Revenue

The revenue generated in the first nine months of € 3,316.7 million was down by 3.5 per cent on the figure reported for the same period of 2012, although this had still included the hydraulics business. However, eliminating the hydraulics revenue from the prior-year figure (€ 3,307.8 million) results in a slight year-on-year increase. In addition, currency effects, such as the devaluation of the Brazilian real and pound sterling, pushed down revenue by € 48.5 million.

The revenue accounted for by the truck business of € 1,864.3 million was slightly below the high level achieved in the previous year (Q1—Q3 2012: € 1,897.5 million). Growing unit sales of warehouse trucks compensated almost entirely for the fall in counterbalance trucks. Revenue generated by the service business rose by 3.0 per cent to € 1,452.4 million (Q1—Q3 2012: € 1,409.6 million) on the back of a strong second and third quarter and was largely driven by rental and used truck business as well as resurgent demand for services. 

Revenue broken down by customer location reflects the variation in economic conditions across the regions. The decline in the volume of business in western Europe was primarily attributable to the German market. In other western European countries, the KION Group raised revenue slightly and the overall decline slowed down in the third quarter.

In eastern Europe, the KION Group brand companies again achieved overall year-on-year revenue growth despite the very high level generated in 2012, although it was down slightly in the third quarter. While revenue in Asia fell overall, the decline slowed down in the third quarter. Bucking the negative regional trend, KION’s revenue increased in Brazil, its largest market in the Americas.

The proportion of the Group’s revenue generated outside Germany went up slightly, from 74.1 per cent to 75.0 per cent. The emerging markets accounted for 25.1 per cent of consolidated revenue, compared with 24.3 per cent in the first nine months of 2012.