Skip to main content

Weak European currency boosting exports of machines

Some European equipment manufacturers are taking advantage of low currency values to boost sales at the moment. Hamm’s marketing manager Gottfried Beer said: “We see that with the exchange rate it’s a chance for us.” Both for Hamm and its rival BOMAG, for example, the low value of the European currency against the US dollar gives a significant price advantage. For US rental customers, this means that they can buy premium products from Europe at prices that would have previously been restricted to second ti
January 6, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Strong sales of European machines are a result of a weak currency

Some European equipment manufacturers are taking advantage of low currency values to boost sales at the moment. 228 Hamm’s marketing manager Gottfried Beer said: “We see that with the exchange rate it’s a chance for us.”

Both for Hamm and its rival 172 BOMAG, for example, the low value of the European currency against the US dollar gives a significant price advantage. For US rental customers, this means that they can buy premium products from Europe at prices that would have previously been restricted to second tier brands. Beer said, “It’s very attractive for customers buying in dollars.”

And he added: “That is the reason why this INTERMAT is interesting.”

The British pound is similarly strong against the European currency. Beer said, “When they buy now, they get more machines than ever.”

In terms of sales, Hamm has had orders in the hundreds for its H7 soil compactor, even before the machine has gone into production. Although announced late last year, the H7 is only just going into production at the factory in Tirschenreuth. However, every one of those machines trundling off the production line in the next few months will have had a customer name assigned to it well in advance - and with a significant chunk of those sales going into the US rental segment.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • David Beatenbough talks about LiuGong’s achievements and its ambitions.
    April 2, 2012
    The year 2012 has been a milestone for Chinese construction equipment manufacturer LiuGong. In January it announced completion of the purchase of Polish company HSW (Huta Stalowa Wola) and its distribution subsidiary Dressta, LiuGong’s first outright acquisition outside its domestic market. HSW produces bulldozers and other crawler machines, while LiuGong is ranked as the largest wheel loader manufacturer in the world, and is also said to be among the world’s fastest growing CE companies.
  • New developments for soil compaction market
    March 6, 2015
    New compaction machines will meet the latest emission standards for Europe and North America while firms from China are also competing globally - Mike Woof writes. The market for compaction equipment has become very competitive in recent years, most notably in the segment for soil compactors. The major US and European firms have developed more productive machines for use in both developed and developing markets. Meanwhile Chinese manufacturers are also competing in the soil compaction segment for the local
  • Caterpillar: this is what the future looks like
    April 14, 2016
    Fuel efficiency and powertrain alternatives are crucial for the future of construction, while the issue of emissions will remain a priority for some time to come – that was the message from Caterpillar’s roundtable event at bauma 2016. Senior executives from the company spoke with journalists, discussing key future technology developments and trends for the firm. Paolo Fellin is VP Global Construction & Infrastructure, while Ken Hoefling is VP for Building Construction Products. Karl Weiss is VP Earthmovin
  • CECE Congress focuses on future of construction
    April 10, 2012
    The bi-annual CECE Congress was held in Spain when participants looked forward in a bid to see what will happen in the next ten years Growth markets such as China, India and Brazil offer big opportunities to European construction equipment manufacturers. As companies, particularly those from China, start to expand outside their own countries the competition for business will increase, and it has been claimed that there is no such thing as 'the global market', rather it is the sum of hundreds, if not thousa