Skip to main content

VDMA: “No reason for any worries” in construction equipment market

There is “no reason for any worries” in the global construction equipment and building material manufacturing industry despite a lack of growth in 2013, according to the German-based VDMA association. In a release issued after the association’s summer board meeting in Hameln, northern Germany, a VDMA spokesperson said, “Bauma, the industry’s leading international fair held in April, in particular helped to change the industry’s mood significantly. Directly or indirectly it led to a great number of new order
July 16, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
There is “no reason for any worries” in the global construction equipment and building material manufacturing industry despite a lack of growth in 2013, according to the German-based 1331 VDMA association.  

In a release issued after the association’s summer board meeting in Hameln, northern Germany, a VDMA spokesperson said, “688 Bauma, the industry’s leading international fair held in April, in particular helped to change the industry’s mood significantly. Directly or indirectly it led to a great number of new orders, but in the meantime a downturn is visible again.”

Summing up the board’s common state of the industry view, the spokesperson added, “With the restrained forecast of the industry, this year’s scenario can probably best be interpreted to be a side movement. However, in light of the very good high absolute level the industry currently is on, there is no reason for any worries.”

With regard to construction equipment, the VDMA believes only the building construction market is growing. “In the last couple of weeks an increase in demand was visible in all areas. However, it has to be feared that the negative growth during the weak first quarter for earthworks and road construction machinery will probably have been too big to make a turnover result near zero for the entire year,” said the spokesperson. “The demand on building material machinery was higher in the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year, due to effects by special projects. Even if these should wear off slightly in the next couple of months, a growth for the entire year 2013 is still very realistic.”

The Middle East, especially Saudi-Arabia, Russia - although with a slightly decreasing dynamic, the central Asian states and, with some cut-backs, North America and Brazil - are said by the VDMA to be among the markets that currently work the “most positively”. Germany, France and Scandinavia are said to remain rather stable. “At the negative end are, as before, the southern European countries. China and India are disappointing also: after a weak year 2012, there has currently not been a real upturn yet,” added the spokesperson.

The German construction equipment and building material machinery industry made US$16.31 billion (€12.5bn) in turnover in 2012. Of this, $10.31 billion (€7.9bn) was in construction equipment and $6 billion (€4.6bn) was in building material, glass and ceramics machinery.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • VDMA’s optimistic 2014 outlook
    February 21, 2014
    The VDMA has given an optimistic 2014 performance forecast for the German construction equipment and building material machinery industry. Compared to the previous year, industry turnover declined slightly in 2013 by 6% to €11.7 billion. But incoming orders for construction equipment are said by the VDMA to have risen by 7% in 2013, compared to 2012. The VDMA predicts a 5% turnover rise in 2014, compared to the previous 12 months. “We can look back on a satisfactory business year overall; given all the
  • Construction equuipment market improves
    May 14, 2012
    The German manufacturers association, VDMA, has compiled data suggesting that following the slump in construction equipment sales in 2009, the market will recover in 2010. The VDMA reports that in 2009 German construction equipment sales fell in by some 43% to €9.5 billion. Dr Christof Kemmann, VDMA chairman said at a recent board meeting of the organisation, “...2009 has been the most difficult year ever for our industry.”
  • Plans in hand for bauma 2016 exhibition, with positive market outlook
    May 18, 2015
    The organisers of the bauma exhibition in Germany predict a positive future for the construction market in 2016. Large increases are expected in the North American market while there are also pPositive trends in the Near and Middle East. Last year North America and Europe were the most dynamic construction machinery markets in the world according to data from the bauma organisers. Some market experts believe that this trend could continue in 2015. This is one of the reasons why the market in construction
  • German mining equipment sales reach record high
    January 6, 2017
    The German mining machinery market is at a record high, according to the German Engineering Federation, VDMA. Mining machinery manufacturers based in Germany hardly suffered from the financial crisis, said VDMA president Dr Thomas Lindner. Since 2007, their annual turnover has grown by about 13% on average. In 2011, growth was nearly 27% and turnover then increased by another 28% in 2012 to reach €6.2bn.