Page 18 - Vol.39-No.1

AGRICULTURE MACHINERY

Record turnover despite difficult conditions –

Growth in turnover and income expected for 2023

CLAAS, one of the world’s leading only be overcome with considerable finan-
manufacturers of agricultural equip- cial and personnel effort. The 22-week
ment, was able to increase sales by 2.7% production shutdown in Harsewinkel during
to a new high of €4.9 billion (previous the plant modernisation was also a major
year: €4.8 billion) under the difficult challenge. However, time-critical deliveries
general conditions of the 2022 finan- of machines to customers and individual
cial year and continue the extraordinary bridging measures could be realised with
growth of the previous year. great efforts by the producing plants and
The EBITDA margin of 8.8% (previous the sales organisation.
year: 11.1%) remains at a high level. The Production and sales network strength- wheel loader series, the latest generation
earnings before taxes of €166.3 million ened, R&D expenses hit record high CLAAS of SCORPION telescopic loaders, the VAR-
(previous year: €357.1 million) is essen- has also continued to push ahead with the IANT 500 round baler and the QUADRANT
tially burdened by impairments in Eastern investment program in 2022 and injected EVOLUTION II square baler, other impor-
Europe as a result of geopolitical changes €130 million into the expansion of its glob- tant product areas have been modernised
and disrupted supply chains. al sales and production network: Work to and expanded. For the LEXION combine
“The year 2022 has challenged us in modernise the main plant in Harsewinkel harvesters, the JAGUAR forage harvesters
every respect. In this difficult mix, we was successfully completed. The project to and the CLAAS tractors, after the TRION,
have shown how resilient our business increase production capacities and mod- the new CLAAS CEMIS 1200 terminal is
model is. We delivered and proved with ernize the infrastructure at the Bad Saulgau now also available as the successor to the
a lot of personal commitment that we site is going to plan. In Le Mans, France, previous S10 universal terminal.
can measure up to our vision of making a new CLAAS Academy for sales partner Workforce – training
customers the best in their field. We have employees opened its doors.
delivered 100% on our harvest promise to expanded
our customers. For this, all employees and As of September 30, 2022, the CLAAS
distribution partners deserve my thanks,” Group employed a total of 12,116 people
says CEO Thomas Böck. (prior year: 11,957) worldwide, approx-
imately 50.4% of which are outside of
•Sales up to €4.9 billion Germany. As of September 30, 2022, the
•Stable EBITDA margin of 8.8% – net CLAAS Group employed 792 apprentices
income impacted by one-off effect (prior year: 775), 493 (prior year: 473) of
•Positive free cash flow in challenging which are in Germany. CLAAS trains young
environment At the same time, research and develop- people in Germany in various technical and
•Outlook: significant sales and income ment reached a new high in the history of business professions, as well as within a
CLAAS. They rose by 6.4% to €279 million “dual study” program, with alternating
growth expected in fiscal year 2023
and included the development and renew- phases of theory and practice. The same
Strong demand in America, robust mar- al of harvesting machinery and tractors, applies to other countries in which CLAAS
ket also in Europe investments in electronics architecture operates, such as France, Hungary, the UK,
Due to the strong harvest year, and ben- for machine control and connectivity, as and India.
eficial financing conditions especially in the well as expenses for the digitalization of Outlook
first half of the financial year, the market for agricultural processes.
agricultural engineering products in 2022 New combine harvester For fiscal year 2023, CLAAS anticipates
benefited from continued strong demand double-digit sales and income growth
and developed largely positively despite production facility in despite the present uncertainties. The
significant supply-side disruptions and the Harsewinkel company expects demand for agricultural
war-related slowdown in Eastern Europe. equipment to remain stable overall in the
CLAAS achieved particularly dynamic sales Model initiative continued – LEXION main sales regions in Middle and Western
combine harvester receives award
growth in North America. In Europe, the Europe, as well as in North America. The
markets were robust with slight declines The model offensive was continued in number of international orders over the
compared to the very positive develop- the 2022 financial year: This included coming months is above average. CLAAS
ment in 2021. the premiere of the new generation of forecasts continued strong growth in the
the top model LEXION, which received region of North America, thanks in particu-
Challenges in the supply the “Farm Machine” Award 2023 in the lar to the broader combine harvester and
chains overcome with high combine category at the French trade fair tractor range. Investments in the expansion
of the global production and sales network
commitment SIMA, and the DOMINATOR 260. In North – and in innovative technologies such as
America, the new TRION 740 medium hy-
Due to the aftermath of the Corona pan- brid combine and the AXION 900 TERRA digitalization, and autonomous farming –
demic and geopolitical upheavals, CLAAS TRAC large tractor series were successfully will strengthen the market position on a
had to contend at times with massive dis- launched. With the NEXOS special tractors lasting basis.
ruptions to its supply chains, which could (after Stage V), the mid-range TORION

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