A company’s strength cannot be measured solely by its number of employees or annual profits. Resilience is often the key factor that distinguishes one company from another. Here are seven reasons that make us resilient.
2025-07-09
For years, the word "crisis" has been a constant in global business news: Euro crisis, semiconductor crisis, financial crisis, energy crisis, climate crisis... and the list goes on. To withstand multiple crises, companies need one essential quality above all: resilience. Seven crucial factors that make us resilient.
Our roots go back to 1819 – from the mechanical workshops Harkort & Co. (which later evolved into our current subsidiary Dematic), through the founding of our renowned brand Linde Material Handling, to the establishment of the KION Group. But it’s not just longevity that matters; it’s the continuous evolution within a dynamic market environment. Linde MH started by manufacturing ice machines, then tractors, and today forklift trucks. This ability to transform is our true asset: We have been successful for so long because we have consistently reinvented ourselves. For us, resilience means a constant readiness for renewal.
Our resilience stems from our diversity. This applies to both our employees and our portfolio. More than 40,000 dedicated colleagues worldwide bring their ideas, experience and team spirit every day. At the same time, as a multi-brand group, we stand on solid foundations: From smart warehouse logistics to mobile automation and robust entry-level products, we cover every customer need – from small businesses to global players. This allows us to respond flexibly to market changes, for example with rental solutions or service offerings. Our diversity makes us adaptable – and that is our core strength.
The Duden dictionary defines resilience as the "ability to overcome difficult situations without lasting harm." It’s about adapting to changing conditions, proactively responding to challenges – and not being knocked off course.
Every year, dozens of new patents are developed at the KION Group, carefully reviewed and strategically positioned. We actively seek out technological white spots – untapped fields of innovation – and develop solutions there before others even take notice. In modern operations, machines communicate via the Internet of Things – independently signaling maintenance needs or intelligently adjusting their performance.
We nurture strategic partnerships worldwide that we can always count on. These include high-tech partners like NVIDIA, a global leader in artificial intelligence, with whom we collaborate today to create tomorrow’s solutions. We also work with startups and research institutes bringing fresh ideas that have the potential to transform our industry. Collaborations with startups give us access to game-changing ideas, technologies and business models.
Many of our customers have worked with us for decades. This trust is built on the reliability of our products and our holistic approach: Our responsibility doesn’t end at the factory gate. We operate in more than 100 countries, supporting our customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their solutions – from the first device to the final service call. Our products often remain in service for many years, regularly maintained, modernized, or expanded as needed, and always supported by experienced professionals.
When global supply chains falter, we stay calm and seek effective solutions. In times of global bottlenecks, we rely on transparency, creative replanning, and continuous communication with our customers. Although we can’t prevent every shortage, we have developed strategies to counteract them with smart alternatives and proactive management.
We are systematically evolving from a hardware supplier to a software company – driven by a clear vision: to become an AI leader in supply chain solutions. Our digital platforms monitor maintenance needs and performance in real time, ensuring our customers have maximum transparency and control over their operations. Digital twins simulate complex warehouse processes before the first building is even constructed. Potential errors are eliminated, boosting efficiency. Together with partners like NVIDIA, we develop virtual testing environments where new robotics solutions are trained and optimized. We manage material flows like a digital nervous system – smart, adaptive and predictive.
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