The History of Liebherr

The Liebherr Group is a large German-based equipment manufacturer specializing in cranes, aircraft parts, and mining, with 8.4 billion euros in revenue for 2008. It has a workforce of 32,091 and comprises more than 100 companies. It was the world's largest crane company as of 2007. The Liebherr Group is a German manufacturing complex established in 1949 by Hans Liebherr. The Liebherr Group's holding company is Liebherr-International AG in Bulle, Switzerland, which is entirely owned by members of the Liebherr family. Current-generation family ownership is held by Willi and Isolde Liebherr, who are listed among the billionaires of 2005.

Beginning with the production of affordable tower cranes, Liebherr has expanded to aircraft parts and household appliances such as refrigerators. The company is a major supplier of aircraft parts to Airbus S.A.S. Liebherr also produces some of the largest mining and digging tools in the world, such as loaders, excavators and extreme-size dump trucks.

Over the years, the family business has grown into what is today a group of companies, employing a workforce of approximately 25,000 in more than 100 companies in several countries.

Liebherr currently produces one of the world's largest mining trucks, the T 282 B. It also recently introduced the new nine-axle model LTM 11200-9.1 which received the prestigious award of Development of the Year (2007), for being the world's most powerful mobile crane, with a 100 metres (328 ft) telescopic boom.

Liebherr has locations in many countries, including Germany, Britain, Ireland, and the United States. The factory in Killarney, Ireland manufactures container cranes, which are exported worldwide through the local port of Fenit.