New Holland predicts 22% growth in sales

New Holland expects to increase sales by more than 20% this year despite a 12% fall in plant sales across the UK in the first seven months of the year.

Steve Orr, business leader for Northern Europe at New Holland Construction, said Ireland has been particularly badly hit by the downturn, with sales halving this year.

But he said the compact end of the market has held up better than the heavy end, falling by 18% compared with 23% for the bigger equipment.

However, the picture is very mixed, with UK sales of tracked excavators falling by 28%, while wheeled excavator sales have risen by 39%, despite actual sales being comparatively very small).

Mini excavators faired marginally better than their larger counterparts, suffering a 27% decline, while dozer sales slipped 17%. Telehandler sales are 14% down, but backhoe loaders hardly noticed the slowdown, suffering a fall of just 3%.

Orr predicted the UK market this year will be 34,300 units (from a high of 37,200 last year), dropping again in 2009 and 2010 to 30,000 and 28,400 machines respectively, before recovering to 33,000 in 2011.

Despite the gloomy forecast, Orr said New Holland will record a 22% rise in sales this year and 15% next.

He was speaking at the launch of three B-series excavators: two 7.5t units (the E70BSR and E70BSR Narrow) and the 8.3t E80BMSR. All are fitted with the iNDr noise and dust reduction system.