- Sales revenue rises by 3.4% to a new high of 3.88 billion euros
- Profit before taxes clearly improved at 226 million euros
- Record level of investment in research and development
- Outlook for 2019: Slight growth in revenue and stable earnings
“We have continued our growth in a volatile market environment and once again significantly improved our profitability. A strong impetus originated from Germany and Western Europe in particular,” said Hermann Lohbeck, speaker of the CLAAS Executive Board.
The global market for professional agricultural technology developed stably this year, in line with association expectations. Against this background, CLAAS noticeably improved revenue in core countries including Germany, France and the United Kingdom. In Eastern Europe, a slight project-related decline in sales could be observed. A mixed picture emerged in the countries outside of Europe: while sales in North America increased in the local currency, China recorded a decline as a result of market uncertainty.
Spending on research and development at a record level
The investments made in research and development reached a new record with 233 million euros (previous year: 217 million euros) and have doubled over the past ten years.
With the JAGUAR 960 TERRA TRAC, CLAAS was the first manufacturer to bring a forage harvester with an integrated crawler solution to the market. The new, award-winning concept offers the best soil protection in all conditions. The JAGUAR is complimented by the new ORBIS corn header that provides an optimal crop flow. The TUCANO combine harvester range has entered the next generation with an expanded range of models. Hillside versions suitable for use on slopes of up to 18 percent have now become available in this series for the very first time.
Major innovations also occurred in forage harvesting: in addition to the newly developed ROLLANT 540 round baler, the DISCO MOVE front mower was also launched which features optimal ground contour adaptation.