The global light and compact equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson reported a significant rise in revenue and earnings for 2017 compared to the previous year and was able to achieve the goals set by the company.

Double-digit revenue growth: The Group revenue for 2017 rose by 13 per cent to EUR 1,534 million (EUR 1,361 million in 2016) ? driven by market share gains in a favourable business climate and an upswing in almost all key regions for the Group. ?We were able to further expand our market reach at national and international level and gain new market shares,? explained Martin Lehner, CEO of Wacker Neuson SE.

Revenue for Europe, which is the Group?s largest market with a 74-per cent share of revenue, grew 11 per cent to EUR 1,130 million (EUR 1,021 million in 2016). The broad majority of European countries contributed to healthy revenue growth. In the Americas, revenue grew at an even faster pace than in Europe, amounting to EUR 358 million, which corresponds to an increase of 23 per cent compared to the previous year (EUR 292 million in 2016). Revenue for the Asia-Pacific region however, decreased by 5 per cent compared to the previous year to EUR 47 million (EUR 49 million in 2016). 

New ?Strategy 2022? roadmap: The Group aims to further expand its position as a leading international manufacturer of light and compact equipment. Europe and North America are expected to play an important role here as the Group plans to intensify its activities in these core markets. ?There is still plenty of potential for us to grow in our main regions. We are particularly keen to leverage growth potential in our core business fields with compaction and concrete technology from our light equipment segment and products from our compact equipment offering,? explained Lehner. ?The aim of ?Strategy 2022? is to ensure that the company is focused 100 per cent on our customers? needs. The three strategic pillars of ?focus?, ?acceleration? and ?excellence? guide all of our actions here,? he added.

Fiscal 2018 forecast: The Group is optimistic about 2018. ?Our markets are currently intact and forecasts give us every reason to be confident. The year also got off to a great start for us. We expect revenue to amount to between EUR 1.65 and 1.70 billion. This represents an increase of 8 to 11 per cent compared to 2017. We also expect the EBIT margin to improve to between 9 and 10 per cent,? added Lehner.