Haulotte sales fall in global slowdown

Euan Youdale Editor, Access International

12 February 2025

The global aerial platform market continued to slowdown in the fourth quarter of 2024 in almost all geographic areas, Haulotte said in its most recent financial results.

Haulotte’s HA16 E was added to the Pulseo line earlier this year.

As a result, the France-based manufacturer achieved a turnover of €126 million during the period, down by -37% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. The result was compounded by greater than expected “wait-and-see attitude” from some rental customers towards the end of the year, which postponed their investment plans.

“After a historic year in 2023, signs of a slowdown in the global aerial platform market were first observed in Europe since the second half of 2023, spread to all regions of the world throughout 2024.”

This led to a total turnover of €634 million for 2024, down by -17% compared to the previous year.

Regional results

In Europe, sales fell 23% during the first quarter partly as a result of the impending tariffs on equipment imported from China that became definitive on 10 January for a period of five years, which saw rental companies holding back on their spending plans.

In Asia-Pacific, annual turnover declined by -21%, in most markets, while North America sales also experienced a sharp slowdown in the fourth quarter across all activities, resulting in a 11 decrease.

Latin America was the only region that maintained a stable level of activity over the previous year, said the company.

From a division perspective, equipment sales dropped 20% over the full year, while rental sales dropped 11%. However, the Services division rose 9% to €77 million in the financial year.

Due to the uncertain market, Haulotte said it was unable to commit to a sales target for 2025 but will do so as soon as conditions allow. “During this period, Haulotte will continue to leverage its innovation capabilities and close customer relationships while maintaining its focus on stock optimization and controlling operational expenses,” added the company.