Liebbherr planning to expand wheel loader production
Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen set course for the future with additional production site in Wildon
LIEBHERR-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH are planning to significantly expand their production capacity by building an additional manufacturing plant for small wheel loaders in Wildon, Styria, Austria. Liebherr say this strategic decision is a response to the steadily growing wheel loader market and underlines the company's commitment to sustainable growth. The new production site is scheduled for completion in 2029.
The Liebherr Group’s existing wheel loader production plant in Bischofshofen, Austria, employs 1,200 people on a site covering 170,000m2. With its present capacity, up to 7,000 wheel loaders can be produced each year. However, in the medium term, the company expects demand to reach 10,000 units per year, which means that production capacity has to be expanded.
‘Our site is beside the B159 road that runs along the Salzach valley and is hemmed in by the slope to Mitterberghütte, the railway line and the river Salzach. This makes the expansion in Wildon a logical and necessary decision to be able to meet the increasing market demand,’ said Peter Schachinger, managing director of production at the Bischofshofen plant.
The new, state-of-the-art production facility on a spacious 200,000m2 site in Wildon will manufacture Liebherr’s smaller wheel loader models, from the L 504 to the L 518, as well as models for OEM partners John Deere and Claas.
The company plans to integrate state-of-the-art technologies and environmentally friendly processes at the new site. These include measures to save energy, the use of renewable energy, and minimization of emissions. These initiatives are part of Liebherr’s sustainability strategy, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of production in the long term while increasing efficiency.
The location of the new site is said to offer many advantages, particularly excellent rail connection and proximity to the Cargo Centre Graz (CCG) for efficient material supply and the dispatch of finished products. This will not only optimize production processes, but also minimize environmental impact by reducing lorry transport.
In addition, Wildon offers the ideal infrastructure for future expansion, with proximity to key suppliers and the availability of skilled workers in the region being other advantages that make the location especially attractive.
Meanwhile, the Bischofshofen plant will continue to be responsible for production of Liebherr’s large and medium-sized wheel loaders, as well as steel construction for the company’s entire wheel loader range.
‘Liebherr's Bischofshofen plant will remain the centre of expertise and development for all the company’s wheel loaders. The enormous potential for growth in countries such as the US, along with increasing requirements for digitalization and intelligent assistance systems, allow us to look with confidence into the future of our main plant in Bischofshofen,’ said Mr Schachinger.
By 2030, Liebherr plan to increase their production capacity to 10,000 wheel loaders per year and achieve a 10% share of the global market (excluding China).
