KION Group records best order intake in its history

The positioning of the KION Group, with its two strong operating segments and clear focus on the trends of tomorrow, proved its worth again in 2020 – a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. “As a full-service provider for intralogistics with strong roots on all continents, we successfully seized our opportunities in 2020,” says Gordon Riske, Chief Executive Officer of KION GROUP AG. “Our vision is and remains very clear: At KION, we are keeping the world moving and shaping the future of intralogistics.”

The Group also used the year of the pandemic to press ahead with the implementation of its ‘KION 2027’ strategy: Investment in the areas of automation, digitalization, and energy, the market launch of new products, and the expansion of global production capacity and the sales and service network have laid the foundation stones for further profitable global growth. “The acquisition of Digital Applications International Limited, a UK software company specializing in warehouse logistics applications, and the partnership with the Chinese robotics specialist Shanghai Quicktron Intelligent Technology Company Limited last year have expanded our operations in areas that will be key to future growth,” says Gordon Riske. In addition, KION’s recently formed subsidiary, KION Battery Systems GmbH, a joint venture between KION GROUP AG and BMZ Holding GmbH, went into full production of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries for industrial trucks in the autumn.

Outlook for the current year

Gordon Riske believes the KION Group is well positioned for 2021 and beyond. “We have an extensive and high-performance intralogistics portfolio, a highly flexible, customer-focused sales network, and a strong balance sheet,” he explains. “Our global positioning and the strength of our service business provide us with excellent prospects for long-term growth. The strong demand for automation solutions looks set to continue and that also gives us confidence.”

However, the outlook for 2021 is particularly uncertain in view of the continued rapid spread of coronavirus at the end of 2020. If the pandemic continues to worsen, the authorities may impose renewed restrictions that would adversely affect procurement, production, and sales activities and make customers less willing to invest.

You can find our business results for FY 2020 at a glance in our

More detailed information on business performance you can find in our