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
April 23, 2015 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

  • Increased competition in the global wheeled loader market
    January 8, 2015
    There is increased competition in the wheeled loader market on a global basis - Mike Woof writes The wheeled loader segment is one of the most hotly contested in the earthmoving machine market. There is an enormous array of manufacturers competing in this segment, including European, US, Japanese, South Korean and Chinese firms. This last group is of particular note as China represents the biggest single market for wheeled loaders in the world.
    Read More
  • Looking around the world with bitumen technology
    March 4, 2015
    Russia needs polymer-modified bitumen; the UK is embracing US-style pavement preservation technology and gearing up to import more bitumen; and Italy prepares to export innovative modifying technology; plus a look at the market in Asia Pacific and the Middle East – Kristina Smith reports. The Total Group has announced two recent deals which underline the changing bitumen market around the world. In Moscow, it is constructing a new type of polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) plant in joint venture with Gazprom Ne
    Read More
  • Asphalt advances and industry innovations in paving
    May 20, 2014
    Asphalt paving technology continues to develop, benefiting from new technologies and new diesel engines - Mike Woof reports The asphalt paving equipment market is seeing the introduction of new low emission engines that will meet the Tier 4 Final regulations for Europe and North America. These have required some major engineering changes, with firms now having to install bulky exhaust after-treatment systems and additional cooling for engines and turbos.
    Read More
  • The March of the Urban Low-emission Zone
    April 17, 2018
    Europe’s political patchwork is getting a low-emission zone overlap, according to Malcolm Kent* By now, pretty much everybody in the industry will be aware of the Low Emission Zone in London, UK. But awareness of similar European zones about to start or expand might be more patchy. The background to all of these schemes is the problem of air quality, particularly European Union rules setting limits on acceptable pollution levels. It was found some years ago that several member states’ cities, including
    Read More

Highlighted Content