Keestrack turnover resilient in face of Covid-19

Equipment manufacturer Keestrack is expecting to report positive growth for 2020, despite the impact of the Coronavirus on the demolition, recycling and construction industries.

The company, which had previously expected sales to grow by 20% on its 2019 of €119 million (US$159 million), said that it is now forecasting a 7% increase in global sales for the year. While the revised figure reflects the uncertainty facing companies and their reluctance to make long-term investments, overall Keestrack described 2020 as ‘satisfactory’. 

Frederik Hoogendoorn. Managing Director of Sales and Marketing for Keestrack Group, said: “Despite the corona related restrictions in work organisation and transport logistics, we were able to maintain production, spare parts supply and services thanks to the great commitment of our own staff and external partners.

“Furthermore we greatly benefited from the large investments we have made in recent years in the digital networking of our own processes, also in the global connection of our dealers and service partners as well as in the remote access to existing fleets and individual machines of our end customers.”

In response to the Covid pandemic the company was forced to make significant changes to its manufacturing operations. In January the company shut its China-based operations for several weeks and then in March it stopped production as part of regional lockdown measures at both its Italian plant and its Indian site, which is the operational base of subsidiary company Etrack Crushers.

Frederik said: “The developments at our international production facilities took a very different course. Which not only presented us with major challenges in their local market regions but also in maintaining our internal and external delivery flows as well as our end-customer-oriented incoming and outgoing logistics for machines and spare parts.”

Despite the temporary closures of these facilities, Keestrack was able to maintain production at its European plant in the Czech Republic and at its headquarters in Belgium, which remained operational at reduced capacities.

While the company said it was too early to accurately calculate the full economic impact of Covid-19 on global operations, its outlook for 2021 remains optimistic thanks to positive feedback from its distributors.

In the coming year Keestrack plans to expand its product portfolio with a range of new road milling machines for the Asian market and will also launch its new I4e tracked mobile reversible impact crusher.

Due for release in the spring of 2021, the new compact model features a diesel-electric drive and production capacities from 100 to 250 t/hr. It can be used for the secondary and tertiary crushing of rock and recycling materials such as asphalt and slag.

The company is also promoting what it said is the world’s first battery-powered stacker. The 12.7 t Keestrack S5e, which can be loaded, unloaded, moved and positioned fully autonomously, is an alternative to diesel-hydraulic/diesel-electric versions. The stockpile conveyor features a 22.8 kWh lithium-ion battery which is said to help lower exhaust emissions.