Orders for industrial trucks across Europe have shown a significant recovery in 2010 with a market volume increase of some 74 per cent in the first four months, according to the European Federation of Materials Handling (FEM). Other sectors had also seen sales growth.
The timid recovery witnessed at the end of last year gave some cautious hope for 2010, it said, and the first six months confirmed the positive impression and the fact that the economy is picking up. Order intakes have been increasing regularly, some product groups showing particularly good results.
FEM president Philippe Frantz, said: “After a historical economic downturn during which we experienced unprecedented drops, we can start looking at the future with some optimism. We must wait until the end of the year to have more certainties but the current signs are definitely encouraging”.
In 2009, the six product groups that FEM represents all suffered double-figure drops in sales. Trucks saw sales drop by up to 40 per cent; mobile elevating work platforms between 65 per cent and 70 per cent; racking and shelving up to 40 per cent, elevating equipment between 35 per cent and 40 per cent; cranes and lifting equipment between 40 per cent and 50 per cent and intra-logistic systems up to 20 per cent.
FEM represents 17 national materials handling associations covering about 1,000 companies, which it says account for about 80 per cent of the European materials handling industry in value.
