Manufacturer stays strong against demand fluctuations
- Pöttinger revenues consolidate at just under EUR 500 million
The Austrian family-owned company Pöttinger, headquartered in Grieskirchen, Upper Austria, maintained a strong position during the financial year 2023/2024 (reporting date 31 July) despite a challenging economic and geopolitical environment, and in relation to overall market developments.
With an unchanged high export ratio of around 90 percent and a consistent share of the market, Pöttinger remains a highly relevant global player. Pöttinger machines are used by farmers and contractors all over the world. Following years of extreme growth (2021/22 up 25 percent, 2022/23 up 27 percent), revenue consolidated at EUR 491 million. Although there has been a clear decline in sales, Germany is still the highest profile market (18.2 percent of total sales in 2024), followed by France (17.1 percent) and Austria (10.4 percent). Other key markets include Switzerland, Poland, USA, Czech Republic, Italy, Great Britain, Ukraine, and Canada.
The most important sector in sales terms continues to be grassland technology, where Pöttinger received international recognition during the past financial year for innovations featured on its Novocat mowers, the Mergento F Alpin alpine merger, and an important update to the Harvest Assist app for optimising machine deployment during forage harvesting. For decades, Pöttinger has been the world market leader in loader wagons. Now, the Boss 2000 Alpin joins the long line of bestsellers.
Grassland machines account for around two thirds of total sales. Pöttinger is working continuously and intensively to further extend its arable farming technology division.
Another of the innovations launched during the past financial year is the new Servo 3000 hitch-mounted reversible plough. New features and enhancements have also been made to the Lion power harrows, the Terrasem seed drill and the Vitasem seed drills. Being able to combine a Terria stubble cultivator and the Terradisc 8001 T disc harrow with an Amico F front hopper means that tillage, sowing and fertilisation can now be carried out in a single pass. Following Pöttinger’s acquisition of the Italian manufacturer MaterMacc in 2022, precision planter technology has now become established as an additional, successful product segment.
Pöttinger’s “Original Spare Parts” division ensures a long-term supply of spare and wear parts at short notice, which is essential for agricultural businesses. Sales of EUR 65 million (up six percent on the previous year) is generated with around 118,000 deliveries per year.
As a family-owned company, Pöttinger stands for a team focus with good interaction between people. Everyone who works at Pöttinger is expected to take responsibility for their actions, development, work climate and results. The long-term success of the company relies on committed, competent and motivated employees. The company currently employs 2,216 people (50 more than the previous year) with 37 different nationalities. 1,266 employees work in Austria, 447 in the Czech Republic, 227 in Germany, with the others working at subsidiaries around the world. Pöttinger has 15 service centres and seven training centres that supply spare parts, support, training and service to customers in 85 countries on five continents.
The company strives to convey a strong feeling of partnership and integrity to its dealerships and suppliers, and in its work together with people in the global agricultural machinery trade. Pöttinger operates sales locations all over the world, as well as five production plants in Europe, two of which are in Austria (Grieskirchen and St. Georgen), and one each in Germany (Bernburg), the Czech Republic (Vodnany) and Italy (San Vito al Tagliamento).
During the financial year 2023/24, the whole of the agricultural technology industry suffered a downturn in expectations as a result of customers shying away from investment. Nonetheless, Pöttinger is going to grab this opportunity to implement strategic measures aimed specifically at aligning processes, optimising costs, and increasing efficiency within the company. The proven Kaizen principle is applied in a particularly effective way at Pöttinger: During the past financial year, Pöttinger employees made 7,493 improvements, enhancing the balance sheet by EUR 9 million.
Despite the challenging economic and geopolitical situation, Spokesperson for the Management Team, Gregor Dietachmayr, has a positive outlook: “We are continuing to develop our products, especially in the areas of crop care, arable farming and precision planter technology, and are working on new products to inspire our customers and impress them with our innovative creativity. Together with our employees, we will stay strong during these challenging times, and look to the future with optimism.”
Related news:
AGCO announces definitive agreement to sell its grain & protein business
