. 

“Most importantly, we’re executing our core strategy by staying close to our customers' evolving needs regardless of the geopolitical weather.”

Sami Niiranen, Kalmar’s CEO and president, says while overall profitability and sales grew, the company faced “operational headwinds” in its Services segment.

“While I’m proud of our resilience, there is clearly still room for improvement,” Niiranen continues. “We are operating in an attractive market, from a strong financial position, that allows us to navigate an unpredictable world without compromising on our long-term goals.

“The market activity in the quarter was in line with our expectations. We saw stable demand comparable to the previous quarters. 

“Despite the increased geopolitical instability, we experienced continued high interest in our sustainable solutions across our core customer segments and regions. The data from our connected equipment also showed stable activity levels."

Meanwhile, Kalmar used ACT Expo 2026 in Las Vegas to introduce its medium lithium-ion electric forklift to the North American market.

With capacities from 9T to 18T, the forklifts have been designed for demanding materials handling applications across a range of industries including logistics, forestry, metals and heavy industry, Kalmar states.

The new medium range of forklifts are able to be configured with a wide range of masts, forks, carriages and special attachments tailored to specific operational needs enabling it to handle diverse load types including lumber, steel coils and bulk materials.

Kalmar says the range is equipped with its Thermal Management System, which maintains optimal battery and system temperatures across a wide range of operating conditions, supporting consistent performance and battery life.

Alf-Gunnar Karlgren, president, counterbalance, Kalmar says of the new product: “Expanding our electric portfolio in North America is a key step in supporting our customers’ transition toward more sustainable operations”. 

“This medium electric forklift range combines the performance and versatility our customers expect with the benefits of zero-emission technology, making it well suited for a wide range of demanding industrial applications,” Karlgren adds.