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KION Group

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FY2011 Annual Report · KION Group
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KION HOLDING 1 GmbH 
Wiesbaden 

Annual Report 
31 December 2011 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report 2011 

This is a translation of the German 

„KION Holding 1 GmbH 
Konzernabschluss 2011“ 

Sole  authoritative  and  universally 
valid 
the  German 
is 
version 
language document.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 2 of 57 

Contents 

Group management report 

Highlights in 2011 .................................................................................................................................... 3 
1. Milestones in 2011 ............................................................................................................................... 4 
2. Company profile .................................................................................................................................. 6 
2.1 Group structure .............................................................................................................................. 6 
2.2 Business activities of the KION Group ........................................................................................... 6 
3. Economic conditions .......................................................................................................................... 13 
3.1 General business environment .................................................................................................... 13 
3.2 Business environment in the sector ............................................................................................. 15 
3.3 Market for industrial trucks ........................................................................................................... 16 
3.4 Legal situation .............................................................................................................................. 18 
4. Strategy ............................................................................................................................................. 19 
4.1 Strategic objectives ...................................................................................................................... 19 
4.2 Strategic levers ............................................................................................................................ 20 
4.3 Financial Services segment ......................................................................................................... 22 
4.4 Initiatives to cut costs and improve efficiency .............................................................................. 22 
4.5 Financial KPIs for managing the Company's business................................................................ 23 
4.6 Acquisitions and alliances ............................................................................................................ 24 
5. Notes on financial position and financial performance ...................................................................... 25 
5.1 Operating and financial performance ........................................................................................... 25 
5.2 Financial position ......................................................................................................................... 29 
5.3 Net assets .................................................................................................................................... 31 
6. Research and development (R&D) ................................................................................................... 35 
7. Capital expenditure ............................................................................................................................ 37 
8. Purchasing ......................................................................................................................................... 38 
9. Employees ......................................................................................................................................... 39 
10. Management .................................................................................................................................... 41 
10.1 Key management team .............................................................................................................. 41 
10.2 Supervisory Board ..................................................................................................................... 42 
10.3 Shareholders' meeting ............................................................................................................... 43 
10.4 Corporate governance ............................................................................................................... 43 
11. Sustainability ................................................................................................................................... 43 
12. Opportunities and risks report ......................................................................................................... 47 
12.1 Opportunities report ................................................................................................................... 47 
12.2 Risk management ...................................................................................................................... 48 
12.3 Types of risk ............................................................................................................................... 50 
12.4 Overall risk ................................................................................................................................. 55 
13. Events after the balance sheet date ................................................................................................ 55 
14. Outlook ............................................................................................................................................ 55 
14.1 Outlook for the global economy ................................................................................................. 55 
14.2 Market outlook ........................................................................................................................... 56 
14.3 Outlook for the KION Group ...................................................................................................... 56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 3 of 57 

Highlights in 2011 

Group management report 

The  KION  Group  can  look  back  on  a  successful  2011.  Strong  demand  and  rigorous  cost 
management led to significant year-on-year increases in revenue and earnings.  

•  Strong demand in Germany and the BRIC countries  
•  Order intake rises by 21 per cent to €4,682 millio n 
•  Revenue climbs by 24 per cent to €4,368 million 
•  Adjusted EBIT margin more than doubles to 8.3 per cent 
•  Negative net earnings due to one-off items 
•  Free cash flow before tax increases more than threefold 
•  Successful placement of a secured corporate bond with a volume of €500 million 
•  Leading  position  maintained  in  the  global  market:  number  one  in  Europe,  number  two 

worldwide 

KION Group key figures

€ million

Revenue
  In Germany
  Outside Germany
Order intake
Order backlog

EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA¹
EBIT
Adjusted EBIT¹
Loss for the year

Cash and cash equivalents²
Financial debt after borrowing costs
Financial debt
Net financial debt
Equity

Adjusted EBITDA margin¹
Adjusted EBIT margin¹

Free cash flow before tax³

Capital expenditures
Total spending on R&D
R&D spending/revenue (%)

2011

2010

2009

Changes 
2011/2010

4,368
1,175
3,194
4,682
953

569
665
213
365
-93 

373
2,997
3,030
2,657
-488 

15.2%
8.3%

282

133
120
2.8%

3,534
900
2,634
3,860
801

380
462
35
139
-197 

253
2,872
2,894
2,641
-400 

13.1%
3.9%

83

123
103
2.9%

3,084
770
2,314
3,028
533

183
311
-182 
-29 
-366 

463
2,918
2,948
2,484
-213 

10.1%
-0.9%

23.6%
30.6%
21.2%
21.3%
18.9%

49.7%
43.9%
>100%
>100%
52.8%

47.7%
4.4%
4.7%
0.6%
-21.9%

-
-

34

>100%

108
101
3.3%

7.7%
16.3%
-

9.5%
8.8%

Employees incl. apprentices and trainees 
as at 31 December
R&D employees

¹ Adjusted for KION acquisition items and one-off items

² Cash and current securities

³ Internal key performance indicator

21,862
900

19,968
827

19,953
833

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 4 of 57 

Group management report 

Group management report of KION Holding 1 GmbH 
for the year ended 31 December 2011  

1. Milestones in 2011  

2011 – growth markets continue to gain in importance 

KION Group increases order intake to €4,682 million  – growth markets account for almost one 
in three trucks delivered  

Despite  the  European  sovereign  debt  crisis  and  uncertainties  in  the  financial  markets,  the  global 
market for industrial trucks experienced a strong upturn in 2011. Two factors encouraged this positive 
trend:  the  recovery  of  demand  in  Europe  and  the  rapid  pace  of  economic  growth  in  the  emerging 
markets. The KION Group particularly benefited from the sharp rise in global demand for warehouse 
trucks and for efficient counterbalance trucks with electric motors or internal combustion (IC) engines. 
Aftersales business also expanded compared to 2010, and there was a  year-on-year rise in revenue 
from rental and used trucks. Order intake for the KION Group rose to €4,682 million, representing  a 
year-on-year increase of around 21 per cent (2010: €3,860 million). Revenue advanced by 24 per cent 
year on year to €4,368 million (2010: €3,534 millio
tax  (EBIT),  adjusted  for  non-recurring  items,  rose from  €139  million  in  2010  to  €365  million  in  2011. 
This  represented  an  EBIT  margin  of  8.3  per  cent,  which  was  higher  than  the  figure  achieved  in  the 
record year of 2008 and represents a significant year-on-year improvement. The 2010 adjusted EBIT 
margin amounted to 3.9 per cent. 

n). The KION Group's earnings before interest and 

The  KION  Group  successfully  continued  with  its  globalisation  strategy  in  2011.  Germany,  France, 
China and Brazil were the most important regions in terms of sales of new industrial trucks last year. 
Three in ten trucks supplied by the  KION Group  went to customers in emerging  markets. The KION 
Group  intends  to  make  even  greater  use  of  the  high  potential  for  growth  in  these  markets  over  the 
coming years, particularly in the BRIC countries.  

On  a  global  basis  KION  Group  slightly  lost  market  share  to  14.8%  (2010:  15.3%).  By  continuing  to 
expand  in  fast-growing  regions,  the  KION  Group  hopes  to  maintain  its  leading  positions  in  the 
European  and  global  markets  for  material-handling  trucks  in  the  long  term.  The  KION  Group  is 
currently number one in the European market and number two worldwide. 

Consolidation of the STILL and OM brands in the STILL brand segment 

Back  in  2010,  the  KION  Group  had  begun  to  more  closely  integrate  the  sales  activities  and  product 
portfolios of the  STILL  and OM  brand companies in  order to serve the markets more efficiently. OM 
focuses  on  its  home  Italian  market  and  now  incorporates  STILL's  activities  in  Italy.  It  also  began  to 
improve the breadth and depth of its own product range by adding products from STILL in 2011. This 
focused business expansion has enabled the OM brand to remain one of market leaders in Italy, while 
STILL  is  benefiting  from  stronger  sales  support,  above  all  in  eastern  Europe  and  the  emerging 
markets. OM has been operating under the brand name 'OM STILL' in Italy since January 2012. 

Further improvements to efficiency in the production facilities  

Last  year  the  KION  Group  drew  up  various  plans  to  safeguard  the  long-term  competitiveness  of  its 
production  facilities.  The  planned  transfers  of  production  within  Europe,  the  further  expansion  of 
production and the existing sales and service networks in fast-growing markets are enabling the Group 
to become more flexible as well as strengthening its position in regional markets worldwide. A decision 
was  made  to  concentrate  the  STILL  brand  segment's  production  of  warehouse  trucks  and 
counterbalance  trucks  at  individual  European  locations  so  that  production  facilities  can  focus  on 
particular product series and optimise their capacity utilisation.  
Production processes and product quality have also continued to be steadily improved at KION's Baoli 
brand  production  facility  in  Jingjiang  near  Shanghai.  The  three  primary  objectives  were  to  step  up 
inhouse  training,  modernise  the  production  methods  and  workflows  and  optimise  cooperation  with 
suppliers.  This  involved  providing  employees  with  ongoing  training  on  all  aspects  of  quality 
management  as  well  as  standardising  their  work  by  introducing  defined  processes  and  guidelines. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 5 of 57 

Group management report 

Baoli  has  also  restructured  the  production  plant  in  order  to  make  the  material  flows  and  production 
processes  more  efficient.  In  addition,  Baoli  has  familiarised  its  suppliers  with  the  new  production 
processes. By selecting its suppliers carefully and continually developing its partnership with them, the 
brand  company  guarantees  quality,  a  continuous  supply  of  materials  and  compliance  with 
technological standards. This results in better product quality, higher productivity and shorter delivery 
times. 

The  KION  Group  is  also  strengthening  its  presence  in  Brazil  by  setting  up  a  plant  geared  to  the 
manufacture  of  counterbalance  trucks  in  São  Paulo.  Production  is  scheduled  to  start  there  in  2012. 
The existing Brazilian plant in Rio de Janeiro manufactures warehouse technology for KION's STILL 
and Linde brands. Counterbalance trucks with IC engines are the most popular form of industrial truck 
in  South  America.  KION  is  expanding  its  South  American  distribution  and  service  network  so  that  it 
can  continue  to  meet  rising  demand.  The  São  Paulo  site  enables  the  KION  Group's  current  sales 
offices in the region to intensify their relations with existing STILL and Linde customers. 

Voltas Material Handling opening up the Indian market 

As  part  of  its  continued  focus  on  the  world's  emerging  markets,  the  KION  Group  and  the  Indian 
conglomerate  Voltas  Ltd.  founded  Voltas  Material  Handling  (VMH)  in  April  2011.  The  KION  Group 
acquired  a  majority  share  of  this  company  using  existing  funds.  VMH  develops,  manufactures,  sells 
and services forklift trucks and warehouse technology. KION will add truck and warehouse technology 
to  the  Voltas  product  range  and,  based  on  market  demand,  will  focus  above  all  on  warehouse 
technology.  India's  material-handling  market  has  grown  rapidly  in  recent  times,  with  a  sharp  rise  in 
demand for  warehouse technology solutions.  Voltas  has built a new  plant in  Pune, India,  in order to 
fully exploit the strong future growth potential offered by the Indian market. Products from Voltas have 
enjoyed an excellent reputation in the Indian market for many years. The brand's 25 branches provide 
it with a strong distribution and service network even given India’s material handling market today still 
being characterized by low volumes. 

Successful expansion of sales and service network 

The KION Group continues to enhance the position occupied by its two premium brands – Linde and 
STILL  –  in  Russia.  In  2011,  the  Linde  Material  Handling  subsidiary  acquired  the  business  of  its 
longstanding dealer partner Liftec in Russia and, on the basis of high growth forecasts for the region, 
also  acquired  Liftec's  Kazakhstan  business  at  the  start  of  February  2012.  The  purchase  of  Liftec's 
business in Ukraine is planned for mid-2012. This provides Linde Material Handling  with even better 
and direct access to the growth potential of these major eastern European markets. Russia is one of 
the  most  buoyant  high-growth  regions  alongside  Brazil,  India  and  China.  In  2011,  it  was  the  fifth 
largest  market  in  Europe.  STILL  has  strengthened  its  Russian  market  presence  by  opening  an 
additional branch in St. Petersburg. 

The  KION  Group  is  expanding  and  optimising  its  sales  structures  on  an  ongoing  basis  in  western 
Europe. As part of this process, Linde Material Handling has acquired the outstanding 51 per cent of 
shares in the UK-based Linde dealer Linde Sterling Ltd. Linde Sterling is the leading provider of new 
and used industrial trucks, rental trucks and aftersales service in north-west England and north Wales. 
This transaction has enabled the KION Group to further strengthen the leading position of Linde and 
the  brand's  UK  distribution  and  service  network.  In  December  2011,  Linde  Material  Handling  also 
acquired the outstanding 25.5 per cent of shares in Linde Castle Ltd. and now holds 100 per cent of 
the shares either directly or indirectly. 

Stable financial footing 

In spring 2011, KION successfully issued a secured corporate bond with a total volume of €500 million 
in  the  capital  markets.  This  has  enabled  the  KION  Group  to  improve  the  maturity  profile  of  its  debt, 
with  some  financial  liabilities  being  extended  to  2018.  It  has  also  diversified  its  investor  base.  The 
Company used some of the cash from the issuance of the bond to fund existing loans. With a maturity 
date of 2018, the secured bond was issued at par in a tranche of €325 million at a fixed interest rate  
and  in  a  tranche  of  €175  million  at  a  variable  inte rest  rate.  The  interest  rate  for  the  fixed-interest 
tranche is 7.875 per cent per annum, while interest is charged annually on the floating-rate tranche at 
three-month Euribor plus 4.25 percentage points.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 6 of 57 

2. Company profile  

2.1 Group structure  

Group management report 

KION  Holding  1  GmbH  owns  all  the  shares  in  KION  Holding  2  GmbH,  which  in  turn  is  the  sole 
shareholder  of  KION  GROUP  GmbH.  KION  GROUP  GmbH  manages  the  brand  companies  as  the 
strategic  management  holding  company  and  operational  parent  company.  In  this  report,  'the  KION 
Group' refers to all the companies of the KION Group collectively. The KION Group pursues a multi-
brand  strategy  so  that  it  can  optimally  cater  to  the  different  market  and  customer  requirements.  The 
Group is represented in the markets by its Linde, Fenwick, STILL, OM, Baoli and Voltas brands. They 
each have different areas of focus in terms of regional presence and factors such as product range, 
services  and  technological  expertise.  In  addition  to  its  industrial  truck  business,  the  KION  Group 
operates in the hydraulics sector through its Linde Hydraulics brand. 

The KION Group's segment structure in 2011 

KION  GROUP  GmbH  acts  as  a  strategic  management  holding  company  and  is  responsible  for  key 
head  office  functions,  for  which  it  defines  Group-wide  business  standards.  Strategic,  financial,  and 
market-specific objectives are agreed separately with the individual brand companies and monitored. 
These  companies  have  full  operational  and  commercial  responsibility  for  their  activities  and  for 
achieving the agreed objectives. 

The  operating  segments  of  KION  Group  pursuant  to  IFRS  8  are  Linde  Material  Handling  (in  which 
Baoli,  Linde  Hydraulics  and  the  French  brand  Fenwick  are  managed)  and  STILL  (in  which  the  OM 
brand is also managed). In 2011, the KION Group integrated Voltas Material Handling Ltd. – in which it 
holds a majority stake – into the 'Other' segment.  

2.2 Business activities of the KION Group 

2.2.1 Overview of the KION Group  

KION Group is a leading provider of industrial trucks. In 2011, it generated revenue of €4,368 million  
and  an  order  intake  of  144,774  units.  In  its  home  European  market,  the  KION  Group  is  the  market 
leader with a market share of more than 30 per cent. KION Group is also one of the most successful 
companies  of  the  sector  in  the  emerging  markets  of  China  and  Brazil.  This  market  presence  is 
particularly important from a financial perspective because three in ten forklift trucks sold by the KION 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 7 of 57 

Group management report 

brand  companies  are  now  delivered  to  customers  in  the  emerging  markets.  Measured  in  terms  of 
revenue  and  the  number  of  trucks  sold,  the  KION  Group  is  the  world's  number  two  and  the  market 
leader in Europe.  

The KION Group's origins go back to 1904 when Carl von Linde founded Güldner-Motoren-Werke in 
Aschaffenburg  (Germany)  with  Hugo  Güldner  and  other  partners.  In  1929,  Güldner-Motoren-Werke 
was  acquired  by  Linde  AG.  Then  in  1973,  Linde  AG  acquired  STILL  GmbH  (founded  in  1920),  thus 
paving the way for both organic growth and growth through acquisitions. This enabled it to continually 
expand its portfolio and strengthen its market position. One of the most important acquisitions in the 
Group's  history  was  the  French  company  Fenwick  in  1984.  Fenwick  is  the  local  brand  of  the  Linde 
Material  Handling  Group  in  France,  where  it  is  market  leader.  The  long-established  company  OM, 
which was founded in 1917, was added to the brand portfolio in 1992. The material-handling division 
of  Linde  AG,  Munich,  was  spun  off  as  an  independent  company  called  the  KION  Group  in  August 
2006  and  was  sold  to  investment  funds  advised  by  Kohlberg  Kravis  Roberts  and  Goldman  Sachs 
Capital Partners in December of that year. Further acquisitions then took place to add to the existing 
brand  companies.  The  KION  Group  acquired  the  Chinese  company  Baoli  in  2009,  before  assuming 
complete management control the following year. The main aim with Baoli is to unlock the potential of 
the growth markets more effectively. In 2011, the KION Group acquired a majority stake in the Indian 
company Voltas Material Handling Ltd.  

Across all its brands, the KION Group provides its customers with a complete portfolio for managing 
their  internal  goods  flows.  Besides  warehouse  trucks  and  counterbalance  trucks  with  IC  engines  or 
electric motors, the KION Group also offers full-service solutions, for which demand is rising sharply. 
The  services,  financing  and  process  management  available  to  customers  represent  an  increasingly 
significant line of business for the KION Group. 

The KION Group is a global player and has around 1,200 sales outlets in 100 countries, forming one 
of  the  most  extensive  distribution  and  service  networks  in  the  entire  industrial  truck  sector.  The 
production  facilities  for  industrial  trucks,  plus  further  component  production  sites  and  foundries,  are 
situated at strategically beneficial locations within this broad network. 

As at the end of 2011, the KION Group had 21,862 employees. 

2.2.2 Segment overview  

Linde Material Handling – Engineered for your Performance  

The Linde Material Handling segment is synonymous with innovative trucks and services. It provides 
users  of  industrial  trucks  with  product  and  service  solutions  that  meet  demanding  technological 
requirements,  while  always  taking  into  account  efficiency  improvements  and  complex  stipulations  in 
terms  of  functionality  and  design.  The  Linde  and  Fenwick  brand  companies  supply  high-quality 
material-handling  products,  while  the  Baoli  brand  serves  the  economy  segment  in  the  emerging 
markets. Linde Hydraulics focuses on hydraulic components that are used both in its own trucks and in 
the  products  of third-party  manufacturers. Above all, the quality  and diversity  of its material-handling 
products and services enable the Linde brand to maintain its technology and innovation leadership as 
well as a global market share of 9 per cent. Linde Material Handling's portfolio contains a broad range 
of premium products for moving goods around.  

The  slogan  of  Linde  Material  Handling,  'Engineered  for  your  Performance',  reflects  the  company's 
objective  of  enabling  customers 
to  make  sustained 
improvements to their efficiency. Linde Material Handling's warehouse trucks were therefore subjected 
to an efficiency test certified by TÜV Nord, a technical inspection, testing and certification organisation, 
and compared with the trucks of other providers in terms of costs and performance. This test, which 
looked at the overall cost of the loading cycle for a heavy-goods vehicle, found that Linde's trucks had 
20 per cent lower costs than competitors' products.  

its  material-handling  solutions 

to  use 

In  order  to  safeguard  its  technology  and  innovation  leadership,  it  is  essential  that  Linde  Material 
Handling  constantly  develops  new  premium  solutions  in  a  diverse  range  of  product  areas.  Linde 
Material  Handling  satisfies  its  customers'  requirements  firstly  with  a  broad  portfolio  of  products, 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

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Group management report 

ranging  from  warehouse  trucks  to  heavy  trucks  and  container  handlers.  Secondly,  every  product  is 
based on user-friendly, ergonomic concepts and meets high standards of efficiency and sustainability. 
Moreover,  the  company's  strong  service  expertise  and  extensive  aftersales  services  boost  customer 
loyalty.  

In 2011, Linde Material Handling  attended CeMAT, the world's leading intralogistics trade fair, which 
took place in Hannover from 2 to 6 May 2011, seizing this opportunity to showcase the LMH brand and 
numerous  product  innovations.  The  stars  of  the  show  were  the  new  E  20  –  E  50  series  of  electric 
forklift trucks, which have a load capacity of between 2 and 5 tonnes. Available in 19 standard model 
variants with different lengths, heights, and widths, they enable Linde Material Handling to offer trucks 
geared  precisely  to  customers'  needs.  The  driver's  workstation  with  its  new,  ergonomic  design  is 
protected  against  vibration,  jolts  and  noise  as  it  is  separated  from  the  front  axle  and  mast.  This 
enables the driver to work for longer without becoming tired, even in harsh conditions. The new model 
series  won  MM  Logistik  magazine's  logistics  award  at  CeMAT.  It  also  received  two  of  the  highest 
accolades for product design in 2011: the iF design award and the red dot award.  

In  the  H40  –  H50  range  of  IC  trucks,  which  have  a  load  capacity  of  4  to  5  tonnes,  a  new  variable 
displacement  pump  in  the  lift  hydraulics  is  significantly  reducing  energy  consumption  and  lowering 
noise  emissions.  Linde  Material  Handling's  logistics  train  is  a  new  product  for  optimising  logistics  in 
production. It is formed from the Linde P 50 C tow truck, which has a tractive force of 5 tonnes, and 
four trailers – making it ideal for use in just-in-time and just-in-sequence manufacturing. In the area of 
warehouse  technology,  Linde  Material  Handling  presented  solutions  for  the  driverless  transport  of 
materials: an automated stacker crane and an automated tow tractor.  

Early on, Linde Material Handling picked up on the trend for alternative drives that, as far as possible, 
produce zero emissions. At CeMAT, for example, the company featured a pallet truck with a fuel-cell 
drive system and a fully functioning prototype of a pallet stacker with a lithium-ion battery, thereby also 
proving its competence with alternative drives. 

Besides its vast expertise in moving goods around, Linde Material Handling is also a major producer of 
hydraulic  components  and  hydrostatic  drives.  The  hydrostatic  drive  provides  the  basis  for  the  Linde 
trucks' precise lifting and handling capabilities as well as their low fuel consumption. As a result, Linde 
Material  Handling  regularly  generates  synergies  between  truck  development  and  drive  technology 
development. Major brand manufacturers around the world install components from Linde Hydraulics 
in  their  equipment  for  the  construction,  agricultural  and  forestry  sectors  –  proof  positive  of  their 
performance and reliability.  

Linde Hydraulics' growth was also stimulated by the development of new products, the market launch 
of electric technologies, and the global sales and distribution alliance that it had formed with EATON 
Corporation in mid-2010. This significantly improved Linde Hydraulics' access to the markets in 2011, 
in particular enabling it to win new projects with big-ticket customers in Asia and North America. 

Last  year,  Linde  Hydraulics  set  new  standards  in  drive  technologies  with  the  MPR  50  medium-
pressure  pump  and  the  LINC  2  electronic  control  unit.  Both  products  are  playing  a  key  role  in 
improving the efficiency and reducing the emissions of mobile machinery. Fuel savings of up to 20 per 
cent  can  be  achieved  thanks  to  the  optimised  interaction  between  the  hydraulic  and  electric  drive 
technologies combined with intelligent electronics. 

Drive and power takeoff systems powered by electric motors represent a new growth market that is a 
valuable  addition  to  Linde  Hydraulics'  traditional  core  business  of  high-pressure  hydraulics.  Concept 
projects have successfully gone into series production just a year after their launch on the market. One 
of these projects is the New Karabag 500 E electric car. The entirely electric drive system – including 
the engine, converter, fan and electronic control – was designed and supplied by Linde Hydraulics. 

As  at  31  December  2011,  Linde  Material  Handling,  which  is  headquartered  in  Aschaffenburg, 
employed  13,838  people  worldwide.  Driven  by  the  upturn  in  the  German  market  as  well  as  in  the 
emerging markets of China, South America and eastern Europe, order intake rose by 22 per cent to 
88,300 units, generating revenue of €2,856 million.  Adjusted EBIT increased by over 100 per cent to 
€283  million.  Linde  Material  Handling  has  an  extens ive  global  distribution  and  service  network  with 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Management report for 2011 

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Group management report 

more  than  700  sales  outlets.  Depending  on  the  country  and  region,  products  are  sold  by  Linde 
Material  Handling's  own  sales  outlets  or  via  dealers  that  cover  the  market.  The  two  sales  channels 
account  for  roughly  equal  proportions  of  total  revenue.  International  production  sites  are  located  in 
Châtellerault  (France),  where  warehouse  handling  equipment  is  produced,  and  Merthyr  Tydfil  (UK), 
which  focuses  on  extra  heavy-duty  trucks  and  container  handlers.  To  cater  to  local  needs  and 
requirements,  Linde  Material  Handling  manufactures  region-specific  products  in  Summerville,  South 
Carolina (USA), and in Xiamen (China). 

Baoli operates as an independent brand in the market, focusing on the low-cost economy segment in 
China and other growth markets. The range of attractive and sturdy products, combined with the KION 
Group's excellent distribution network, enables Baoli to satisfy the high demand in emerging economic 
regions  such  as  South  America  very  effectively.  As  an  integral  part  of  the  Linde  Material  Handling 
(LMH) segment, Baoli generated an order intake of 3,894 units in 2011. Worldwide, it has more than 
120  distribution  and  service  outlets,  the  majority  of  which  are  in  Baoli's  home  Chinese  market.  The 
distribution  network  was  expanded  last  year  to  include  Europe,  the  Middle  East  and  Africa  (EMEA). 
Production is located at Baoli's head office facilities in Jingjiang, China. It employed 555 people at the 
end of 2011. 

STILL – First in Intralogistics  

The STILL brand positions itself as a leading supplier of intelligent intralogistics solutions. Besides its 
core  range  of  forklift  trucks,  warehouse  technology  and  tow  tractors,  STILL's  wide-ranging  portfolio 
also  includes  process-related  value-added  services  for  warehouse  logistics,  the  design  of  internal 
logistics  processes,  goods  flow  management  and  fleet  management.  STILL  is  known  for  its 
sustainable  and  successful  logistical  innovations  such  as  in  the  field  of  hybrid  drives.  In  the  electric 
forklift truck sector, the company has always been one of the top providers in Europe. In 2011, STILL's 
market  share  in  the  European  focus  markets  was  around  14  per  cent.  STILL  already  occupies  an 
outstanding  position  in  the  high-growth  South  American  region.  It  also  pursues  a  successful  market 
penetration  strategy,  above  all  in  the  Asian  regions.  Its  global  market  share  is  approximately  5  per 
cent.  Integration  of  OM  into  the  STILL  Group  was  largely  completed  in  2011.  The  STILL  Group's 
portfolio  is  complemented  by  OM's  products:  the  RC  40  diesel  truck,  the  ECU  and  ECU-SF  pallet 
trucks  and  the  Xlogo  low-level  order  picker  are  offering  STILL  new  sales  opportunities  around  the 
world, while OM is enhancing its own range of products in Italy with intralogistics solutions from STILL. 
Some  of  the  two  brands'  strongest  products  are  being  offered  jointly  from  2012;  they  are  marketed 
worldwide under the STILL brand and in Italy under the 'OM STILL' brand. This makes OM STILL one 
of the leading players in Italy. 

The STILL Group uses its portfolio of industrial trucks, financial services, aftersales services, hardware 
and software to create customised packages of products and services tailored to customers' individual 
needs.  That  is  why  the  company  developed  the  interactive  PartnerPlan  tool,  which  helps  it  to  select 
the best options for the customer from its entire range of products, technologies and services. The aim 
in  putting  together  the  packages  is  always  to  find  a  system-based  solution  that  optimises  the 
customer's logistics processes and thereby its efficiency and costs.  

In 2011, STILL added innovative forklift trucks and warehouse technologies as well as services to its 
portfolio  and  presented  them  to  the  public.  For  example,  it  showcased  fully  automated  material  flow 
solutions at the LogiMAT trade fair in Stuttgart during the first quarter of last year. The broad range of 
trucks with various types of navigation ensures that STILL can always offer tailored solutions for any 
warehouse layout – including warehouses with challenging narrow aisles and racks at heights of up to 
15  metres  as  well  as  horizontal  transport  systems.  In  the  field  of  automated  picking,  STILL 
demonstrated a version of the EK-X high-level order picker that can drive automatically and combines 
a picking height of up to 3.90 metres with a pick-by-voice function. The innovative features of the EK-X 
significantly reduce the number of pick errors and boost picking efficiency by up to 25 per cent.  

Another combination of STILL trucks and intelligent software for intralogistics systems was achieved in 
a benchmark project with Güldenkron, which produces fruit juice and other beverages. This involved 
using MX-Q turret order pickers and EGV-S pallet stackers to automate the entire flow of materials in 
fruit juice production, from putting away and retrieving goods in high-bay storage areas to planning the 
dispatch  of  goods.  The  customer  benefits  from  the  vehicles'  flexible  dual  operating  modes,  which 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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enable  automated  or  manual  operation  at  any  time.  STILL  also  provided  the  bay  systems,  thereby 
demonstrating that it can deliver end-to-end logistics solutions. 

STILL  presented  its  cubeXX  concept  truck  at  CeMAT,  the  world's  leading  intralogistics  trade  fair, 
which took place in Hannover. An efficient warehouse requires many different trucks to carry out the 
various logistics tasks. The cubeXX is an intralogistics solution of the future and combines six different 
applications in a single truck, serving as an order picker, pallet truck, pallet stacker and double-decker 
truck. It can also be converted into a tugger train or a forklift truck. Depending on how it is being used, 
the  cubeXX  can  be  operated  automatically  or  manually  with  a  driver  as  it  is  fitted  with  a  retractable 
cab.  The  cubeXX  therefore  offers  the  highest  degree  of  flexibility  and  compact  dimensions, 
impressively underlining STILL's claim to be the 'first in intralogistics'. 

STILL  already  caters  to  customers'  requirements  with  fully  integrated  warehouse  systems  and  a 
comprehensive range of products and services. In future it will increasingly work on solutions further 
up and down the supply chain. Development and refinement of products and services is always aimed 
at creating the maximum benefit for customers at all process stages. Besides being flexible and safe 
to  use,  the  products  must  therefore  be  of  outstanding  quality  so  that  they  can  withstand  the  heavy 
loads  associated  with  warehouse  logistics.  That  is  why  STILL  regularly  gathers  feedback  from  its 
customers  to  ensure  that  its  products  meet  their  requirements.  However,  the  company  has  also 
received  objective confirmation of the high  quality  of its products in  terms of their functionality, user-
friendliness,  ergonomics  and  design.  In  November  2011,  for  example,  STILL  received  the  'Best 
Supplier of the Year Award' from retail chain SPAR for its special achievements in the areas of product 
innovation, sustainability, customer relationship management & support, quality and flexibility.  

The market upturn, particularly in Germany, eastern Europe and Brazil, was of great benefit to STILL, 
which was able to boost its order intake by 15 per cent to 51,200 units. Revenue rose by 17 per cent 
to  €1,666  million,  enabling  STILL  to  generate  EBIT  –  adjusted  for  non-recurring  items  –  of 
€102 million.  

At its head office in Hamburg, Germany, STILL produces forklift trucks, reach trucks and tow tractors. 
The  Reutlingen  plant  focuses  on  very  narrow  aisle  (VNA)  trucks.  Counterbalance  trucks  are 
manufactured in Bari (Italy), in particular for the Italian market. Other types of warehouse technology 
are  produced  in  the  French  Montataire  plant  and  in  Luzzara  (Italy).  The  aim  of  the  planned 
consolidation  of  the  plants  in  Italy  and  France  is  to  concentrate  the  production  of  product  series  at 
individual  locations,  which  will  also  ensure  greater  capacity  utilisation  at  each  plant.  Under  these 
plans, the trucks currently produced in Montataire will be built at the Luzzara plant while the production 
of  forklift  trucks  in  Bari  will  shift  to  the  counterbalance  truck  plant  in  Hamburg.  As  at  31  December 
2011, STILL including OM employed 7,328 people worldwide. 

Germany remains the most important sales region for the STILL brand, followed by France and Italy. 
The  German  and  French  markets  are  served  by  a  direct  sales  organisation.  In  its  UK  and  Spanish 
markets,  STILL  uses  dealers  to  supplement  its  own  direct  sales  operations.  This  is  also  the  case  in 
Italy,  which  is  OM's  home  market.  All  other  European  markets  are  largely  served  by  direct  sales 
organisations  and,  in  some  cases,  by  a  highly  efficient  network  of  dealers.  STILL  opened  new 
branches  in  St.  Petersburg  (Russia)  and  Katowice  (Poland)  as  part  of  the  expansion  of  its  sales 
structure.  At  the  same  time,  the  successful  integration  of  the  STILL  and  OM  dealers  in  Russia  has 
enabled STILL to strengthen its market presence in eastern Europe. It has also gained market share in 
this region thanks to numerous projects with large international companies. In addition, expansion of 
the dealer network improved STILL's market position in high-growth countries during 2011, especially 
those in Asia. Equipwell (India), PT Power Trucks Mitra Perkasa (Indonesia) and TCJ Asia (Thailand) 
all became STILL sales partners last year. The sales network in south-east Asia has been managed 
by a new STILL office in Singapore since 1 November 2011.  

BlackForxx  GmbH,  headquartered  in  Stuhr  near  Bremen  (Germany),  is  a  subsidiary  of  STILL  which 
started  up  in  2008.  Since  then  BlackForxx  has  been  leasing  special  forklift  trucks  and  warehouse 
trucks and selling used and reconditioned forklift trucks and warehouse trucks in Germany and abroad 
through  its  own  online  marketplace.  On  the  back  of  strong  domestic  and  international  demand  for 
industrial  trucks,  BlackForxx  considerably  expanded  its  customer  base  in  the  year  under  review  and 
opened  two  further  lease  centres  in  Stuttgart  and  Paris.  As  a  subsidiary  of  STILL,  BlackForxx 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

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cooperates closely with the STILL sales organisation if required. In spring 2011, for example, it helped 
with the resale of two fleets containing 90 and 221 used STILL trucks respectively. 

2.2.3 Service business improves customer retention   

The scope and quality of the services offered is a key factor for many customers when they select a 
technology partner. That is why the service business is more than just a good source of revenue for 
the  KION  Group.  It  is  also  an  important  means  of  improving  customer  loyalty.  Besides  classic 
aftersales business such as spare parts sales or maintenance and repairs, the services offered by the 
KION  Group  include  higher-value  services,  for  example  the  complete  planning  and  organisation  of 
automated logistics processes. Along with these services, customers can also request IT solutions that 
enable them to manage their truck fleets and material flows reliably. This gives customers a rapid yet 
detailed overview of all their major performance and consumption figures and of the running costs for 
their fleets.  

In  2011,  service  accounted  for  42  per  cent  of  revenue  (2010:  46  per  cent).  This  slight  percentage 
decline  is  due  to  the  disproportionately  strong  rise  in  the  new  trucks  business  on  the  back  of  the 
recovery in the industrial  truck markets. The KION Group  divides its service  business into aftersales 
services,  rental  business  and  the  used  trucks  trade.  The  'other'  product  category  also  includes 
services such as consultancy, IT solutions and warehouse equipment systems. 

Aftersales service levels tailored to customers' needs   

The extensive dealer and service network enables the KION Group to offer its customers repair and 
maintenance services worldwide. The KION Group employs some 7,600 service staff, of whom 6,000 
are service technicians. In places where the KION Group does not have its own staff, external dealers 
provide  the  aftersales  services  in  accordance  with  the  KION  Group's  specifications.  Customers  can 
access the service organisation of all KION brands round the clock. In Europe, spare parts are mostly 
guaranteed to be supplied within one working day.  

An  active  fleet  of  currently  over  one  million  trucks  plus  the  increasing  presence  of  the  KION  brands 
worldwide  provides  a  sound  basis  for  the  future  growth  of  the  KION  Group's  service  business.  To 
enable  customers  to  budget  for  their  service  costs  more  accurately,  the  KION  Group  brands  usually 
offer service contracts. Customers can decide on the scope of the services they require to meet their 
individual needs. For example, they can take out a contract that covers regular maintenance, a defined 
number  of  ad-hoc  repairs  within  a  defined  response  time  and  the  replacement  of  any  wearing  parts 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Management report for 2011 

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required during the year. The KION Group also offers a wealth of finance, leasing and rental solutions 
so that it can fully cater to customers' varying needs at all times.  

Used trucks open up new customer groups  

Many customers opt to rent industrial trucks. As a result, used trucks come onto the market once the 
leases or fleet management contracts have expired – provided they are not extended or renewed. For 
customers  interested  in  quality  trucks  at  an  affordable  price,  these  high-quality  used  trucks  offer  an 
attractive alternative  to  new trucks from other providers with less sophisticated technology.  Selling a 
used truck from the KION Group also opens up the possibility of future orders for new trucks.  

The KION brands naturally offer aftersales services and financial services for the used trucks. All used 
trucks  are  reconditioned  to  ensure  that  they  will  operate  properly  once  they  have  been  sold  to 
customers.  

Rental trucks with variable services 

In  its  truck  rental  business,  the  KION  Group  offers  three  variants:  short-term  rental,  long-term  rental 
and fleet management. Each of these generally also incorporates financing services.  

•  Short-term rentals of up to twelve months 

The  KION  Group's  short-term  rental  business  enables  customers  to  meet  short-term 
requirements such as seasonal spikes in demand. The term of the rentals offered can be 
anywhere between one day and twelve months. The KION Group's local subsidiaries and 
dealers maintain their own rental pools to ensure optimum availability of trucks. 

•  Long-term rentals, including a comprehensive selection of products and services  

Long-term leases run for an average term of four to five years and usually cover not just 
the  financing  itself  but  also  services  such  as  maintenance,  repairs,  spare  parts  and 
insurance.  The  package  of  services  is  tailored  to  meet  the  customer's  individual 
requirements.  At  the  end  of  the  lease,  the  customer  returns  the  truck,  extends  the  old 
lease or signs a new one. 

•  Customised fleet management particularly attractive to big-ticket customers  

Fleet  management  is  the  most  flexible  form  of  leasing  and  is  becoming  increasingly 
popular  with  big-ticket  customers.  The  KION  Group  takes  on  the  comprehensive 
management  and  financing  of  customers'  truck  fleets  and  ensures,  among  other  things, 
that  trucks  can  always  be  used  optimally.  Fleet  management  includes  analysing  and 
optimising  how  the  trucks  are  used  and  the  methods  used  to  replace  old  trucks  that  no 
longer  meet  requirements.  The  package  of  services  is  tailored  to  meet  the  customer's 
individual 
requirements.  The  KION  Group  has  developed  proprietary  software 
applications, which it uses to analyse and implement fleet management processes. 

Increasing importance of financial services as a sales function requires separate management 
structure  

Around  60  per  cent  of  the  KION  Group's  total  unit  sales  of  new  trucks  are  already  supported  by 
financial services activities. This segment caters to the increasing demand for one-stop solutions that, 
in addition to the trucks themselves, include finance and other services.  

In  2011,  the  KION  Group's  leasing  portfolio  grew  to  a  total  of  230,500  trucks.  This  equates  to  a 
replacement value of €4,528 million as at the end o f 2011. The core markets France, Germany, Italy, 
Spain and the United Kingdom accounted for 74 per cent of the total leasing portfolio at the end of the 
year  under  review.  In  the  key  markets,  the  proportion  of  the  portfolio  accounted  for  by  long-term 
leasing declined slightly compared with the proportion at the end of 2010 to around 80 per cent.  

The  Financial  Services  (FS)  segment  encompasses  key  cross-brand  functions  for  the  two  brand 
segments  Linde  and  STILL.  In  terms  of  promoting  sales  and  customer  loyalty,  it  represents  an 
important vehicle which the KION Group will be exploiting even further in the future.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The  first  separate  FS  companies  were  established  in  the  core  markets  of  the  KION  Group  in  2011. 
Further countries with a high proportion of finance and leasing business will be integrated gradually.  

The increasing importance of the FS segment is also reflected in separate management and control of 
the financial services business. (For more detailed information on the future segment structure, please 
refer to section 4.3 of the management report and to the notes starting on page 72.) The cross-brand 
FS segment brings together all the KION Group's services in connection with financing of short-term 
rental fleets and long-term leasing business by providing innovative and tailored finance solutions.  

3. Economic conditions 

3.1 General business environment 

Global economic recovery continues in 2011 

The  year  under  review  saw  a  further  recovery  in  the  macroeconomic  environment.  Global  gross 
domestic product (GDP) grew by a further 2.7 per cent following the 4.1 per cent growth achieved in 
2010.  Emerging  markets  continued  to  be  the  key  growth  drivers  and  stabilising  factors  in  the  global 
economy.  By  contrast,  growth  in  the  industrialised  nations  was  subdued.  During  the  course  of  the 
year,  various  uncertainties  in  international  markets  resulted  in  a  slowdown  in  the  economic  upturn 
overall.  This  represented  a  normal  cyclical  pattern  following  the  strong  growth  in  the  previous  year, 
although there were also other temporary contributory factors, such as the sovereign debt problems in 
the euro zone and in the USA, the earthquake in Japan, and the sharp increase in commodity prices. 
In  view  of  the  sovereign  debt  issues,  and  given  the  slackening  pace  of  economic  growth,  most 
industrialised  countries  had  already  switched  to  the  pursuit  of  policies  focusing  on  savings  and 
retrenchment, with  expansionary monetary policies providing further stabilisation. In 2011, significant 
momentum  in  favour  of  capital  expenditure  in  the  private  sector  also  cushioned  the  impact  from  a 
generally weak increase in output.  

Gross Domestic Product 2011
Real change compared with the previous year

China

India

Russia

Germany

Brazil

World

USA

EU

Japan

9.2%

6.5%

4.3%

3.0%

2.7%

2.7%

1.7%

1.6%

-0.9%

Source: Eurostat, National statistics, World Bank (Status 07.03.2012)

The impetus behind the global economy's emergence from the crisis over the last two years eased off 
markedly during the course of the year under review. By the end of the year, financial market data and 
sentiment  in  the  economy  were  pointing  to  a  significant  economic  slowdown.  In  contrast,  real 
economic  data  remained  overwhelmingly  positive  until  recently.  According  to  an  assessment  by  the 
International  Monetary  Fund,  the  global  economic  situation  will  continue  to  be  fragile  in  2012,  the 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 14 of 57 

Group management report 

result  of  flagging  growth  in  the  real  economy  in  all  regions  and  uncertainty  regarding  the  funding 
position in public finances and financial institutions. 

Sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone leaves its mark – Germany remains the economic 
driving force 

After  starting  the  year  strongly,  the  European  economy  cooled  off  noticeably  during  the  course  of 
2011.  Overall,  GDP  in  the  European  Union  grew  by  1.6  per  cent,  although  growth  rates  varied 
considerably  from  country  to  country,  as  in  2010.  Germany  continued  to  be  the  engine  of  the 
European economy, achieving robust growth of around 3.0 per cent for the year, during the course of 
which it exceeded pre-crisis levels. Economic performance was also fairly dynamic in countries such 
as  Poland  and  Sweden,  where  growth  rates  of  4.0  per  cent  were  achieved.  In  contrast,  two  of  the 
largest  economies,  Spain  and  Italy,  remained  static.  Growth  in  Greece  and  Portugal  continued  to 
weaken  as  a  consequence  of  comprehensive  austerity  measures.  In  2011,  the  uncertainty  arising  in 
connection with sovereign debt issues had a noticeable impact on the core countries of the euro zone 
for the first time, ultimately highlighting the extent to which European economies are interlinked. 

A  whole  range  of  negotiations,  rescue  packages  and  austerity  programmes  were  unable  to  restore 
investor  confidence  or  stimulate  the  growth  sorely  needed  by  individual  countries.  In  mid-2011,  the 
sovereign  debt  crisis  finally  hit  the  Italian  economy,  which  came  under  intense  pressure.  As  a 
consequence,  sentiment  in  both  industry  and  on  global  capital  markets  disintegrated.  However, 
general economic momentum was also hampered by retrenchment programmes and the tough labour 
market  conditions  that  continued  to  prevail  in  many  countries.  There  was  an  appreciable 
corresponding fall in government and consumer spending, as well as in domestic demand, particularly 
in the second half of the year. 

As  in  the  case  of  GDP  growth,  the  labour  market  situation  also  varied  from  country  to  country. 
Germany recorded its lowest unemployment rate for years at 5.9 per cent; there were also sharp drops 
in  the  unemployment  rates  in  Belgium  and  Sweden.  However,  many  other  euro  zone  countries  saw 
unemployment rise: it increased threefold in Ireland in the course of the crisis; in Greece, the rate also 
climbed  significantly  to  the  current  level  of  21  per  cent.  The  situation  was  particularly  precarious  in 
Spain, where the unemployment rate rose to nearly 22 per cent in 2011,  yet another indicator of the 
structural problems in the country. 

Economic indicators

Gross domestic product Unemployment rate (%) Consumer Price Inflation

Industrial Production

Changes %

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Advanced economies
  Germany
  France
  Italy
  Spain
  United Kingdom
  USA

Emerging economies
  Brazil
  Russia
  China

3.0
1.6
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.7

2.7
4.3
9.2

3.7
1.5
1.5
-0.1 
2.1
3.0

7.5
4.0
10.4

5.9
9.7
8.4
21.7
8.4
8.9

6.0
7.0
4.1

7.1
9.8
8.4
20.1
7.8
9.6

6.7
7.0
4.1

2.5
2.3
2.9
3.1
4.5
3.0

6.5
6.1
5.4

1.2
1.7
1.6
2.0
3.3
1.5

5.9
8.8
3.3

7.5
2.4
0.0
-1.5 
-1.2 
4.2

0.3
4.7
13.9

10.9
4.7
6.4
0.9
1.8
5.3

10.5
8.2
15.7

Source: Eurostat, Statistical Offices, World Bank (Status 07.03.2012)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Management report for 2011 

Page 15 of 57 

Growth in the USA still weak 

Group management report 

Economic growth in the USA was inconsistent over the course of 2011: after a weak start to the year, 
growth  in  the  second  half  of  the  year  was  stronger  and  also  higher  than  that  in  other  industrialised 
nations. The primary growth driver in the US economy was strong domestic demand but the economic 
climate in the USA continued to be impacted by structural problems in terms of government debt, the 
real-estate  market  and  unemployment.  The  argument  between  policymakers  regarding  government 
debt had a negative impact on investment in inventories, particularly at the start of the year. In contrast 
to the approach in 2010, companies therefore held back from further increases in inventories. On the 
other hand, capital spending on equipment continued to hold up well with growth of approximately 10 
per cent. Overall year-on-year GDP growth was 1.7 per cent. 

Emerging markets provide key stimulus for growth 

Economic  performance  in  the  emerging  markets  was  again  excellent  in  2011  and  this  acted  as  a 
stabilising force for growth in the global economy owing to the impact of increased global integration. 
Growth rates in emerging economies were more than double those in the industrialised countries on 
average, which meant that the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) contributed more than 
half of the growth in global output. Leading the way was the People's Republic of China, where growth 
of 9.2 per cent provided an important stimulus for the global economy, although the contribution from 
Brazil and India also continued to increase. Economic output in Russia saw a year-on-year rise of 4.3 
per  cent.  However,  this  growth  was  based  on  the  relative  strength  of  the  primary  sector  in  Russia 
(energy, commodities); when adjusted for the steep rise in price of oil, the growth was actually weaker 
than in the  years prior to the crisis. The general economic conditions in the large emerging markets, 
with  their  low  levels  of  indebtedness,  low  unemployment,  and  in  some  cases  significant  currency 
reserves, proved to be particularly beneficial. 

Having  said  all  that,  during  the  course  of  the  year,  the  emerging  markets  were  no  longer  able  to 
escape the effects of the European debt crisis or the economic uncertainty in the USA and Japan and 
were  thus  also  affected  by  an  economic  slowdown.  The  most  obvious  feature  of  this  was  a  notable 
loss of momentum in exports to the industrialised countries.  

3.2 Business environment in the sector 

Sector boosted by willingness to invest 

The global economic recovery in 2011 improved the level of orders on hand in many sectors – albeit 
with regional differences. According to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the 
worldwide  market  for  new  cars  expanded  by  around  6  per  cent  to  65.4  million  units  last  year. 
Continued  growth  in  world  trade  also  benefited  the  logistics  sector.  The  German  Engineering 
Federation  (VDMA)  reported  a  10  per  cent  rise  in  order  intake  for  Germany's  export-oriented 
engineering sector in 2011. The strong starting position and the ongoing recovery in some areas were 
accompanied  by  spending  on  capital  equipment.  This  increase  in  investing  activities  had  a  positive 
impact on demand for industrial trucks. 

Commodities price index reaches all-time high 

Prices  for  many  commodities  rose  sharply  in  2011.  Among  the  commodities  relevant  to  the  KION 
Group that increased in price, oil and metal particularly stood out – with at times substantial increases. 
Although prices declined during the last few months of 2011, having shot up at the start of the  year, 
the commodities price index of the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) reached its 
highest  ever  average  for  the  year.  Commodity  prices,  as  measured  by  the  HWWI  index,  climbed  by 
22.4 per cent in euros and 28.6 per cent in US dollars compared with 2010. The oil price – an indicator 
of  the  price  of  plastics  and  of  energy  costs  –  increased  to  over  US$  125  per  barrel  on  the  back  of 
unrest  in  North  Africa  and  the  Middle  East.  Metal  prices  were  pushed  up  by  the  improving  global 
economy and strong demand from China for copper, steel and aluminium. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 16 of 57 

Euro loses value 

Group management report 

Exchange  rates  proved  highly  volatile  over  the  course  of  the  year  against  the  backdrop  of  the  euro 
crisis and partly due to government intervention. The relative stability of the  euro over the  year as a 
whole was mainly due to its strong performance in the first six months. However, the euro fell against 
other  reserve  currencies  at  the  end  of  2011.  A  weaker  euro  is  generally  favourable  for  European 
exports but it also makes important input materials more expensive. Sharp fluctuations throughout the 
year were the major challenge in 2011 rather than the euro's absolute exchange rate. 

The  KION  Group  sells  many  of  its  products  in  the  European  Economic  Area  and  issues  invoices  in 
euros  even  outside  the  European  Monetary  Union,  depending  on  the  sales  structure.  Owing  to 
increasing  unit  sales  in  emerging  markets,  some  trade  receivables  are  denominated  in  foreign 
currencies.  The  most  significant  foreign  currencies  for  the  KION  Group  are  the  Chinese  renminbi, 
pound sterling and the Brazilian real. 

Currencies

Average rate per Euro

Brazil (BRL)
Switzerland (CHF)
China (CNY)
United Kingdom (GBP)
Russia (RUB)
USA (USD)

Source: Reuters

2011

2010

2.33
1.23
9.00
0.87
40.89
1.39

2.33
1.38
8.99
0.86
40.32
1.33

3.3 Market for industrial trucks 

Global market sees record unit sales 
Worldwide  demand  for  industrial  trucks  remained  relatively  unaffected  by  economic  uncertainties  in 
2011. Global sales rose by 23 per cent year on year to reach a record 977,000 units (2010: 796,000 
units). The recovery in the markets seen in 2010 continued in the first six months of 2011, with order 
intake amounting to 506,500 units. There was a slowdown in the second half of the year however, and 
sales declined to 470,600 units. Over half of market growth was generated by the markets in western 
Europe  and  China.  Eastern  European  markets  also  achieved  high  growth  rates,  driven  above  all  by 
Russia. The high-growth regions underpinned their importance as markets and continued to stabilise 
in  the  global  market.  Order  intake  in  the  industrialised  countries,  above  all  Germany  and  the  United 
States, was buoyant and grew at a faster rate than the global market. 

German market above pre-crisis level 
The western European market benefited from strong demand in  the first half of 2011 and generated 
growth of 26 per cent over the year as a whole. Order intake in western Europe came to 278,400 units, 
a  significant  improvement  on  the  222,000  units  achieved  in  2010.  Around  12,200  units  were 
accounted  for  by  the  Turkish  market,  which  has  counted  as  part  of  western  Europe  instead  of  Asia 
since 2011 following a restructuring for statistical purposes. Making up 38 per cent of order intake in 
western Europe, sales of counterbalance trucks with electric motors or IC engines were driven by the 
benign investment climate and rose more sharply than sales of warehouse technology. Although the 
overall picture was positive in 2011, the situation was very mixed in the individual countries as it had 
been  in  2010.  Germany  reported  an  order  intake  of  76,400  units,  thereby  surpassing  the  market 
volume seen in the record year of 2007 and remaining the biggest driver of growth in western Europe. 
Following  only  moderate  growth  in  2010,  unit  sales  in  the  French  market  went  up  by  20  per  cent  to 
55,800  units  but  was  10  per  cent  below  the  volume  generated  in  2007.  In  contrast,  demand  for 
industrial trucks in Spain and Italy was very subdued compared with 2010, rising by 4 per cent and 6 
per cent respectively. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 17 of 57 

Global Industrial Truck Market (order intake)

in thousand units 

Western Europe¹
    thereof
    Germany
    France
    United Kingdom
Eastern Europe
    thereof
    Russia

Europe

North America
    thereof
    USA
Central & South America
    thereof
    Brazil
China
Rest of World

World

¹ 2011 incl. Turkey/Cyprus
Source: WITS/FEM

Group management report 

2011

278

2010

222

2009

181

76
56
27
54

23

333

170

155
55

23
238
181

977

62
47
22
40

15

262

136

124
45

23
200
153

796

45
42
17
21

3

202

98

89
21

8
118
110

549

Changes 
2011/2010

26%

24%
20%
26%
36%

51%

27%

25%

25%
23%

-1%
19%
18%

23%

Continued upturn in eastern Europe 
The  positive  trend  in  the  eastern  European  markets  seen  in  2010  continued,  with  growth  of  36  per 
cent to 54,500 units in the year under review. Russia was the main driver of the upturn with unit sales 
rising  to  23,000,  which  equates  to  a  year-on-year  rise  of  51  per  cent.  In  Poland,  the  second  largest 
market  in  eastern  Europe,  sales  advanced  encouragingly  from  9,700  units  to  12,000  units  in  2011. 
While  growth  rates  were  generally  high  across  all  product  segments,  unit  sales  of  counterbalance 
trucks with IC engines were especially buoyant owing to continued pent-up demand. 

Brazil stagnates at a high level 
The Brazilian market was slightly below the record level achieved in 2010 and, despite high growth in 
warehouse technology, suffered a small  decline of 1  per cent to 22,600 units  in 2011. However, the 
other markets in Central and South America were more upbeat and contributed to the region's  year-
on-year rise in demand of 23 per cent. 

Encouraging growth in the USA 
Against  a  background  of  increasing  investment  in  capital  equipment,  the  US  industrial  truck  market 
expanded by 25 per cent to 155,000 units. All product types benefited from this upturn.  

Chinese market continues to drive growth 
China,  which  is  the  largest  single  market  worldwide,  accounted  for  almost  two-thirds  of  Asia's  entire 
order  intake  last  year.  While  it  did  not  grow  at  the  same  rapid  pace  as  it  had  in  2010,  the  Chinese 
market expanded by 19 per cent to 238,400 units in the year under review. Classic IC trucks remained 
the  dominant  segment  and  the  main  source  of  growth  in  absolute  terms.  As  far  as  warehouse 
technology was concerned, there was greater demand for efficient trucks and intralogistics solutions, 
as  evidenced  by  extremely  high  growth  of  41  per  cent.  Despite  the  difficult  conditions  in  2011,  the 
Japanese market also increased by 15 per cent to 67,000 units, but was about a quarter down on the 
record figure reported in 2007.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 18 of 57 

3.4 Legal situation 

Group management report 

The  KION  Group's  material-handling  products  are  machines  that  have  to  comply  with  certain  legal 
requirements  in  all  of  the  major  geographical  markets  in  which  the  Company  operates.  These 
requirements serve to minimise or eliminate the risks for users of the products and for other people, 
equipment and the immediate working environment. They also help to maintain the performance of the 
machines.  

In the European Union, for example, the products are subject to the machinery directive (2006/42/EC), 
other technical regulations such as the emissions directives on noise (2000/14/EC) and exhaust gases 
(2004/26/EC)  and 
the  electromagnetic  compatibility  directive  (2004/108/EC).  Product-specific 
regulations  also  apply,  for  example  the  directive  on  products  for  use  in  potentially  explosive 
atmospheres  (94/9/EC)  and  the  German  Equipment  and  Product  Safety  Act  (GPSG),  which 
implements the requirements of the directive on general product safety (2001/95/EC) in Germany. The 
GPSG  stipulates  that  manufacturers  only  put  safe  products  on  the  market,  i.e.  those  that  satisfy  the 
requirements regarding health and safety and other criteria applicable to these products.  

As a manufacturer of material-handling products that are governed by these regulations, the Company 
must ensure that its products comply with the regulations and must verify and certify this compliance in 
the prescribed manner. The procedures stipulated by the regulations for the mandatory declaration of 
conformity  vary  depending  on  the  product  type.  Corresponding  regulations  and  standards  apply  in 
other countries around the world, and the Company's products sold in those markets must comply with 
them as well.  

The  Company  has  implemented  processes  that  enable  it  to  implement  these  legal  requirements 
efficiently, document its compliance with them and incorporate any changes in the legal framework at 
an  early  stage  of  development.  For  example,  the  Company  uses  both  self-certification  (e.g. 
declarations  of  conformity)  and  third-party  certification  (e.g.  EC  type-examination  certificates).  As  a 
result,  when  customers  receive  a  product,  they  always  have  confirmation  –  in  the  form  of  the  CE 
marking  –  that  the  product  complies  with  all  regulations  in  force.  Many  of  the  aforementioned  legal 
requirements,  especially  the  directives  underlying  the  'new  approach  to  technical  harmonisation  and 
standardisation', are defined in precise terms in product-specific standards and other standards (e.g. 
EN, ISO and DIN). These standards provide simplified procedures for complying with the defined legal 
requirements in a verifiable manner, and the Company makes extensive use of them. As a technology 
leader, the KION Group endeavours to surpass the minimum standards defined for the products that it 
makes. 

The  construction  and  operation  of  production  facilities  is  subject  to  certain  legal  requirements  in  the 
various  jurisdictions  relevant  to  the  Company.  In  Germany,  for  example,  a  permit  pursuant  to  the 
Federal  Emissions  Control  Act  (BImSchG)  must  be  obtained.  Many  of  these  requirements  impose 
stipulations on the operators of such facilities regarding matters such as the avoidance of air pollution, 
noise  reduction,  waste  production  &  disposal  and  health  &  safety.  Most  of  the  Company's  buildings 
also  require  planning  permission,  which  governs  not  only  their  construction  and  conversion  but  also 
any changes in how they are used. In Germany, the operating permit pursuant to the BImSchG covers 
the relevant planning permissions, which means that separate planning permission is only required for 
buildings  whose  construction  and  operation  are  not  subject  to  the  BImSchG.  The  KION  Group  has 
also  established  stable  processes  in  this  regard  to  ensure  that  it  complies  with  the  regulatory 
requirements applicable to its plants. 

Besides  these  product-specific  and  plant-specific  rules  and  regulations,  the  Company's  business 
activities  are  subject  to  the  requirements  typically  placed  on  companies  that  have  a  strong  export 
business  (e.g.  the  relevant  export  controls)  and  that  work  with  distribution  partners  (e.g.  EU  Block 
Exemption Regulation). Moreover, the Company's leasing activities in some jurisdictions are governed 
by  particular  regulatory  requirements.  In  Germany,  for  example,  a  licence  has  been  required  for 
certain  leasing  activities  since  the  introduction  of  relevant  provisions  under  the  German  Banking  Act 
(KWG) on 1 January 2009. STILL Financial Services GmbH obtained the licence in 2011, the year in 
which  it  was  founded.  The  KION  Group  satisfies  all  the  requirements  for  this  licence,  in  particular 
certain stipulations regarding the qualifications of senior management, the quality of risk management 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 19 of 57 

Group management report 

and  corporate  reporting  procedures.  These  regulations  and  the  corresponding  legislation  in  sales 
markets do not place any material restrictions on the Company's business activities. 

Technical  standards,  product  &  plant  safety  regulations  and  environmental  requirements  are 
constantly  being  updated  by  the  authorities  responsible  for  them.  Examples  include  the  tighter 
emissions levels permitted for IC trucks and the requirements and limits placed on employers so that 
they protect their employees against excessive levels of noise and vibration. As a technology leader, 
the Company is well placed to more than simply fulfil these requirements. In fact, its products' existing 
technical  advantages  create  potential  for  KION  to  successfully  differentiate  itself  further  from  the 
competition.  In  addition,  the  KION  Group  is  an  active  member  of  associations  such  as  the  German 
Engineering  Federation  (VDMA)  and  its  working  groups  in  which  it  helps  to  continually  enhance 
standards and regulations. Overall, the KION Group does not expect the changing regulations to have 
any material negative effects on its business model. 

4. Strategy  

4.1 Strategic objectives 

The KION Group's top priority is to deliver a sustained increase in shareholder value. It has therefore 
set itself four strategic objectives:  

Increase market share in the high-growth markets 

1.  Become the global market leader 
2. 
3.  Generate sustained growth above the rate of market growth 
4.  Achieve the best profitability in the sector 

The KION Group is already the world's second largest supplier of industrial trucks. By building on its 
leading competitive position in Europe and achieving continuous growth in the key markets of eastern 
Europe,  South  America  and  Asia,  the  KION  Group  aims  to  become  the  provider  with  the  largest 
market  share  in  the  sector  over  the  coming  years.  Market-leading  technologies  and  strong  service 
expertise  are  creating  the  foundations  for  achieving  this  best-in-class  position.  The  KION  Group 
intends to continue extending its range of products and services so that it is always able to optimally 
satisfy the needs of the logistics markets. 

At  the  same  time,  the  Company  is  continually  taking  steps  to  further  improve  its  efficiency  and 
profitability.  One  such  measure  is  the  standardisation  of  processes  and  structures  –  where  practical 
across all locations and brands. However, the Company ensures that, although aiming for the highest 
possible degree of standardisation, it always takes account of the individual logistics markets' regional 
characteristics. In the year under review, the KION Group also continued to systematically implement 
its KIARA performance enhancement programme, which it launched in 2009.  

To provide practical support with achieving its objectives, the KION Group has defined four points of 
leverage. It applies these in strategic projects and initiatives that are always under the direct control of 
the Executive Board.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 20 of 57 

Diagram showing the strategy of the KION Group  

Group management report 

4.2 Strategic levers 

1. Consolidation of market-leading position in Europe and expansion of range of services 

The  KION  Group  is  the  technological  leader  in  the  industry  with  a  broad  range  of  products  and 
solutions  across  six  brands  and  a  constantly  growing  service  offering  at  group  level.  It  intends  to 
undertake further consolidation of its market-leading position in Europe and to build on its competitive 
advantage. 

The Group's range of highly efficient products enables customers to achieve significant improvements 
in their logistics operations in terms of consumption, performance and ergonomics. For 50 years, the 
Linde brand has enjoyed an outstanding market reputation with its hydrostatic drive and economical, 
efficient,  low-maintenance  units.  Linde  also  has  many  years  of  experience  and  expertise  in  electric 
trucks and is continuously pressing ahead with new developments in its Linde Hydraulics business unit 
and  the  new  Electronic  Systems  and  Drives  division.  STILL  is  strongly  placed  in  the  high-potential 
market  for  hybrid  drives  with  its  diesel-electric  drive  system  –  a  unique  concept  in  the  sector.  In 
addition,  STILL  offers  a  broad  selection  of  automated  logistics  vehicles,  including  vehicles  for 
challenging warehouse environments. 

The  Linde  and  STILL  brands  are  focusing  a  great  deal  of  effort  on  separate  concepts  and 
development  projects  involving  alternative  power  sources  for  drives  such  as  hybrid,  fuel-cell  and 
lithium-ion  technologies  in  order  to  ensure  that  they  can  benefit  from  the  long-term  trend  towards 
'green logistics'. In 2011, the KION Group's research and development expenditure amounted to 2.8 
per cent of total revenue, or 4.7 per cent of revenue from new and hydraulics business. The research 
and development expenditure ratio in the  KION Group is therefore at the upper  end for the industry, 
allowing the Company to continue to consolidate its technological advantage and at all times offer its 
customers innovative logistics solutions that are fit for the future. 

The KION Group aligns its range of products and services directly with the requirements of its logistics 
customers  and  thereby  secures  customer  loyalty.  The  range  therefore  extends  well  beyond  the 
straightforward  sale  of  trucks  to  encompass  a  comprehensive  service  offering  that  covers  customer 
requirements  for  solutions  and  services  over  their  entire  internal  material  flow.  This  includes  the 
provision  of,  and  ongoing  support  for,  individual  and  fleet  solutions  as  well  as  efficient,  end-to-end 
material flow management including the necessary IT systems. Services worth highlighting in addition 
to  conventional  aftersales  business  include  the  sale  and  leasing  of  used  trucks  and  the  provision  of 
finance  and  leasing  services.  In  2011,  service  business  accounted  for  42  per  cent  of  total  revenue. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 21 of 57 

Group management report 

Given an active fleet numbering more than one million units over the entire market, service business is 
of huge significance to the KION Group. This business represents a key driver for long-term customer 
loyalty  and  its  importance  to  the  Group  will  continue  to  grow  in  the  future.  This  is  the  basis  for 
continuous expansion of the range of support services and increasing service cover for the active fleet. 

2. Developing the full potential in growth markets 

The KION Group is already superbly positioned in all growth regions – eastern Europe, South America 
and Asia – and is endeavouring to consolidate its position primarily in the BRIC countries so that it can 
benefit  from  the  potential  for  further  growth  in  these  regions.  In  two  of  these  markets  of  the  future, 
China  and  Brazil,  the  KION  Group  has  established  local  production  facilities.  Regional  research  and 
development teams have also been set up. These teams take into account local market requirements 
early in the product development phase, thereby facilitating the development of solutions that are both 
customer-oriented and cost-effective. The KION Group will continue to target growth regions in terms 
of  capital  investment,  expansion  of  its  product  range  and  strengthening  of  the  sales  and  service 
network so that it is able to fully leverage the potential in the global logistics market.  

3. Multi-brand strategy aimed at increasing market penetration  

The KION Group has six brands. It is the market leader in Europe and the global number two in the 
industrial trucks market. Different regions as well as different markets and customer requirements are 
efficiently  covered  and  supported  by  the  brands  Linde,  Fenwick,  STILL,  OM  (OM  STILL  from  2012), 
Baoli and Voltas. The KION Group operates globally with its premium brands Linde and STILL, which 
are complemented in Europe by Fenwick in France and OM STILL in Italy. The international Chinese 
brand  Baoli,  which  has  been  part  of  the  KION  Group  since  2009,  and  the  local  Indian  brand  Voltas 
(part of the Group since 2011) service the high-volume economy segment.  

The  multi-brand  approach  allows  the  KION  Group  to  pursue  a  targeted  sales  and  service  strategy 
adapted  to  each  particular  market. This  approach  also  means  that  the  Group  can  offer  a  number  of 
different  options  compared  with  competitors  and  thereby  boost  its  market  presence.  In  addition,  the 
KION Group plans to expand and achieve further improvements in its global market position through 
selective acquisition of local providers. 

4. Cost leadership through synergies and continuous operational excellence 

Since the KION Group was hived off from the Linde Group in 2006, the Company has systematically 
exploited potential efficiency improvements and thereby enhanced its performance. The organisation 
is  structured  so  that  synergies  can  be  realised  across  brands  and  a  best-practice  approach  can  be 
implemented  throughout  the  Group.  Despite  the  moves  towards  standardised  processes  and 
structures, one of the key strategic elements of marketing is a clear differentiation between the brands.  

The  corporate  functions  in  the  KION  Group  are  managed  centrally  under  the  umbrella  of  Central 
Operations (COPS) in order to ensure that standards are established and expertise is made available 
throughout  the  Group.  Efforts  to  improve  efficiency  focus  both  on  continuous  streamlining  of 
production  processes  and  on  platform  strategies  and  other  modular  concepts.  Central  purchasing 
generates  cost  benefits  for  the  entire  Group,  cross-brand  research  and  development  activities  pool 
resources  and  promote  efficient  utilisation  of  capacity;  in  turn,  standardisation  of  IT  systems  and 
platforms reduces costs and facilitates maintenance. The KION Group plans to continue to improve its 
cost  structures  and  thereby  its  market  position  over  the  long  term  by  exploiting  further  potential 
synergies and enhancing operating performance on a continuous basis. 

An  approval  process  for  capital  expenditure  projects  has  been  implemented  throughout  the  KION 
Group. It supports appraisal and decision-making for capital expenditure projects to ensure that such 
projects  are  efficient  and  economic  over  the  long  term.  Capital  expenditure  projects  in  excess  of 
€250,000 are presented individually in detail and a re also subject to an investment appraisal using the 
discounted cash flow method. The results are reviewed to ensure that the internal rate of return and 
the payback period are acceptable. Capital expenditure projects aim to generate a sustained increase 
in enterprise value and must therefore achieve a higher internal rate of return than the cost of capital.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 22 of 57 

4.3 Financial Services segment 

Group management report 

In the year under review, the KION Group laid the main foundations that will enable it to manage and 
report the Group's financial services activities as a separate segment (Financial Services, FS).  

The  reasons  behind  managing  FS  separately  are  the  rising  demand  for  innovative,  tailored  finance 
solutions and the resulting growth in the importance of such activities for the KION Group. Within the 
Group, the FS activities constitute a key cross-brand service function that cuts across the business of 
the Linde and STILL brands and acts as a valuable sales tool and means of customer retention. Other 
important factors behind the spin-off of the FS organisation include the different business models and 
value drivers in the industrial and finance businesses.  

In future, the cross-brand FS segment will take over responsibility for the management of the following 
key areas of activity in the KION Group: financing of short-term rental fleets, long-term leasing as part 
of  sales  financing  through  the  provision  of  innovative  and  tailored  finance  solutions,  and  risk 
management  for  the  leasing  business.  Short-term  rentals  and  indirect  leasing  arrangements  will 
remain with the brand segments. 

Separate  financial  services  companies  have  been  established  in  the  core  markets  of  France, 
Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Further countries with a high proportion of finance and 
leasing business will be integrated gradually. 

During the course of 2011, the Group also developed a reporting model for the discrete recording and 
management of financial services business. Future reporting in the KION Group will be based on this 
model. Page 72 onwards in the notes to the financial statements in this annual report include voluntary 
additional  disclosures  based  on  the  new  reporting  model  and  the  associated  revised  breakdown  of 
business  activities  in  order  to  give  prominence  to  the  increasing  importance  of  financial  services 
activities  in  the  KION  Group  and  to  the  future  segment  structure.  In  doing  so,  the  aim  of  the  KION 
Group is to provide the highest possible degree of transparency for capital markets. 

4.4 Initiatives to cut costs and improve efficiency 

Since being spun off from Linde AG in December 2006, the KION Group has successfully initiated and 
implemented  various  restructuring  programmes.  Besides 
to  considerable  efficiency 
improvements,  they  have  enabled  us  to  leverage  synergies  throughout  the  Group  and  adapt  to 
changing market conditions.  

leading 

As  a  consequence  of  the  financial  and  economic  crisis  that  began  in  late  2008,  the  KIARA 
restructuring programme was launched  in the second quarter of 2009 to make the KION Group less 
dependent on the business cycle. As a first step, rapid action was taken to reduced fixed costs.  

The KIARA performance enhancement programme was terminated at the end of 2011 as most of the 
measures  had  already  been  implemented  by  that  time.  KIARA's  main  elements  were  the  successful 
implementation  of  long-term  structural  improvements  and  efficiency  increases.  The  planned  savings 
were  achieved  as  a  result  of  regular  and  detailed  reporting  and  ongoing  evaluation  of  KPIs  by  the 
relevant managers in the KION Group and its brand companies. At the same time, the impact of the 
short-term  measures  tapered  off  much  faster  than  had  been  estimated  in  the  KIARA  business  case 
owing to the unexpectedly strong recovery in 2011.  

Nonetheless, the KION Group will continue to implement long-term structural and efficiency measures. 
Structural  changes  will  include  the  further  consolidation  of  our  European  production  sites  by  closing 
the  plants  in  Bari  (Italy)  and  Montataire  (France).  The  production  capacity  of  these  plants  will  be 
shifted to other production facilities with the aim of improving the capacity utilisation of the European 
plants. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 23 of 57 

Group management report 

4.5 Financial KPIs for managing the Company's business  

The  management  approach  is  based  on  six  key  performance  indicators:  order  intake,  revenue, 
adjusted EBIT, adjusted EBITDA, net financial debt and free cash flow before tax. These key figures 
are  used  for  the  KION  Group  as  a  whole  and  at  segment  level.  They  form  the  basis  for  the 
performance  targets  for  both  the  KION  Group  and  its  segments  as  well  as  determining  a  significant 
proportion of senior managers' performance-related remuneration. The key performance indicators are 
determined once a month and submitted to the Executive Board as part of a comprehensive reporting 
package.  Net  financial  debt  is  only  relevant  at  Group  level.  The  table  below  shows  the  key 
performance indicators used in the KION Group's internal financial reporting. 

Key performance indicators

Order intake

Revenue

Adjusted EBIT¹

Adjusted 
EBITDA¹

Net financial debt Free cashflow 

before tax

€ million

2011
2010
2009

4,682
3,860
3,028

4,368
3,534
3,084

365
139
-29 

665
462
311

2,657
2,641
2,484

282
83
34

¹ Adjusted for KION acquisition items and one-off items

Order intake and revenue 

Order  intake  and  revenue  are  broken  down  by  region,  segment  and  product  group  in  the  KION 
Group's management reporting so that revenue growth drivers and pertinent trends can be identified 
and analysed in a timely fashion.  

Adjusted EBIT 

The  key  figure  used  for  the  operational  management  and  analysis  of  the  KION  Group's  financial 
performance  is  adjusted  earnings  before  interest  and  tax  (EBIT).  The  EBIT  figure  is  shown  net  of 
depreciation  for  property,  plant  and  equipment  and  leased  assets  and  of  amortisation  for  intangible 
assets.  Non-recurring  items  are  not  included  for  the  purposes  of  performance  measurement;  these 
items  include  the  effect  of  purchase  price  allocation  in  connection  with  the  KION  acquisition,  costs 
incurred in connection with the KIARA performance enhancement programme, redundancy schemes 
and  severance  pay.  The  EBIT  margin  is  also  used  to  measure  the  KION  Group's  operational 
efficiency. The EBIT margin is the ratio of adjusted EBIT to revenue. 

Management reporting EBIT is a performance indicator used for internal management purposes that 
differed  from  adjusted  EBIT  for  the  last  time  in  2011  in  that  it  did  not  take  account  of  the  share  of 
profit  (loss)  of  equity-accounted  investments  or  other  net  financial  income/expenses.  From  2012, 
management reporting EBIT will correspond to adjusted EBIT. 

Adjusted EBITDA 

Unlike  EBIT,  the  EBITDA  figure  is  shown  before  deduction  of  depreciation  for  property,  plant  and 
equipment  and  leased  assets  and  of  amortisation  for  intangible  assets.  As  with  adjusted  EBIT,  the 
effects of the KION acquisition purchase price allocation and non-recurring items are not included for 
the  purposes  of  performance  measurement.  Adjusted  EBITDA  constitutes  an  approximation  of  the 
cash flow KPI and provides information on the Company's long-term financial performance.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 24 of 57 

Net financial debt 

Group management report 

Net  financial  debt  –  defined  as  the  difference  between  liabilities  to  banks  and  cash  and  cash 
equivalents  –  is  the  key  performance  measure  used  in  liquidity  planning  at  Group  level.  Lease 
liabilities and other financial liabilities are excluded from this figure. 

Free cash flow before tax 

Future free cash flows have a direct impact on the value of the Company. They are determined solely 
by the KION Group's operating activities and investing activities. Free cash flow before tax does not 
include tax payments or interest arising from financing activities, interest expense and similar charges 
from leases, or interest and similar income from leases. The performance measurement of free cash 
flow before tax is supported by the carefully targeted management of working capital and by detailed 
planning of capital expenditure.  

4.6 Acquisitions and alliances 

Foundation of a company with Voltas in India 

The KION Group and Voltas Ltd. agreed to establish an Indian company to develop, manufacture, sell 
and  service  forklift  trucks  and  warehouse  trucks.  It  went  into  operation  in  May  2011  and  is  called 
Voltas  Material  Handling.  As  part  of  the  transaction,  Voltas  incorporated  its  forklift  truck  and 
warehouse  technology  business  into  the  new  company,  in  which  the  KION  Group  holds  a  majority 
stake. 

Voltas is the sixth brand in the KION Group and focuses primarily on India's high-volume market. Its 
product range includes diesel, gas and electric forklift trucks with load capacities of between 1.5 and 
16 tonnes. In July 2011, Voltas commenced operations at a new plant in Pune (India) with the aim of 
better meeting the strong demand in this market. Voltas Material Handling intends to use its network of 
25 branches and authorised dealers to exploit the future potential of one of the world's most attractive 
markets and, as part of the KION Group, to strength its market position considerably.  

Acquisition of further shares in Baoli in China 

In 2011, the KION Group acquired further shares in the Chinese company KION Baoli (Baoli), which is 
based  in  Jingjiang.  The  KION  Group  had  established  Baoli  with  Jiangsu  Shangqi  Group  (formerly 
Jiangsu Baoli Group) and Jingjiang Baoli Forklift in January 2009. Baoli has been under the complete 
management control of the KION Group since 2010. Having acquired a further stake in Baoli in 2011 
of  5.34  per  cent,  the  KION  Group  now  controls  97.34  per  cent  of  the  company.  The  Baoli  brand 
occupies  a  global  position  in  the  economy  segment  and  is  helping  drive  the  KION  Group's  rapid 
expansion  into  the  world's  emerging  markets.  Baoli's  product  range  encompasses  IC  trucks,  electric 
forklift trucks and warehouse trucks with loading capacities of between 1 and 10 tonnes. Its extensive 
distribution and service network serves customers in all provinces of China and in 80 other countries.  

Expansion of sales footprint in eastern Europe 

The KION Group aims to expand  its presence  in the emerging markets. With this in mind, the  Linde 
Material Handling subsidiary acquired the business of its dealer partner Liftec in Russia in September 
2011,  thereby  gaining  well-established  direct  access  to  the  fast-growing  Russian  market.  Linde  had 
been working successfully with Liftec in Russia for the previous 20 years. This means that, like STILL, 
Linde also now has its own distribution and service structure in Russia. 

With  sales  of  more  than  23,000  new  trucks  in  2011,  Russia  is  Europe's  fastest-growing  market  and 
has become the fifth largest European market for industrial trucks in a very short space of time. Linde 
also  wants  to  step  up  its  activities  in  Ukraine  and  Kazakhstan  and  took  over  Liftec's  business  in 
Kazakhstan in February 2012; a similar transaction in Ukraine is planned for summer 2012.   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 25 of 57 

Group management report 

Boost to market position in the United Kingdom 

In June 2011, Linde Material Handling acquired the outstanding 51 per cent of shares in its UK-based 
dealer  Linde  Sterling.  Linde  Sterling  is  one  of  the  largest  exclusive  dealers  of  Linde  products  in  the 
United Kingdom. For the past 30 years it has been successfully supplying new and used trucks, rental 
trucks and related services in north-west England and north Wales. It employed around 300 people at 
its  four  sites  at  the  end  of  2011.  In  December  2011,  Linde  Material  Handling  also  acquired  the 
outstanding  25.5  per  cent  of  shares  in  Linde  Castle  Ltd.  and  now  holds  100  per  cent  of  the  shares 
either  directly  or  indirectly.  These  acquisitions  have  boosted  Linde's  market  position  and  customer 
service activities in the United Kingdom. 

5. Notes on financial position and financial performance 

5.1 Operating and financial performance 

5.1.1 Order intake 

Order intake (units) 

The  continued  growth  of  the  Chinese  market,  the  larger  volume  of  orders  received  from  Russia  and 
Brazil, and equally strong demand in Europe enabled the KION Group to further improve its intake of 
orders for new trucks in 2011. Global order intake rose by 19 per cent year on year to 144,800 units in 
2011 (2010: 121,500 units). The KION Group therefore remained Europe's undisputed market leader 
and the second largest provider worldwide.  

Electric  and  internal-combustion  engine  counterbalance  trucks,  which  constituted  almost  half  of  the 
KION Group's order intake and are mainly used in industrial applications, benefited significantly from 
the economic recovery in western Europe, especially in Germany, and from the robust demand from 
the  major  emerging  markets.  These  trucks  generated  much  stronger  growth  than  the  Company's 
warehouse technology.  

Order intake in China – the third-largest market for the KION Group's sales – rose by 23 per cent year 
on  year  to  14,500  units  in  2011  on  the  back  of  the  strong  growth  of  the  market  as  a  whole  and  the 
introduction  of  additional  market-specific  products.  Consequently,  the  KION  Group  achieved  growth 
rates in excess of general  market growth levels.  China generated especially strong demand for low-
priced IC trucks, which the KION Group sells under its Baoli brand. The KION Group also expanded its 
market share slightly in the technologically more sophisticated electric forklift truck segment, which is 
the second most important market segment. In China, the KION Group is represented by its Linde and 
Baoli brands, which cater to different market segments and customer needs. Overall, the KION Group 
is by far the most important international supplier in China, which is the largest single market. 

Demand also increased in Brazil, rising by 12 per cent year on year to 5,200 units. It was particularly 
encouraging that the KION Group gained significant market share despite tough operating conditions. 
Almost  one  in  four  of  the  new  trucks  sold  in  Brazil  in  2011  was  manufactured  by  the  KION  Group. 
KION will be in an even better position to develop the South American market from 2012 once it has 
completed the construction of an additional production facility for IC trucks in São Paulo.  

The  KION  Group  managed  to  increase  its  market  share  in  eastern  Europe  as  well.  Its  enlarged 
footprint in Russia as a result of its acquisition of local dealer Liftec in 2011 had a particularly positive 
impact  on  its  order  intake,  which  doubled  in  Russia  year  on  year  to  2,700  new  trucks.  The  KION 
Group's market share jumped to 12 per cent.  

Order  intake  in  western  Europe  also  saw  significant  growth  in  2011.  The  KION  Group  increased  its 
total volume of orders by 19 per cent  year on year to 100,000 units. Growth in Germany, the largest 
single  market  in  the  region,  was  especially  impressive.  Order  intake  here  surged  by  23  per  cent  to 
36,400 units in 2011 compared with 29,600 new trucks in 2010. France remained the second-largest 
market  with  approximately  23,000  units  sold.  One  in  three  of  the  new  forklift  trucks  sold  in  western 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 26 of 57 

Group management report 

Europe in 2011 once again bore a KION Group brand name. As market leader, the KION Group also 
benefits from its efficient distribution network in the industrial-truck markets of Germany, France, Italy, 
the United Kingdom and Spain.  

Total order intake (€) 

The total value of the orders received by the KION Group in 2011 rose by 21 per cent year on year to 
€4,682 million. This order value includes not only  business in new trucks but also rental business, the 
sale of used trucks, and aftersales services. Order intake in all product categories rose year on year. 
The  benign  macroeconomic  trends  prevailing  in  2011  increased  industry's  willingness  to  invest  in 
capital equipment, thereby boosting  KION's business in new trucks. The further rise in fleet capacity 
utilisation in the market also created an additional need for services and spare parts. Stronger demand 
for used and rental trucks generated further growth as well. 

Order intake broken down by segment

€ million

LMH
STILL
Other & consolidation

Total

2011

2010

Change

3,107
1,752
-178 

4,682

2,510
1,518
-168 

3,860

23.8%
15.4%
-5.5%
21.3%

Linde Material Handling (LMH), which is the largest segment in the KION Group, saw its business in 
new trucks boosted primarily by China's economic growth. Demand from Germany also continued to 
strengthen,  which  enabled  LMH  to  achieve  the  largest  year-on-year  increase  in  order  intake  in  its 
domestic  market.  The  intake  of  orders  for  new  trucks  in  the  LMH  segment  grew  by  22  per  cent 
compared with 2010 to 88,300 units. This corresponded to a total order intake value of €3,107 million 
– or a year-on-year increase of 24 per cent – in 2011. 

The intake of orders for new trucks in the STILL segment amounted to 51,200 units in 2011, growing 
by 15 per cent year on year. This encouraging trend was largely driven by the German market, Brazil 
and  the  emerging  markets  of  eastern  Europe.  The  total  value  of  orders  received  by  STILL  grew  by 
more than 15 per cent from €1,518 million in 2010 t o €1,752 million in the reporting year.  

5.1.2 Order backlog 

The KION Group's order backlog as at 31 December 2011 totalled €953 million, which represented a 
year-on-year increase of 19 per cent. The main reasons for the larger inventory of outstanding orders 
at the end of the  year  were the stronger demand for new trucks and the generally high utilisation of 
capacity at KION's production facilities.  

5.1.3 Income statement  

Revenue broken down by segment

€ million

LMH
STILL
Other
Consolidation

Total revenue

2011

2010

Change

2,856
1,666
223
-376 

4,368

2,254
1,420
160
-300 

3,534

26.7%
17.3%
39.7%
-25.6%

23.6%

The growth in order intake also boosted the KION Group's revenue, which rose by approximately 24 
per cent from €3,534 million in 2010 to €4,368 mill

ion in the reporting year. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 27 of 57 

Group management report 

The  LMH  segment  was  once  again  the  key  revenue  driver,  generating  65  per  cent  of  the  KION 
Group's  total  revenue.  This  segment  raised  its  revenue  by  almost  27  per  cent  year  on  year  from 
€2,254  million  to  an  impressive  €2,856  million.  STI LL  increased  its  revenue  by  17  per  cent  from 
€1,420  million  to  €1,666  million  over  the  same  peri od.  The  'Other'  segment,  which  comprises  the 
activities  attributable  to  Voltas  Material  Handling  –  the  KION  Group's  Indian  company  –  as  well  as 
cross-segment  services  and  IT  services,  contributed  revenue  of  €223  million  in  2011  prior  to 
consolidation; in 2010 it contributed €160 million.

Revenue by customer location

€ million

Germany
EU w/o Germany
Rest of Europe
America
Asia
Rest of world

Total revenue

2011

2010

Change

1,175
2,115
204
281
435
160

4,368

900
1,820
152
233
302
128

3,534

30.6%
16.2%
34.1%
20.6%
44.0%
24.9%
23.6%

The revenue generated by the KION Group in Germany rose by more than 30 per cent year on year to 
€1,175 million; it therefore grew even more strongl y than the revenue earned outside Germany, which 
increased by 21 per cent year on year. Of the KION Group's total volume of business, 73 per cent was 
transacted  outside  Germany,  generating  revenue  of  € 3,194  million.  The  revenue  earned  outside 
Germany in 2010 amounted to €2,634 million and acco unted for 75 per cent of total revenue.  

The KION Group achieved its highest percentage revenue growth in Asia, where revenue rose by 44 
per  cent  –  or  €133  million  –  year  on  year.  The  stro ngest  year-on-year  revenue  growth  in  absolute 
terms came from the Company's European markets outside Germany, which increased their revenue 
by €346 million. Germany also generated encouraging  revenue growth of €275 million.  

The revenue generated by the KION Group from new trucks grew by 33 per cent from €1,776 million in 
2010  to  €2,364  million  in  the  reporting  year.  This  encouraging  trend  was  largely  driven  by  the 
significant  market  growth  rates  achieved  in  Germany,  France,  China  and  Brazil.  The  Company's 
business  in  new  trucks  was  boosted  by  the  continued  rise  in  demand  for  counterbalance  trucks.  Its 
other product categories were also buoyed by the benign market environment and the generally more 
pronounced global demand for industrial trucks.  

Revenue by product category

€ million

New business
Hydraulics
Service offering
  - After sales
  - Rental business
  - Used trucks
  - Other

Total revenue

2011

2010

Change

2,364
173
1,831
1,066
441
219
106

4,368

1,776
120
1,639
971
402
187
79

3,534

33.1%
44.0%
11.7%
9.8%
9.6%
16.9%
34.3%
23.6%

Service business grew by a total of around 12 per cent from €1,639 million in 2010 to €1,831 million i n 
the reporting year. Aftersales business accounted for the largest share of service revenue, raising its 
revenue by approximately 10 per cent year on year to €1,066 million (2010: €971 million). Very similar
growth rates were achieved by the rental business, which advanced from €402 million in 2010 to €441 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 28 of 57 

Group management report 

million in the reporting year. The KION Group also earned revenue of €219 million from used trucks in 
2011  compared  with  €187  million  in  the  previous  yea r.  Revenue  in  the  'Other'  category  –  which 
includes advisory services, IT solutions and warehouse technology systems – jumped by 34 per cent 
from  €79  million  in  2010  to  €106  million  in  2011.  I
n  percentage  terms,  the  strongest  growth  was 
achieved by the hydraulic components business, which increased its revenue by 44 per cent year on 
year. 

Condensed income statement of the KION Group

€ million

Revenue
Cost of sales

Gross profit
Selling expenses
Research and development costs
Administrative expenses
Other

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)
Net finance cost

Loss before taxes
Income taxes

Loss of the year

2011

2010

Change

4,368
-3,256 

1,112
-521 
-120 
-283 
25

213
-272 

-59 
-34 

-93 

3,534
-2,684 

850
-484 
-103 
-248 
19

35
-266 

-231 
35

-197 

23.6%
-21.3%

30.8%

-7.6%
-15.8%
-14.5%
29.6%
>100%

-2.3%
74.6%

<-100%
52.8%

Whereas the KION Group's revenue for 2011 rose by 24 per cent year on year, its cost of sales grew 
by only 21 per cent over the same period. In absolute terms, the cost of sales increased from €2,684 
million in 2010 to €3,256 million in 2011. Conseque ntly, the KION Group's gross profit for 2011 came 
to  €1,112  million,  which  constituted  a  year-on-year   increase  of  31  per  cent.  The  gross  margin  in 
relation to revenue improved accordingly by 1.4 percentage points year on year to 25.5 per cent. The 
main reasons for this performance were further efficiency gains in production, higher overall capacity 
utilisation, and improvements in gross operating revenue across all product categories.  

Other  functional  costs  also  rose  only  modestly  during  the  reporting  year.  Selling  expenses  grew  by 
only  8  per  cent  year  on  year  despite  the  sharp  rise  in  revenue.  Research  and  development  costs 
increased  by  just  under  16  per  cent  owing  to  the  large  number  of  new  development  projects  and 
product  innovations;  administrative  expenses  grew  by  14  per  cent,  which  was  also  less  than  the 
percentage rise in revenue.  

The sharp rise in revenue coupled with the only modest increases in functional costs and the cost of 
sales  owing  to  the  Company's  successful  cost  management  policies  once  again  enabled  the  KION 
Group's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to improve significantly by €178 million to €213 milli
on 
in the reporting year. EBIT for 2010 had amounted to only €35 million.  

Adjusted EBIT

€ million

Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT)
  One-off items
  KION acquisition items

Adjusted EBIT¹

¹ Adjusted for KION acquisition items and one-off items

2011

2010

Change

213
115
36

365

35
76
29

139

>100%
52.6%
23.9%

>100%

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 29 of 57 

Group management report 

The KION Group's EBIT (adjusted for non-recurring items and KION acquisition items) also showed a 
highly  impressive  year-on-year  improvement  in  2011,  advancing  from  €139  million  in  2010  to  €365 
million  in  2011.  This  presentation  of  adjusted  EBIT  included  the  profit  from  equity-accounted 
investments, other net investment income and other net financial income/expenses totalling €7 million 
(2010:  €4  million).  These  investments  relate  almost   exclusively  to  investments  in  dealers  in  the 
material-handling segment. 

KION acquisition items and non-recurring items amounted to €151 million in the reporting year (2010: 
€105 million), €115 million of which was attributab le to non-recurring items compared with €76 million  
in  2010.  A  significant  proportion  of  these  items  related  to  restructuring  costs  in  connection  with  the 
plans to relocate production facilities in France and Italy.  

EBIT by segment adjusted¹

€ million

LMH
STILL
Other & consolidation

Total

2011

2010

Change

283
102
-20 

365

139
20
-20 

139

>100%
>100%
0.1%

>100%

¹ Adjusted for KION acquisition items and one-off items

The KION Group's adjusted EBIT for 2011 was boosted by LMH's EBIT contribution  of €283 million, 
which  was  twice  as  high  as  the  figure  of  €139  milli on  that  it  had  reported  for  2010.  STILL  also 
delivered  an  impressive  earnings  performance,  with  a  five-fold  increase  in  EBIT  (net  of  KION 
acquisition  items  and  non-recurring  items)  from  €20  million  in  2010  to  €102  million  in  the  reporting 
year.  These  considerable  earnings  improvements  are  essentially  attributable  to  the  optimised 
utilisation  of  capacities  at  the  brand  companies  and  to  the  KIARA  performance  enhancement 
programme that was successfully continued in 2011.  

Net finance costs rose by €6 million year on year t o €272 million in 2011. They included a net interes t 
expense for the senior facilities agreement (SFA) of €117 million (2010: €129 million) and, for the fi
rst 
time, a net interest expense for the corporate bond of €25 million. 

Even  though its business  performance  was encouraging, the KION Group still  incurred a  net loss of 
€93 million owing to non-recurring  items although t his was a significant  improvement compared  with 
2010. This was achieved despite a tax expense of €3 4 million (2010: tax income of €35 million). The 
KION Group had reported a net loss of €197 million  for 2010. 

5.2 Financial position 

Principles and objectives of financial management 

By pursuing an appropriate financial management strategy, KION Group GmbH ensures that sufficient 
liquidity is available at all times and mitigates the financial risk to its enterprise value and profitability. 
As  an  entity  that  operates  worldwide,  the  KION  Group  is  exposed  to  risks  in  respect  of  currencies, 
interest rates, prices, counterparties and countries.  

The  KION  Group  provides  sufficient  financial  resources  for  its  day-to-day  business,  optimises  its 
financial relationships with customers and suppliers, ensures that the necessary liquidity is available to 
its  companies,  and  manages  any  collateral  security  offered.  A  group  of  international  banks  and 
investors meets the Company's basic borrowing requirements. In addition, the Company availed itself 
of the funding facilities offered by the public capital markets by issuing its first corporate bond in April 
2011. The financial resources required within the KION Group are provided through internal funding. 
The KION Group collects liquidity surpluses of the Group companies in central or regional cash pools 
and, where possible, covers subsidiaries' funding requirements with intercompany loans. This central 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 30 of 57 

Group management report 

source  of  funding  enables  the  KION  Group  to  present  a  united  front  in  the  capital  markets  and 
strengthens its hand in negotiations with banks and other market participants. 

The Group occasionally arranges additional credit lines for KION Group companies with local banks or 
leasing companies in order to comply with legal, tax and other regulations.  

The SFA, which is the main loan agreement, and the contractual terms and conditions governing the 
issuance  of  the  corporate  bond  require  compliance  with  certain  undertakings  and  covenants  among 
other things. The SFA also requires compliance with specific financial covenants during the term of the 
agreement.  The  financial  covenants  specify  required  ratios  for  the  financial  position  and  financial 
performance of the  KION  Group. The covenants are expressed  in the form of key figures relating to 
net gearing, available liquidity, EBITDA,  interest  paid and capital expenditure. These loan terms and 
conditions  were  adjusted  in  line  with  prevailing  market  conditions  and  with  the  broad  consent  of  the 
lenders  in  2009.  In  return  for  adjusting  the  covenants,  the  lenders  were  granted  an  increase  in  the 
interest  premium. This  premium  is mainly  payable  as  a  bullet  payment  at  maturity,  thereby  ensuring 
that  there  is  no  additional  adverse  effect  on  the  KION  Group's  liquidity  in  the  meantime.  If 
undertakings  or  financial  covenants  are  breached,  this  may,  for  example,  give  lenders  the  right  to 
terminate the  SFA  or permit bondholders to call  the corporate bond prior to  its  maturity date.  All  the 
financial covenants were complied with in the past financial year. 

In  addition,  investment  funds  advised  by  Kohlberg  Kravis  Roberts  &  Co.  L.P.  and  Goldman  Sachs 
Capital Partners loaned the KION Group a principal amount of €100 million under the terms of the SFA 
in order to offer the Company greater strategic flexibility. The loan amount and the associated interest 
are repayable as a bullet payment at maturity. For funding purposes, the KION Group also engages to 
a small extent in factoring. The volume of non-recourse factoring business amounted to €18 million at 
the  end  of  2011  (31  December  2010:  €20  million);  th e  Company  only  uses  recourse  factoring  in 
isolated cases. KION Group disposes of a liquidity reserve through unrestricted, bindingly committed 
credit lines and cash to ensure that it remains solvent and financially flexible. 

Cash flow 

The key performance indicator for liquidity in the KION Group is free cash flow before tax, which does 
not  include  tax  payments  or  interest  arising  from financing  activities,  or  interest  expense  and  similar 
charges  from  leases,  or  interest  and  similar  income  from  leases.  For  further  information  about  free 
cash flow before tax and other KPIs used to manage the KION Group, see section 4.5 'Financial KPIs 
for managing the Company's business'. 

Condensed cash flow statement

€ million

EBIT
Cash flow from operating activities
Cash flow from investing activities

Free cash flow
Cash flow from financing activities
Currency effects on cash

Change in cash and cash equivalents

Net financial debt¹

¹ Before borrowing costs

2011

213
387
-153 

234
-115 
1

121

2010

Change

35
199
-123 

76
-290 
4

-211 

>100%
94.1%
-23.8%

>100%

60.5%
-71.1%
>100%

0.6%

2,657

2,641

Cash flow from operating activities jumped by €188  million to €387 million in 2011 (2010: €199 million ). 
The  underlying  reason  for  this  improvement  was  that  earnings  before  interest  and  tax  (EBIT)  had 
increase in working capital from €661 million in 20 10 
increased to €213 million (2010: €35 million). The 
the  larger  volume  of  business,  was 
to  €668  million  in  2011,  which  was  associated  with 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 31 of 57 

Group management report 

disproportionately low compared with revenue growth. This also had a positive impact on the cash flow 
from operating activities.  

The net cash used for investing activities in the KION Group increased by 24 per cent to €153 million 
in  2011  (2010:  €123  million).  The  reason  for  this  w as  the  higher  capital  expenditure  on  non-current 
assets and on property, plant and equipment (capex), for which the total cash payments amounted to 
€133  million  (2010:  €123  million).  Cash  payments  re lating  to  acquisitions  rose  by  €25  million  to  €33 
million in 2011. This amount essentially comprised cash payments of €16 million in connection with the  
acquisition of Voltas Material Handling, India, and payments of €10 million as part of the purchase of
the  remaining  shares  (51  per  cent)  in  UK-based  dealer  Linde  Sterling.  In  addition  to  a  smaller 
acquisition  in  Italy,  the  KION  Group  invested  a  further  €5  million,  primarily  in  Liftec's  business  in 
Russia during the reporting year. 

Cash flow from financing activities amounted to a total net cash outflow of €115 million in 2011 (2010 : 
net cash outflow of €290  million). €483 million  of 
the cash received from issuing the corporate bond 
was  used  to  refinance  the  senior  facility  agreement  (SFA).  The  Company  also  had  to  make  cash 
payments of €12 million  in connection  with  its bond  issue in the reporting  year. A further €54 million  
was used for the scheduled repayment of the credit line (capex facility). Interest payments rose by €1 3 
million to €147 million due to higher interest rate s for financial and capital market liabilities. This was 
counteracted  by  the  €133  million  drawdown  of  the  re volving  credit  facility  under  the  SFA.  In  2011, 
there were also payments of €14 million for currenc y hedges (2010: 0). 

The  cash  and  cash  equivalents  reported  on  the  face  of  the  balance  sheet  as  at  31  December  2011 
amounted to €373 million (31 December 2010: €253 mi

llion). 

For internal management purposes, free cash flow is much more narrowly defined as the total of cash 
flow from operating activities plus cash flow from investing activities. 

Reconciliation to free cash flow before tax

€ million

Cash flow from operating activities
Cash flow from investing activities

Free cash flow
Taxes paid
Interest on lease receivables/liabilities
Finance receivables incl. interest income
Cash out from ownership interests (after control)
Other items

Free cash flow before tax¹

¹ Internal key performance indicator

2011

387
-153 

234
43
12
-6 
-1 
-1 

282

2010

Change

199
-123 

76
13
10
-2 
-10 
-4 

83

94.1%
-23.8%

>100%

>100%
18.2%
<-100%
90.0%
75.0%

>100%

In  contrast  to  the  free  cash  flow  of  €234 million, 
management  purposes)  does  not  include  any  income  tax  payments  (€43  million)  or  lease  interest 
payments (€12 million). Cash receipts from financia l receivables and interest income (€6 million) and 
other  individual  items  that  are  treated  differently  in  accordance  with  IAS  7  were  also  reclassified  in 
2011. Allowing for these items, the free cash flow before tax amounted to €282 million, which was a 
sharp year-on-year rise of €199 million. 

free  cash  flow  before  tax  (the  figure  used  for 

5.3 Net assets 

The  Company's  total  assets  had  grown  by  €307  millio n  year  on  year  to  €6,066  million  as  at  31 
December 2011.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 32 of 57 

Group management report 

The structure of the KION Group's balance sheet continued to reflect its acquisition finance and the 
KION purchase price allocation. The net loss of €93  million reported for 2011 considerably increased 
the  amount  of  negative  equity  reported  on  the  balance  sheet.  The  KION  Group's  equity  came  to 
minus €488 million as at 31 December 2011 (31 Decem ber 2010: minus €400 million). 

Assets 

Condensed balance sheet, assets

€ million

Non-current assets
thereof:
  Goodwill
  Brand names
  Deferred tax assets
  Leased assets
  Lease receivables

Current assets
thereof:
  Inventories
  Trade receivables
  Lease receivables
  Cash

Total assets

2011

in (%)

2010

in (%)

∆  in %

4,160

1,538
594
262
540
243

68.6%

4,105

71.3%

25.4%

9.8%

4.3%

8.9%

4.0%

1,507
591
242
501
247

26.2%

10.3%

4.2%

8.7%

4.3%

1,906

31.4%

1,654

28.7%

625
677
118
373

6,066

10.3%

11.2%

2.0%

6.2%

536
633
121
253

5,759

9.3%

11.0%

2.1%

4.4%

1.4%

2.1%

0.6%

8.4%

7.7%

-1.6%

15.2%

16.8%

6.8%

-2.1%

47.7%

5.3%

Non-current assets rose by €56 million to €4,160 mi
€1,906 million. 

llion, while current assets grew by €252 million to  

The increase of €31 million in goodwill, which is r eported as a non-current asset, to €1,538 million a s 
at 31 December 2011 was almost exclusively attributable to the acquisition of India's Voltas Material 
Handling (€15 million), the purchase of a non-contr olling interest in UK-based dealer Linde Sterling (€9 
million) and the acquisition of Liftec's business in Russia (€7 million).  

The €20 million rise in deferred tax assets during 
recognition of provisions in connection with restructuring activities. 

the  year under review  was due in particular to the 

The  carrying  amount  of  leased  assets  reported  on  the  face  of  the  balance  sheet  increased  by  €39 
million to €540 million on the back of the larger v olume of business.  

Inventories,  which  are  reported  as  current  assets,  grew  sharply  by  €89  million  to  €625  million.  The 
larger volume of business caused a rise in inventories of materials, supplies and finished goods. At 17 
per  cent,  the  rate  of  increase  in  inventories  was  lower  than  that  of  revenue  growth.  Even  as  its 
business  in  new  trucks  grows,  the  KION  Group  still  aims  to  optimise  its  inventories  by  managing  its 
working capital rigorously. 

The larger volume of business also caused trade receivables to rise by €43 million to €677 million. Th e 
KION  Group's  optimised  receivables  management  meant  that  there  was  no  significant  increase  in 
valuation allowances and that receivables grew by less than revenue. 

The KION Group's cash and cash equivalents advanced by €120 million year on year to €373 million 
ion). This significant jump was largely a result 
as at 31 December 2011 (31 December 2010: €253 mill
of the €133 million drawdown of the revolving credi
t facility. This line was drawn in November 2011 as 
a precautionary measure in view of the uncertain situation in economic and financial markets and, as 
at 31 December 2011, was held as liquidity. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 33 of 57 

Equity and liabilities 

Condensed balance sheet, equity and liabilities

€ million

Equity

Non-current liabilities
thereof:
  Shareholder loan
  Corporate bond
  Financial liabilities
  Deferred tax liabilities
  Lease liabilities

Current liabilities
thereof:
  Financial liabilities
  Trade payables

  Lease liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

Group management report 

2011

in (%)

2010

in (%)

∆  in %

-488 

4,842

643
488
2,290
339
471

-8.0%

79.8%

10.6%

8.0%

37.7%

5.6%

7.8%

-400 

4,800

615
− 
2,772
335
411

-6.9%

83.3%

10.7%

0.0%

48.1%

5.8%

7.1%

1,711

28.2%

1,359

23.6%

227
634
230

6,066

3.7%
10.5%

3.8%

106
508
251

5,759

1.8%
8.8%

4.4%

-21.9%

0.9%

4.5%

-

-17.4%

1.2%

14.6%

25.9%

>100%

24.8%

-8.1%

5.3%

The equity and liabilities side of the balance sheet primarily reflects the financial liabilities incurred by 
the  KION  Group's  acquisition  finance  (SFA).  KION  Finance  S.A.,  a  recently  established  subsidiary 
based  in  Luxembourg,  issued  a  corporate  bond  for  €5 00  million  in  April  2011.  The  interest  on  the 
fixed-rate tranche of €325 million (7.875 per cent  per annum) is paid semi-annually, while interest on 
the floating-rate tranche of €175 million (three-mo nth Euribor + 4.25 percentage points per annum) is 
paid once a quarter. The bond's principal is redeemed as a bullet payment on maturity. €483 million 
of the total proceeds of €500 million was used in 2 011 to repay existing SFA liabilities, which reduced 
current  and  non-current  financial  liabilities  from  €2,878 million  in  2010  to  €2,517 million  in  2011.  A  
capital market liability of €488 million was recogn ised in respect of the bond after borrowing costs of 
€12 million had been deducted. 

Although the SFA funding was originally taken out in euros, some of it was converted into US dollars. 
The  last  dates  for  the  repayment  of  amounts  drawn  down  under  the  syndicated  loan  are  between 
December 2013 and December 2016. In both currencies, the interest payable is based on a variable 
rate. The KION Group has entered into interest-rate and currency derivatives – primarily interest-rate 
swaps, currency swaps and currency options – to hedge some of the interest-rate and exchange-rate 
risk  arising  from  the  acquisition  finance.  About  half  of  the  currency  and  interest  exposures  were 
hedged as at the reporting date.  

Financial  liabilities  before  borrowing  costs  advanced  by  €136  million  in  2011.  As  at  31  December 
2011, current and non-current liabilities to banks amounted to €2,530 million (gross), while liabiliti es 
relating to the corporate bond totalled €500 millio n. The liabilities to banks alone therefore reduced by 
€364 million year on year. Net inflows of €483 mill
ion from the issuance of the corporate bond were 
used to repay the SFA liabilities to banks and make a scheduled repayment of €54 million under the 
multi-currency  capex  facility.  However,  this  was  counteracted  by  the  precautionary  €133  million 
drawdown  of  the  revolving  credit  facility  and  by  new  SFA  interest  liabilities  from  deferred  interest 
(PIK) of €34 million. In addition, exchange differe nces arising from translation of the US dollar tranche 
of the SFA increased liabilities to banks by €19 mi

llion. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 34 of 57 

Credit terms 

Group management report 

€ million

Typ

Currency

Interest rate

Maturity

2011

2010

Bank Loan
Bank Loan
Bank Loan
Bank Loan
Bank Loan
Bank Loan

Term Loan Facility Term B 
Term Loan Facility Term B 
Term Loan Facility Term C 
Term Loan Facility Term C
Term Loan Facility Term D
Term Loan Facility Term G
Term Loan Facility H1a (Corporate bond - fixed rate)
Term Loan Facility H1b (Corporate bond - floating rate)
Multicurrency Revolving Credit Facility
Bank Loan
Multicurrency Capex Restructuring and 
Acquisition Facility

Bank Loan

EUR
USD
EUR
USD
EUR
EUR

EUR

EURIBOR + MARGIN
LIBOR + MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
LIBOR + MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
Fixed rate
3-M-EURIBOR+MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN

2014
2014
2015
2015
2016
2016
2018
2018
2013

EUR

EURIBOR + MARGIN

2013

Other liabilities to banks

Diverse

Diverse

Diverse

Financial debt
./. Capitalized borrowing costs
Financial debt after borrowing costs

691
311
663
311
202
111
325
175
133

72

38

911
297
870
297
201
106
− 
− 
− 

162

50

3,030
-33 
2,997

2,894
-22
2,872

The total borrowing costs of €33 million  incurred b y the loan negotiations conducted in 2009  and  in 
connection with the issuance of the corporate bond were allocated to the individual tranches on a pro-
rata basis and deducted from the carrying amounts of the liabilities in accordance with IAS 39. 

The weighted average interest rate on financial liabilities was 4.96 per cent at the reporting date (31 
December 2010: 4.55 per cent). 

Total net financial debt – including deferred refinancing costs – rose by €16 million to €2,657 millio n.  

Net financial debt

€ million

Corporate bond - fixed rate (2011/2018) - gross
Corporate bond - floating rate  (2011/2018) - gross
Liabilities to banks (gross)
Financial debt
./. Cash and cash equivalents
Net financial debt
./. Capitalized borrowing costs
Net financial debt after borrowing costs

2011

2010

Change

325
175
2,530
3,030
373
2,657
33
2,624

− 
− 
2,894
2,894
253
2,641
22
2,619

− 
− 
-12.6%
4.7%
47.7%
0.6%
49.7%
0.2%

Financial debt after borrowing costs

2,997

2,872

4.4%

Non-current lease liabilities grew by 15 per cent to €471 million owing to recently signed leases. Thi s 
increase reflects operating conditions in the key western European markets. The volumes of business 
in all the key leasing markets in 2011 exceeded the levels achieved in the five years leading up to the 
crisis. 

Trade  payables  advanced  by  25  per  cent  to  €634  mill
higher capital expenditure. Total lease liabilities also rose, from €662 million in 2010 to €701 milli
2011, owing to the increase in revenue from new trucks.  

ion  in  line  with  rising  production  output  and 
on in 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 35 of 57 

Group management report 

The  net  loss  of  €93 million  gave  rise  to  negative  e quity  of  €488 million  (31  December  2010:  minus 
€400 million). Exchange differences and other compr ehensive income increased equity by €7 million. 
Dividends paid to non-controlling interests amounted to €2 million.  

The equity calculated on the basis of these consolidated financial statements for the KION Group is of 
no relevance under the covenants agreed with the financing banks or under the German Commercial 
Code (HGB). The relevant figure under HGB in Germany is primarily the equity of KION Group GmbH 
as reported in that company's single-entity financial statements in accordance with HGB. This equity 
figure was €276 million as at 31 December 2011. The  equity of KION Holding 1 GmbH reported in the 
single-entity financial statements of that company in accordance  with HGB as at 31 December 2011 
amounted to €201 million. 

6. Research and development (R&D)  

The KION Group stepped up its research and development activities and pushed ahead with important 
projects  in  the  year  under  review.  Its  R&D  team  of  900  developers  included  over  70  additional 
employees compared with 2010. Spending on R&D in 2011 amounted to €120 million. This equates to 
2.8 per cent  of total revenue or 4.7 per cent  of its relevant revenue from new trucks and hydraulics, 
making the KION Group an industry leader in this regard.  

In  2011,  the  KION  brands  Linde,  STILL  and  OM  submitted  more  than  125  new  patent  applications, 
while  almost  100  patents  were  registered  for  the  applications  already  submitted.  This  enabled  the 
brands to secure the fruits of their research for their own benefit – an important step in maintaining and 
enhancing the KION Group's technology leadership, as set out in its strategy. 

Total R&D spending

€ million

R&D expenses
Amortisation
Capitalised development expenses

Total R&D spending
R&D spending as percentage of revenue

2011

120
-53 
53

120
2.8%

2010

Change

103
-47 
48

103
2.9%

15.8%
-11.0%
12.3%
16.3%

-

Research  and  development  is  a  key  corporate  function  in  the  KION  Group.  Ongoing,  structured 
expansion of the product portfolio is crucial if the KION Group is to maintain its technology leadership 
in  the  sector  over  the  long  term.  The  KION  Group's  R&D  team  works  steadfastly  on  designing  the 
Company's material-handling solutions to be even more powerful, flexible and energy-efficient and on 
responding now to the logistics requirements of tomorrow. Valuable synergies have been generated in 
the KION Group thanks to its cross-brand, multi-site approach to research and development, intensive 
sharing of knowledge and experience between the individual R&D teams and close consultation with 
other  areas  of  the  Company  such  as  procurement  and  production.  For  example,  by  developing 
modular components for forklift trucks, the Company has significantly lowered the manufacturing and 
product lifecycle costs of major system components. One of the main challenges of this was aligning 
the  individual  requirements  of  the  individual  brand  companies  and  the  region-specific  market  and 
customer  needs  with  the  common  parts  strategy  so  that  the  intended  efficiency  increases  could  be 
achieved within the KION Group's value chain. All of this contributes to the overarching objectives of 
rapid development, excellent product quality and sustained efficiency for KION trucks. 

The  focus  of  preliminary  development,  which  the  KION  Group  carries  out  in  close  cooperation  with 
various universities, in particular the universities in Munich and Hamburg, is predominantly the use of 
alternative drive technologies and the continuous improvement of driver ergonomics and safety in the 
workplace. Hybrid engines, new types of lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells contribute to reducing CO2 
and noise emissions while lowering the costs of drive systems for industrial trucks. Intelligent energy 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 36 of 57 

Group management report 

recovery systems that make optimum use of the drive system's energy represent a key challenge for 
preliminary  development,  as  does  the  application  of  the  latest  findings  from  medical  and  workplace 
research on improving the trucks' safety, comfort and user-friendliness.  

To  meet  differing  needs  worldwide,  the  KION  Group  again  expanded  its  international  R&D  sites  in 
2011.  In  October,  for  example,  it  inaugurated  the  newly  built  KION  Asia  development  centre  in 
Xiamen, which has more than 130 employees. Established more than ten years ago, the research and 
development  unit  hired  new  staff  in  2011  to  meet  the  growing  demand  for  localisation  and 
development.  The  new  R&D  centre  brings  together  teams  that  were  previously  located  in  different 
places, thereby further improving the unit's efficiency. Furthermore, the larger premises enable various 
projects  to  be  worked  on  simultaneously.  This  shortens  development  times  considerably.  The  Asian 
market is seeing growing demand for warehouse technology solutions, which is why the KION Group 
expanded its range of such trucks in China last year, adapting them to the needs of the local market. 
This trend is repeated in nearly all emerging markets and is therefore an integral part of international 
development projects.  

The KION Group has also taken on staff for electric and electronic development in order to maintain its 
pioneering  role  in  this  field.  Continuous  improvement  of  processes  and  the  targeted  application  of 
expertise  enable  the  Company  to  remain  in  its  market-leading  position.  It  has  been  working  on 
implementing software standards from the automotive industry that can be flexibly deployed thanks to 
their modular design. The focus of preliminary development in the electronics field has been ways to 
make  trucks  even  easier  to  operate  and  the  introduction  of  safety  systems.  In  addition,  the  KION 
Group  has  optimised  its  electronics  testing  unit,  speeding  up  processes  so  that  it  can  run  the  tests 
faster  and  at  lower  cost  overall.  The  product  innovations  revealed  at  CeMAT,  the  world's  leading 
intralogistics  trade  fair,  which  took  place  in  Hannover  in  May  2011,  reflected  the  Company's 
development work of recent years in the form of even more powerful, more energy-efficient and more 
ergonomic  material-handling  solutions.  These  achievements  encompassed  nearly  all  areas  of  the 
KION product portfolio.  

The  KION  Group  publicly  showcased  the  Linde,  STILL  and  Baoli  brands'  latest  technological 
innovations at CeMAT in Hannover. A new generation of electric forklift trucks with load capacities of 2 
to 5 tonnes was the main talking point at the Linde stand. The Linde E25 Li-Ion prototype is powered 
solely by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and boasts a load capacity of 2.5 tonnes. The particularly 
small batteries, whose individual cells can be installed completely flexibly, resulted in extra space that 
was used to make improvements to the truck's ergonomics. 

Another  highlight  was  the  presentation  of  the  world's  first  series-production  hybrid  truck  in  the  most 
important market: IC trucks with a load capacity of 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes. Sophisticated management of the 
energy  flows  in  the  truck,  combined  with  intelligent  energy  storage  technology,  have  reduced 
consumption by STILL's RX 70 Hybrid truck by up to 20 per cent. Energy efficiency and the reduction 
of  CO2  emissions  represent  one  of  the  biggest  challenges  of  the  21st  century,  one  that  STILL  is 
tackling  successfully  with  smart  and  resource-efficient  product  solutions.  Besides  its  environmental 
benefits,  hybrid  technology  has  also  become  attractive  from  a  commercial  perspective.  The  higher 
investment will pay off within two years assuming that the truck is operated for 1,500 hours per year. 
Work on refining hybrid technology  will be a key focus due to  the  exclusively  beneficial  effects of its 
use. 

In 2011, KION presented a study of a tow tractor with fuel-cell technology and a new warehouse truck 
concept with a lithium-ion drive system. These innovations mean the warehouse trucks produce zero 
emissions and little noise, making it possible to use them in almost any area. 

Besides  the  development  of  resource-efficient  industrial  trucks  and  warehouse  trucks,  the  KION 
Group's  R&D  activities  also  focus  on  the  intelligent  use  of  software  to  manage  and  control 
intralogistics. STILL's Fleet Data Services offer various software solutions for capturing and preparing 
vehicle  and  driver  data  and  making  it  available  online.  This  enables  the  optimum  coordination  of 
maintenance  and  service  because,  for  example,  service-related  data  can  be  sent  to  the  responsible 
service technician  ahead of an appointment. The system's day-by-day monitoring of the total cost of 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 37 of 57 

Group management report 

ownership  provides  customers  with  good  cost  transparency  and  valuable  information  for  calculating 
the profitability of their truck fleet. 

7. Capital expenditure  

Capital expenditure by the KION Group in the year under review amounted to €133 million, up by 7.7 
per  cent  compared  with  2010,  owing  to  the  continued  market  recovery  in  Europe  and  the  additional 
business  in  China  and  Brazil.  During  2011,  capital  expenditure  (excluding  equity  investments  and 
additions to leased assets) was focused on product development and the subsequent adjustments in 
production,  on  the  streamlining  of  production  and  on  IT  systems.  Other  major  capital  expenditure 
projects – construction of the production facility in Brazil and the new KION Asia development centre 
in Xiamen – resulted from expansion.  

In  São  Paulo,  the  KION  Group  began  to  build  a  new  production  site  for  counterbalance  trucks  last 
year. Significant capital was spent on the building and infrastructure in 2011. Good progress had been 
made  on  the  construction  work  by  the  end  of  the  year,  and  production  at  the  new  site  is  therefore 
expected to start up in mid-2012. 

The  KION  Group  uses  an  innovative  and  collaborative  product  development  process  for  its  trucks. 
This  process  shortens  the  development  period,  optimises  the  cost  of  both  development  and 
manufacturing and improves product quality. Duplication of work is avoided by making sure that all of 
the  necessary  departments  are  involved  in  the  product  development  process  at  a  very  early  stage. 
This forms the basis for financially viable, customer-focused products in existing markets and for the 
rapid expansion of the product range, especially in South America, Asia and eastern Europe. 

At  Linde's  Aschaffenburg  plant,  one  of  the  biggest  projects  in  terms  of  capacity  and  cost  was  the 
refinement  of  the  vehicle  and  mast  concepts  for  reach  trucks.  This  type  of  truck,  which  was  built  in 
Basingstoke (United Kingdom) until 2010, was significantly improved in terms of safety, performance, 
comfort,  reliability  and  efficiency  and  has  now  moved  into  series  development.  Other  capital 
expenditure in 2011 went on the new generation of electric forklift trucks with a load capacity of 2 to 5 
tonnes; they have now gone into full production. There were also investments in the development of 
very narrow aisle trucks and in alternative drive technologies, such as hybrid technology, fuel cells and 
lithium-ion batteries.  

The STILL brand's investing activities at its Hamburg site focused largely on the development of new 
trucks and refinement of existing ones as well on the integration of hybrid storage technology into its 
products. For example, the company pushed ahead with developing an IC/electric forklift truck with a 
load capacity of 6 to 8 tonnes and  a STILL IC truck in the 2.2 to 3.5 tonne  load capacity range  with 
innovative hybrid storage technology. The enhanced compact electric/IC truck with a load capacity of 6 
to  8  tonnes  is  designed  especially  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  paper  and  beverage  industries. 
This  work  is  aimed  at  consolidating  and  expanding  STILL's  leading  position  in  the  fast-growing 
segment  of  heavy-duty  and  container  trucks.  The  hybrid  truck  for  the  2.2  to  3.5  tonne  load  capacity 
range is enabling STILL to steadfastly pursue its aim of minimising energy consumption and reducing 
CO2 emissions. STILL  also invested  in a reach truck with a  vastly  improved  lift  mast incorporating  a 
mast damping system. The lift mast is based on the platform of the Linde model, thereby considerably 
lowering development costs as approximately 50 per cent of the parts are the same.  

New  product  developments  and  legal  changes  regularly  require  modifications  to  the  manufacturing 
process.  In  response  to  the  amended  European  regulations  on  exhaust  emissions,  the  KION  Group 
invested in a new paint shop at its site in Luzzara, Italy, which will go into operation in 2012. Capital 
expenditure on a new technology for diesel engines reduced the emissions of KION trucks with diesel 
engines. The centralised  European distribution centre for Linde spare parts,  which is located  in Kahl 
(Germany), began to invest in expanding and optimising its warehouse capacity in 2011 so that it can 
cope better with the increase in the high-margin spare-parts business. Capital expenditure is also used 
to  modernise  production  machinery  and  to  exploit  the  potential  for  greater  efficiency  offered  by  lean 
manufacturing processes.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Management report for 2011 

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Group management report 

The  Group-wide  IT  system  used  in  sales  is  being  continually  refined  and  optimised  as  part  of  the 
'KION ONE Sales & Services' project. The KION ONE Infrastructure project also continued in 2011. Its 
aim  is  to  merge  the  European  data  centres  and  optimise  the  existing  infrastructure  hardware  and 
software. 

8. Purchasing  

The far higher volume of orders taken in 2011 compared with 2010, the accompanying rise in material 
requirements and the generally high prices for commodities presented considerable challenges to the 
KION  Group  purchasing  unit  in  the  reporting  year.  Bottlenecks  in  the  supply  chain  that  had  first 
emerged  in  mid-2010,  particularly  for  electronic  components,  continued  into  2011.  The  high  level  of 
order intake also generated bottlenecks in the supply of industrial tyres. There were only slight delays 
in engine deliveries as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and this hardly affected the 
KION  Group's  supplies  at  all.  Close  partnership  with  suppliers  protected  the  KION  Group's 
procurement flow at all times. 

Interdisciplinary  teams  in  supply  development  had  been  set  up  in  late  2010  to  identify  and 
systematically leverage potential for improving the Company's cooperation with suppliers. The teams 
offered workshops to the suppliers – particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises – as well as 
concrete support on refining lean management, redesigning the layout of their factories and improving 
supply sources and terms. The steps taken were very well received by the KION suppliers and proved 
exceedingly successful thanks to the great flexibility of the suppliers and their exceptional willingness 
to optimise processes. 

The KION Group's costs for commodities in 2011 were very different to what they had been in 2011. 
Whereas  steel  plate  rose  by  a  moderate  7  per  cent  on  average,  prices  for  scrap  and  natural  rubber 
rocketed  by  over  20  per  cent  and  26  per  cent  respectively  in  the  middle  of  the  year.  However,  the 
sovereign  debt  crisis  caused  the  price  of  certain  commodities  to  decline  from  mid-2011  onwards, 
although  this  did  not  compensate  for  the  sharp  year-on-year  rises  seen  in  the  first  half  of  the  year. 
Steel  accounts  for  the  largest  share  of  the  volume  of  commodities  purchased  by  the  KION  Group. 
Prices for steel peaked in the first half of 2011 and fell continuously after that. In contrast, prices for 
scrap  only  stopped  climbing  at  the  end  of  last  year.  Copper  prices  reached  a  record  high  in  March 
2011 but tended to decline as the year progressed.  

As the KION Group mainly uses processed materials and components in the production of industrial 
trucks, increases in the market price for commodities do not  impact fully and directly  on the Group's 
cost  of  materials.  The  KION  Group  also  has  long-term  agreements  with  its  main  suppliers,  under 
which it obtains key components at fixed prices. As a result, sustained price increases are only felt at a 
later date. In some cases, for example batteries, rises in purchase prices can be passed on directly to 
end customers.  

The  cost  of  materials  in  the  KION  Group  increased  by  3.7  per  cent  overall  in  2011  compared  with 
2010.  As  a  result  of  the  KIARA  performance  enhancement  programme,  the  KION  Group  realised 
potential cost savings of 1.3 per cent. To ensure  an  uninterrupted supply  of critical components, the 
KION Group secured additional capacities from some of its suppliers. However this was only possible 
by paying higher prices. By the end of 2011, the cost of materials had climbed to €2,244 million (2010 : 
€1,714 million) due to the far higher order intake.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 39 of 57 

9. Employees  

Group management report 

Positive business performance and acquisitions increase headcount 

On  31  December  2011,  the  KION  Group  employed  21,862  people  (including  trainees  and 
apprentices),  roughly  62  per  cent  of  whom  worked  outside  Germany  in  27  different  countries.  The 
number of employees a year earlier had been 19,968. 

The significant  increase  in  headcount  was a result of the  KION Group's strong performance and the 
acquisition of companies abroad. The United Kingdom and India saw particularly sharp rises owing to 
the  acquisition  of  the  UK  dealer  Linde  Sterling  and  the  establishment  of  Voltas  Material  Handling. 
Personnel  resources  were  expanded  in  Germany  and  China,  above  all  in  production,  to  cope  with 
increased demand. Across the Company as a whole, the number of employees increased by 9.5 per 
cent year on year.  

Full-time equivalents

31/12/2011

Germany
France
Rest of Europe
China
Americas
Rest of World

Total

31/12/2010

Germany
France
Rest of Europe
China
Americas
Rest of World

Total

LMH

STILL

Other

Total

4,334
2,234
3,674
2,857
161
578

13,838

3,863
2,169
3,074
2,487
153
494

12,240

3,646
902
2,404
0
376
0

7,328

3,642
877
2,364
0
351
1

7,235

436
107
1
0
0
152

696

395
97
1
0
0
0

493

8,416
3,243
6,079
2,857
537
730

21,862

7,900
3,143
5,439
2,487
504
495

19,968

In line with the expansion in headcount during 2011, personnel expenses advanced to €1,064 million 
(2010: €968 million) – an increase of 9.9 per cent.  The personnel expenses ratio fell again, from 27.4 
per cent in 2010 to 24.3 per cent in the reporting year, owing to the increased capacity utilisation in all 
segments of the Group on the back of increased market demand. 

Consolidation of locations with minimum possible social impact 

The KION Group has decided to further consolidate its production operations within Europe. As part of 
this, the Company plans to relocate the manufacture of warehouse trucks from Montataire (France) to 
Luzzara  (Italy)  and  to  shift  production  of  counterbalance  trucks  from  Bari  (Italy)  to  Hamburg 
(Germany).  The  KION  Group  has  been  cooperating  closely  with  the  responsible  employee 
representatives and other partners within the company from an early stage in order to implement the 
two  projects.  It  is  examining  all  the  options  to  ensure  that  it  consolidates  the  locations  in  the  most 
socially compatible way. 

Investing in the future with training 

With a total of 621 (2010: 557) trainees and apprentices at the end of 2011, the Group continued to 
invest in training and development at the same high level to ensure that it can continue to recruit as 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Management report for 2011 

Page 40 of 57 

Group management report 

many as possible of the skilled workers it requires inhouse. The proportion of trainees and apprentices 
in Germany remained stable at 5.1 per cent in 2011. 

Securing tomorrow's potential with strategic executive development 

The KION Group continued to establish talent and succession management in 2011 as a key element 
of  strategic  staff  development.  It  has  revised  its  annual  management  review  so  as  to  enable  it  to  fill 
key positions across the Group with highly qualified executive talent. This tool is used to identify high-
potential  staff  and  young  talent  in  the  Group  and  then  give  them  targeted  support,  such  as 
participating in programmes in different brand companies and countries. 

The  KION  Group  uses  360-degree  feedback  for  the  development  of  its  specialist  workers  and 
executives. In this scheme, employees assess their own skills and performance and receive feedback 
from  colleagues.  Based  on  the  results,  a  personal  development  plan  is  then  drawn  up  and  put  into 
action.  

The  Management  Board  of  Linde  Material  Handling  has  initiated  'The  Linde  Way',  a  long-term 
corporate development programme for the brand that aims to bring business activities into line with the 
company's  vision  and  strategic  objectives.  The  concept,  which  was  completed  in  2011,  will  define 
management  principles  and  guidelines  for  establishing  a  global  performance  culture  and  ensuring  a 
high  level  of  staff  loyalty.  Reports  on  the  project's  progress  are  produced  each  month,  and  the  first 
results are expected as early as this year. 

Partial retirement models and occupational pension scheme as voluntary employee benefits 

The KION Group as an employer helps its employees to transition smoothly into retirement within the 
framework of local legal requirements. In Germany, for example, a partial retirement model consisting 
of two blocks is used: a working phase followed  by a non-working phase. As at 31 December 2011, 
412 employees of the KION Group in Germany were partially retired. 

The  KION  Group  regards  offering  an  occupational  pension  scheme  as  an  important  element  of  the 
employee/employer  relationship.  It  arranges  and  offers  such  schemes  in  the  various  countries 
depending on local legal requirements. For example, the KION Group offers its employees in Germany 
attractive occupational pension scheme options, including both direct insurance and a direct pension 
entitlement scheme. 

Direct  insurance  comes  in  the  form  of  a  tax-privileged  endowment  insurance  or  pension  insurance 
policy, which the employer takes out with an insurance company on behalf of the employee as a form 
of occupational pension scheme. The employee pays the insurance premiums in the form of deferred 
compensation,  which  means  that  part  of  his  or  her  gross  remuneration  is  paid  directly  into  the 
insurance policy. The direct insurance policy is paid out to the employee when it matures, which will be 
no sooner than the employee's 60th birthday. The benefits are paid either to the employee or to his or 
her surviving dependants.  

Under  the  direct  pension  entitlement  scheme,  which  the  KION  Group  operates  in  Germany  in 
accordance  with  various  pension  benefit  conditions  and  the  pension  plan,  the  employer  pays  the 
contributions into the occupational pension scheme directly. In contrast to direct insurance, the KION 
Group  as  employer  undertakes  to  provide  the  entitled  employee  with  benefits  in  the  form  of  a  lump 
sum or a pension when the employee retires dies or becomes unable to work.   

The KION pension plan offers a further element to the occupational pension scheme for employees in 
the KION Group. The advantage is that employees can defer compensation and thereby taxation on it 
as  well  as  making  use  of  allowances  for  occupational  pension  schemes  under  collective  pay 
agreements for the German metals industry. As at 31 December 2011, 1,181 employees were in the 
KION pension plan. 

Outside Germany, the brand companies in the KION Group also offer occupational pension schemes, 
for example in the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Management report for 2011 

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Competitive advantages of diversity 

Group management report 

As a global company, the KION Group benefits from national, cultural and social diversity. In the year 
under  review,  it  employed  people  of  more  than  40  nationalities  in  Germany.  Globally,  employees  of 
around  70  nationalities  work  for  the  KION  Group.  Because  the  Company  is  headquartered  in 
Germany,  people  from  this  country  make  up  the  largest  proportion  of  staff  (36.6  per  cent)  –  as  they 
have in previous years. They are followed by French staff (14.9 per cent) and Chinese staff (12.9 per 
cent), which is in line with market share.  

Female  employees  made  up  around  14.7  per  cent  of  the  KION  Group's  workforce  as  at  the  end  of 
2011. The proportion of female managers rose significantly year on year to 8.2 per cent.  

Tackling demographic change with optimum working conditions 

Demographic  change  is  having  an  increasing  impact  on  the  competitiveness  of  many  companies, 
particularly  in  Europe  and  North  America.  The  KION  Group  has  deliberately  set  itself  the  task  of 
finding the best way to use the potential of older and experienced employees in the Company and to 
create the optimum working conditions for older employees. 

At the end of the year under review, approximately 23 per cent of the KION Group's workforce were 
more than 50 years old and 57.5 per cent were aged between 30 and 50. Based on the situation at the 
end  of  2011,  more  than  a  third  of  staff  will  be  over  the  age  of  50  by  2015.  The  KION  Group  began 
preparing  itself  for  this  predicted  age  structure  at  an  early  stage  and  has  launched  various  age 
management  projects.  Its  overarching  aim  is  to  always  be  able  to  offer  all  its  employees  the  ideal 
conditions for their work.  

10. Management  

10.1 Key management team 

The  Executive  Board  of  KION  Group  consists  of  Gordon  Riske,  Harald  Pinger,  Otmar  Hauck  and 
Klaus Hofer.  

Gordon  Riske  has  been  Chief  Executive  Officer  (CEO)  since  2008  and  is  responsible,  among  other 
things, for strategy, communications, governance and compliance, market intelligence and the Group's 
Asian business. The CEOs of the brand parent companies Linde Material Handling, STILL and Voltas 
Material Handling report to him.  

Harald  Pinger  has  been  Chief  Financial  Officer  (CFO)  since  2008  and  is  responsible  for  finance 
(accounting, controlling, tax, treasury), financial services, IT activities, mergers & acquisitions, investor 
relations and the Americas region. He held the post of Labour Relations Director until 30 September 
2011.  

Otmar Hauck has been Chief Operating Officer of KION Group GmbH since 2009. He is responsible 
for quality and central operations, purchasing, logistics and product development in the Group.  

Klaus Hofer joined the Executive Board on 1 October 2011 and is responsible for human resources, 
legal affairs, health & safety and internal audit. He also took over as Labour Relations Director on that 
date.  

The  Executive  Board  normally  meets  every  14  days.  Apart  from  preparing  and  taking  all  decisions 
relating  to  the  day-to-day  management  of  the  Company,  the  Executive  Board  also  uses  these 
meetings to discuss and approve any transactions in the brand subgroups that require its consent. A 
list  of  the  transactions  requiring  such  consent  is  included  in  the  rules  of  procedure  for  the  relevant 
Management  Boards.  Under  its  rules  of  procedure,  the  Executive  Board  must  have  certain 
transactions  approved  by  other  decision-making  bodies  such  as  the  Supervisory  Board  or  the 
shareholders' meeting. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 42 of 57 

Diagram showing the responsibilities of the KION Group's Executive Board  

Group management report 

10.2 Supervisory Board 

The  Company's  Supervisory  Board  comprises  six  shareholder  representatives  and  six  employee 
representatives  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  German  Commercial  Code  (HGB)  and 
those  of  the  German  Codetermination  Act  (MitbestG).  The  Supervisory  Board  is  responsible  for  the 
tasks specified by law, the memorandum and articles of association and the rules of procedure relating 
to  the  supervision  of  the  management  of  the  business  by  the  Executive  Board.  It  also  advises  and 
supports the Executive Board in its handling of significant matters and business transactions.  

John Feldmann, a former member of BASF SE's Board of Executive Directors, has been the chairman 
of the Supervisory Board since 28 September 2011. He took over as chairman from Johannes Huth, 
the  representative  of  Kohlberg  Kravis  Roberts  &  Co.,  New  York,  USA.  Mr  Huth  had  assumed  the 
chairmanship of the Supervisory Board on an interim basis from 28 June 2011 to 28 September 2011 
after Manfred Wennemer had stepped down from the Company's Supervisory Board. 

In addition to a human resources committee and an audit committee, the Supervisory Board has set 
up  an  arbitration  committee  pursuant  to  section  27  (3)  MitbestG.  Shareholders  and  employees  have 
equal numbers of representatives on all the Supervisory Board committees.  

The  Supervisory  Board  normally  meets  once  during  each  quarter.  The  committees  hold  regular 
meetings  (the  audit  committee  meets  four  times  a  year,  for  example);  although  the  arbitration 
committee only meets if required to do so in circumstances specified by law or by the memorandum 
and  articles  of  association.  If  required,  the  committees  also  meet  between  the  regular  scheduled 
meetings. The remit of the Supervisory Board and its committees is defined by law, the memorandum 
and articles of association and the rules of procedure for the Supervisory Board and each committee. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 43 of 57 

10.3 Shareholders' meeting 

Group management report 

A  meeting  of  the  Company's  shareholders  is  held  as  required  by  the  memorandum  and  articles  of 
association  or  if  demanded  by  other  special  circumstances.  Resolutions  may  also  be  adopted  by 
shareholders using a procedure conducted in writing. 

10.4 Corporate governance 

The  KION  Group  publishes  details  of  its  corporate  governance  in  a  separate  corporate  governance 
report on its website: www.kiongroup.com. 

11. Sustainability  

The KION Group is aware of its responsibility towards society, the environment and the economy. That 
is  why  the  KION  Group  goes  above  and  beyond  its  legal  duties  to  specifically  promote  sustainable 
development  in  matters  of  social  and  environmental  importance.  Prevention  of  climate  change  and 
conservation  of  resources  therefore  take  top  priority  –  and  are  an  integral  element  of  the  Code  of 
Compliance. Innovative products support the KION Group's role as one of the pioneers in the use of 
cutting-edge  environmental  technologies.  The  Linde  and  STILL  brands  have  developed  ground-
breaking concepts for conserving resources. 

Focus on the environment and efficiency 

Linde attaches particular importance to ergonomics, the environment and efficiency. For example, ever 
since the first hydrostatic drive was developed in the 1950s, Linde has continually worked to improve 
the technology. Modern-day hydrostatic wheel motors operate at 170 revolutions per minute, instead of 
3,500  as  they  used  to  do.  Trucks  need  less  fuel  and  produce  fewer  emissions,  thereby  enabling 
customers to operate more efficiently. 

Linde  also  occupies  a  leading  position  when  it  comes  to  trucks  powered  by  diesel  engines.  The  particulate 
emissions of its diesel engines (H25D 392 model) are only approximately 35 per cent of those of competitors in 
the  market.  In  addition,  particulate  filter  systems  are  offered  as  optional  extras.  The  H  40-50  series'  energy 
consumption has been reduced by fitting a variable displacement pump for the lift hydraulics. The internal gear 
pump  with  a  constant  internal  volume  that  was  used  previously  has  been  replaced  by  an  axial-piston  pump 
developed  by  Linde  Hydraulics.  This  new  pump  has  a  variable  flow  that  can  be  controlled  electronically 
depending on load and lift height and reduces fuel consumption by up to 18 per cent.  

The  electric  forklift  trucks  developed  by  Linde  also  reflect  its  technology  lead:  energy  recovery  and  three 
different eco modes enable the E 20-50 series to use up to 35 per cent less energy yet still score top marks as far 
as  performance  and  efficiency  are  concerned.  The  Linde  brand  company  has  also  succeeded  in  reducing  the 
noise levels of these trucks by 30 per cent compared to the products of other manufacturers. The rate of wear is 
up to 20 per cent less for wearing parts. Moreover, the electric forklift trucks are low-maintenance, requiring a 
service every 1,000 hours and a hydraulic oil change only every 6,000 hours, while the encapsulated AC motors 
are entirely maintenance-free. In short, LMH generates benefits, not just for people but also for business and the 
environment. 

STILL  has  also  pursued  a  clear  strategy  of  greater  sustainability  for  many  years.  Three  of  the  main 
elements  of  this  strategy  are  the  Blue-Q  efficiency  mode,  which  was  launched  in  2005,  the  drive 
technologies developed by STILL and process optimisation. 

In  2011,  STILL  continued  to  press  ahead  with  the  introduction  of  the  Blue-Q  energy-saving  feature, 
which  is  now  available  in  electric  and  diesel  trucks,  the  FM-X  reach  truck  and  the  new  MX-X  order-
picker truck. Blue-Q offers energy savings of up to 20 per cent through intelligent management of the 
drive  and  ancillary  power  consumption.  Optimising  the  characteristics  of  the  drive  saves  energy 
without  impairing  operation  of  the  truck.  STILL's  RX  70  series,  which  already  boasted  the  lowest 
energy consumption in its class, is now even more efficient thanks to the addition of the RX 70 Hybrid 
(rated  capacity  of  3.0  and  3.5  tonnes).  The  RX  70  Hybrid  is  the  first  series-production  hybrid  forklift 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 44 of 57 

Group management report 

truck. Electric energy is stored during braking and can then be used by the drive. The new RX 70 has 
two  energy  storage  systems.  This  technology  was  first  presented  at  CeMAT  2008  as  ready  for  full 
production.  Besides  its  environmental  benefits,  hybrid  technology  has  also  become  attractive  from  a 
commercial perspective. The higher investment will pay off within two years assuming that the truck is 
operated  for  1,500  hours  per  year.  STILL  continues  to  focus  on  refining  hybrid  technology. 
Considerable efficiency gains are possible when tugger trains are used to supply the production line. 
Although still new, this concept has proven in practice to cut energy consumption by up to 90 per cent. 
Trucks  fitted  with  lithium-ion  battery  technology  were  showcased  for  the  first  time  at  CeMAT.  The 
PalletShuttle  is the first STILL product  with  a series-production lithium-ion battery  and  is designed to 
move pallets along a rack channel. It offers greater efficiency and saves energy. 

Intelligent technology secures competitive edge 

Pioneering technologies such as energy recovery in trucks, biodiesel, gas-powered trucks, the use of 
diesel particulate filters and adjustable pumps for lift drives, plus fuel-cell powered trucks, have a long 
tradition at the KION Group. Innovative drive concepts are the technology of the moment according to 
forecasts  from  industry  experts  at  the  2010  Congress  of  the  European  Federation  of  Materials 
Handling  (FEM)  in  Istanbul,  where  the  future  of  industrial  trucks  was  a  major  theme.  The  Industrial 
Truck  Association,  which  represents  forklift  truck  manufacturers  and  their  suppliers  in  Canada,  the 
United States and Mexico, expects that some 90 per cent of all trucks will be electric by 2025. A survey 
by the Engineering Committee of the Japanese Industrial Vehicles Association (JIVA) comes to similar 
conclusions and states that lithium-ion batteries and hybrid drives are the way forward. 

LMH  is  taking  a  step  in  this  direction  by  heading  up  the  'E-Log-Biofleet'  research  project  in  Austria. 
Working with prestigious partners, LMH is conducting an extensive field test in which a fleet of Linde 
industrial  trucks  with  a  fuel-cell  hybrid  solution  and  a  range  extender  are  being  trialled  in  realistic 
operating conditions. The fuel cell replaces the conventional battery so that the trucks can be used for 
longer and efficiency is improved. A supply of hydrogen is integral to the system and is ensured by the 
installation of a new  decentralised unit for producing  hydrogen from biogas, a carbon-neutral energy 
source. 

STILL  is  also  responding  to  the  trend  for  innovative  drive  concepts.  Its  new  RX  70  Hybrid  truck  is 
pursuing the twin aims of low energy consumption and low CO2 emissions. The concept is based on 
the RX 70 model, which itself previously earned the FLTA environment award from the UK's Fork Lift 
Truck Association. In 2011, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and Fraport AG, which operates Frankfurt 
Airport,  received  the  first  series-production  hybrid  forklift  trucks.  STILL  also  handed  over  a  new-
generation forklift to ALBA Nord GmbH in late 2011.  ALBA Nord GmbH is  a subsidiary  of the  ALBA 
Group, a Berlin-based environmental services provider and trader in raw materials. For STILL, the key 
to pioneering, innovative operations is above all sustainable business practices. The new hybrid drive 
makes  it  possible  to  reduce  energy  consumption  by  up  to  15  per  cent  and  thereby  lower  CO2 
emissions. 

Responsible use of resources  

The  KION  Group's  innovative  capabilities  and  the  technological  improvements  it  has  made  to  its 
product portfolio enable it to constantly optimise the resource consumption of customers' truck fleets. 
Its responsible use of resources is also reflected in its use of recyclable materials, its energy-efficient 
products and manufacturing processes and its environmentally friendly workplaces.  

One  such  example  is  the  powder  coating  equipment  used  at  STILL,  which  means  that  trucks  only 
require  one  coat  of  paint.  Solvents  are  not  used  in  production.  Any  unused  paint  is  collected  and 
reused. Moreover, the STILL plant in Hamburg has been using just 32 per cent of its previous natural 
gas  consumption  since  it  switched  to  low-CO2  district  heating.  As  a  certified  member  of  Hamburg's 
environmental partnership, the plant is trialling the voluntary monitoring of CO2. Electricity consumption 
has  fallen  considerably  since  2004  due  to  intelligent  energy  management,  in  which  electricity 
consumers  are  switched  off  at  regular  intervals.  Hydraulic  optimisation  of  the  heating  system  has 
significantly cut the amount of water in circulation and reduced the return water temperature. The plant 
saves electricity and water by connecting the heating and ventilation systems to a control station. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

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A  closed  water  circulation  system,  eco-friendly  coating  equipment,  grease  separators  and  efficient, 
powerful extraction systems in the production facilities and foundry are standard at Linde.  Emissions 
checks, environmentally efficient production requirements and the need to comply with environmental 
and health & safety standards all result in continuous improvements to products and work processes. 
The  recycling  of  a  truck  at  the  end  of  its  lifetime  is  already  taken  into  consideration  when  it  is 
developed. As a result, 99 per cent of a Linde truck can be recycled. The cast iron, which accounts for 
70  per  cent,  is  used  to  make  a  new  truck.  Other materials,  such  as  steel,  copper,  glass  and  service 
fluids, are almost 100 per cent recyclable.  

Staff development programmes safeguard the Group's future 

The  KION  Group's  employees  form  the  basis  for  its  long-term  success.  That  is  why  employee 
orientation lies at the heart of all processes. The corporate culture of the entire Group is characterised 
by  mutual  respect  and  appreciation.  Managers  and  their  staff  live  by  these  values.  Their  above-
average loyalty to the Company shows that they appreciate this culture – and is a crucial competitive 
advantage for the KION Group. After all, the brands can only develop, manufacture and sell premium 
products if they have employees who see their work as more than just a job.  

Professional training activities start with support for universities, work placements and apprenticeships, 
continue  with  professional  development  opportunities  for  the  workforce  and  reach  their  apex  with 
carefully structured personal development programmes to support managers and talented staff.  

Linde  Material  Handling  has  cooperated  with  high  schools  in  Aschaffenburg,  the  Aschaffenburg 
Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences and the Bavarian 
State  Government  for  many  years  and  has  developed  a  pupil/engineer  academy  for  high  schools  in 
which  topics  relevant  to  technological  and  scientific  careers  are  incorporated  into  the  curriculum  for 
older pupils.  

Work placements, discussions and school projects thereby forge links between business and schools. 
Support and development for the next generation of young professionals is provided by a wide range 
of  work  placement  options  for  students  at  university  and  a  close  partnership  with  Aschaffenburg 
University of Applied Sciences. 

Another  example  is  Linde's  alliance  programme  with  the  Karlsruhe  Institute  of  Technology  (KIT)  in 
which  business,  engineering  and  science  students  gain  key  qualifications,  preparing  them  to  tackle 
future challenges in the world of work. 

When  it  comes  to  vocational  training,  Linde  Material  Handling  sets  standards  as  the  largest  training 
provider in the Lower Main region of Bavaria. Besides professional training, other essential elements 
of the personal development plan for all trainees and apprentices are mutual appreciation and respect. 
These values are specifically taught and developed during training sessions.  

One advantage of KION's training and professional development models is their flexibility. This can be 
seen in the opportunities for working and learning in other countries. The Linde expat programme, for 
example,  enables  employees  to  move  from  headquarters  in  Germany  to  almost  any  partner  country 
and vice versa. 

Last year, 27 Linde employees took part in the 'managerial driving licence' scheme. About half of them 
have  already  completed  the  programme  and  the  remainder  will  do  so  this  spring.  The  'managerial 
driving  licence'  helps  employees  to  optimally  define  and  exercise  their  managerial  responsibilities 
within  their  team.  A  modular  series  of  seminars  teaches  new  managers  how  to  improve  their 
leadership behaviour in practice. 

Encouraging  the  next  generation  of  young  professionals  is  also  a  fundamental  aspect  of  STILL's 
training activities. STILL is involved in a number of projects in this area, including an alliance with the 
Career Center Hamburg, the SMS programme (STILL moves students) and cooperation with Hamburg 
University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Kurt Körber High School and Helmut Schmidt University on the 
'e-truck' robot construction project in Hamburg. These initiatives aim to establish ties with tomorrow's 
potential trainees, apprentices and employees while they are young. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The quality of the KION brands' training models has been recognised by external experts: a trainee at 
STILL was recognised by the Chamber of Crafts as 'Hamburg's best trainee 2011' for his outstanding 
exam results. 

In the annual talent reviews, managers at STILL systematically identify staff with strong potential, high 
performers  and  experts  in  key  functions  and  define  development  plans  for  them.  Talented  young 
professionals  take  part  in  various  programmes  that  will  enable  them  to  flourish.  One  of  these  is 
STILL's  International  Junior  Circle  for  international  staff  with  high  potential.  Participants  take  part  in 
various  activities  that  will  help  them  to  develop,  such  as  working  on  challenging  projects  as  part  of 
international  teams  and  attending  training  courses  on  project  and  team  management,  change 
management and presentation skills. The Young Professional Programme in Germany is a chance for 
younger  high  performers  to  learn  about  a  wide  range  of  topics  at  STILL,  providing  them  with  an 
excellent  insight  into  the  company  and  the  links  between  finance,  marketing,  production  and 
development. This broadens their horizons and results in active STILL-wide networks.  

Safety is an important topic, and the KION Group constantly provides initial and continuing training for 
its employees in this area. To improve safety at its sites, the KION Group conducted more than 1,000 
training  courses  in  Germany  alone  during  2011,  including  fire  protection  training,  courses  for  safety 
officers  and  induction  courses.  In-depth  analyses  of  accidents  and  detailed  action  plans  are  used  to 
reduce risks in the workplace. Training for managers heightens safety awareness at all levels. 

Standardised health, safety and the environment (HSE) audits are carried out at all production sites. 
The  first  step  is  to  analyse  the  sites  in  detail.  Local  managers  then  work  with  their  HSE  auditor  to 
define strategies and measures for making continuous improvements in the area of HSE.  

At  their  annual  international  meeting  with  Klaus  Hofer,  Chief  Human  Resources  Officer  of  the  KION 
Group, the international HSE managers presented the activities they carry out regarding health, safety 
and the environment. The HSE experts were able to adopt good solutions for use at other sites. KION 
has  also  put  in  place  an  HSE  policy  that  provides  central  guidelines  on  health,  safety  and  the 
environment for all KION Group companies. 

LMH responds to demographic change  

The  impact  of  demographic  change  on  society  poses  a  particular  challenge  to  companies.  LMH  is 
developing healthy living programmes for an ageing workforce that will have to work for longer, flexible 
working-time  models  and  attractive  solutions  that  give  women  more  options  when  it  comes  to 
combining  a  career  and  family.  LMH's  workplace  support  programme  enables  employees  with 
problems in their personal or professional life to obtain counselling from qualified experts.  
Good  training  and  career  development  opportunities  in  an  employee-oriented  working  environment 
that also meets changing expectations regarding work-life balance are key factors that help the brand 
companies to position themselves as attractive employers in the job market. 

Brands and employees support society 

Recognising  their  social  responsibility,  both  the  Executive  Board  and  employees  personally  support 
numerous charities.  

Following two earthquakes that devastated large areas of the eastern Turkish province of Van, KION 
and Linde Material Handling each donated around €35 ,000 to the rebuilding of the main lecture hall at 
Yüzüncü Yil University in Van. This gesture demonstrates the Group's support for education projects 
in its local markets.  

STILL  sponsors  the  Mittagskinder  e.V.  foundation,  which  looks  after  children  from  deprived  areas  of 
Hamburg, providing them with lunch and help with their homework on a regular basis as well as giving 
them  the  chance  to  take  part  in  educational  activities.  Other  associations  supported  by  STILL  are 
Kinderkrebs-Zentrum  Hamburg  e.V.,  which  supports  children  with  cancer,  Switch  e.V.,  which  runs 
multicultural projects, and the Nordchance training programme, which helps young people with limited 
employment prospects. For more than ten  years now, STILL has employed a group of  workers from 
Winterhuder Werkstätten, an organisation that trains and integrates people with disabilities. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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LMH  established  the  StaplerCup  hilft  e.V.  association  in  2008  to  support  charities  that  look  after 
children,  young  people  and  the  elderly.  The  association  arranges  charitable  events  and  collects 
donations at the final of the StaplerCup ('truck cup') tournament. In 2011, StaplerCup hilft e.V. donated 
€7,500 to Deutscher Kinderhospizverein, a children' s hospice association in Germany, and the same 
amount  to  Suppenschule,  which  provides  childcare  in  Aschaffenburg.  LMH  trainees  organised  a 
charity tombola at the 2011 StaplerCup, raising €15 ,000 for Initiative für Tapfere Kinder. This charity 
provides  financial  assistance  for  severely  ill  children,  supports  the  integration  of  young  people  with 
disabilities into everyday life and helps orphans and street children.  

A number of KION sites in various countries have stopped giving gifts to customers at Christmas and 
use  the  budget  instead  to  support  the  work  of  charitable  organisations.  For  example,  Linde  Lansing 
Fördertechnik  AG  (Dietlikon/Switzerland)  donated  five  warehouse  trucks  to  support  the  logistics 
processes  of  Schweizer  Paraplegiker-Stiftung,  a  unique  foundation  in  Switzerland  that  helps  people 
with spinal paralysis.  

12. Opportunities and risks report  

12.1 Opportunities report 

Recognising  and  seizing  strategic  and  operational  opportunities  is  an  integral  element  of  successful 
corporate  management.  To  identify  these  opportunities,  the  Company  systematically  monitors  and 
analyses its relevant markets and tracks overall and sectoral economic trends. Once it has analysed 
and  evaluated  the  opportunities,  the  KION  Group  adopts  and  implements  strategic  initiatives.  These 
are always aimed at profitable growth and a sustained increase in shareholder value.  

The following developments open up significant potential opportunities: 

Logistics trends offer good growth opportunities in industrialised nations 

The market for industrial trucks is strongly  correlated  with industrial output – and therefore also  with 
macroeconomic  trends.  Growth  of  the  global  economy,  particularly  in  terms  of  world  trade,  has  a 
corresponding positive effect on the demand for industrial trucks. Greater division of labour and rising 
inventory  turnover  rates  in  the  major  industrialised  nations  continue  to  increase  the  degree  of 
mechanisation in logistics. These growing demands on warehouse organisation will, in turn, increase 
demand  for  efficient  warehouse  equipment  and  comprehensive  intralogistics  solutions.  The  KION 
Group is excellently placed in the industrial trucks market and will seize the opportunities presented by 
market growth, drawing on its outstanding portfolio of products and services. 

Strong basis for future growth in the emerging markets 

The KION Group is already very well positioned in the major emerging markets. It is a leading supplier 
in  eastern  Europe,  the  largest  international  manufacturer  in  China  and  the  second  largest 
manufacturer  in  Brazil.  Since  2011,  it  has  also  had  a  stronger  foothold  in  India.  In  the  fast-growing 
markets of eastern Europe, South America and Asia, sales of industrial trucks will continue to benefit 
from more rapid overall economic growth and associated expansion investment and will therefore rise 
faster  than  in  the  more  established  markets.  Trucks  from  the  economy  segment  are  predominantly 
offered in the fast-growing regions, enabling the high level of demand in these markets to be met yet 
also fulfilling the need for high-quality products at an affordable price. Thanks to its brand portfolio, the 
KION Group is very well placed to satisfy these requirements.  

Different brands and products for differing customer requirements  

Customers'  requirements  vary  significantly  depending  on  the  situation  in  the  individual  market  and 
other local characteristics. The KION Group is able to meet these requirements at all times with its six 
brands – Linde, Fenwick, STILL, OM (from 2012 OM STILL), Baoli and Voltas. They cover the entire 
spectrum of industrial trucks, from basic warehouse equipment to container handlers. Ergonomics and 
intelligent  intralogistics  are  the  hallmarks  of  products  from  Linde,  Fenwick,  STILL  and  OM  STILL. 
These  brands  are  industry  leaders  in  technology  and  innovation  thanks  to  their  technologically 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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sophisticated,  solution-oriented  product  portfolios.  Baoli  und  Voltas,  on  the  other  hand,  cater  to  the 
economy segment in the high-growth markets. This broad-based structure enables the KION Group to 
benefit from growth in all market and product segments and thereby effectively build market share. 

Service business improves revenue planning and increases customer retention 

In contrast to new truck sales, the service business is largely independent of the economic cycle and 
gains  further  support  and  impetus  from  growth  in  the  number  of  active  trucks  in  the  market.  An 
increasingly  important  role  is  being  played  by  services  such  as  maintenance  &  repairs,  spare-parts 
business,  short-term  &  long-term  truck  rentals,  the  range  of  finance  solutions  and  IT-based 
approaches  to  efficient  fleet  management.  The  KION  Group's  broad  spectrum  of  services  and  an 
active fleet of more than one million trucks worldwide provide solid foundations for continued growth of 
its service volume. Service activities also improve customer loyalty and enable the Company to predict 
its revenue streams over a longer period. The KION Group will apply its expertise to further expanding 
its range of efficient service solutions, adapting them to local needs and thereby increasing its market 
share. 

Ongoing evaluation of opportunities for growth by acquisition 

Despite  the  increasing  degree  of  consolidation,  the  market  for  industrial  trucks  remains  highly 
fragmented and is dominated by suppliers with a regional focus. Besides potential for organic growth, 
the  KION  Group  continuously  evaluates  opportunities  for  growth  by  acquisition  in  relevant  foreign 
markets. The Company studies the markets on an ongoing basis, examining not only well positioned 
manufacturers but also service providers and distributors. 

'Green logistics' remains a megatrend in the industry 

Efforts to reconcile economic and environmental requirements are an important issue when it comes 
to  logistics.  As  an  innovation  leader,  the  KION  Group  therefore  examines  eco-friendly,  fuel-saving 
technologies  in  all  product  classes.  Customers  benefit  from  lower  product  lifecycle  costs,  which 
encompass the purchase, maintenance and repair costs as well as fuel consumption and labour costs. 
Linde  Material  Handling  regularly  looks  at  how  protecting  people  and  the  environment  can  be 
optimised  in  each  area  of  the  company  and  is  implementing  projects  to  put  this  into  practice.  STILL 
offers forklift trucks with particularly low fuel consumption, while its hybrid technology has elevated it to 
a leading market position. Developing sustainable technologies and translating them into cost-effective 
yet  environmentally  sustainable  products  will  remain  a  focus  for  the  KION  Group  in  future  as  they 
continue to generate further growth opportunities for the Company.  

Greater competitiveness through operational excellence 

The KION Group believes that its organisational structure with locations worldwide and various brand 
companies offers additional potential for synergies, above all in purchasing, development, production 
and logistics. The Company wishes to make the best possible use of the variety of options for boosting 
operational  efficiency  and  thus  profitability.  Implementation  of  uniform  production  standards, 
consolidation of the product portfolio, design-to-cost initiatives and supplier management projects are 
just  some  examples  of  current  efforts  to  improve  operational  excellence.  Opportunities  for  improving 
efficiency  and  therefore  the  competitiveness  of  the  entire  Group  are  assessed  and  exploited  on  an 
ongoing basis. 

12.2 Risk management  

The  KION  Group  encounters  business  risks  that  may  jeopardise  its  business  objectives.  Risk 
management, like opportunity management, therefore forms an integral part of the Company's day-to-
day  management.  To  ensure  that  the  risk  management  systems  are  fully  integrated  into  the  KION 
Group's overall financial planning and reporting process, they are located in the Group Accounting & 
Finance  function.  The  procedures  governing  the  KION  Group's  risk  management  activities  are  laid 
down  in  internal  risk  guidelines.  For  certain  types  of  risk,  such  as  financial  risk  or  risks  arising  from 
financial services, the relevant departments also have guidelines that are specifically geared to these 
matters and describe how to deal with inherent risks.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Risk management is organised in such a way that it directly reflects the structure of the Group itself. 
Consequently, risk officers supported by risk managers have been appointed for each company and 
each division. A central Group risk manager is responsible for the implementation of risk management 
processes  in  line  with  procedures  throughout  the  Group.  His  or  her  remit  includes  the  definition  and 
implementation of standards to ensure that risks are uniformly captured and evaluated.  

The  risk  management  process  is  organised  on  a  decentralised  basis.  Firstly,  a  Group-wide  risk 
catalogue  is  used  to  capture  the  risks  attaching  to  each  company.  Each  risk  must  be  captured 
individually.  If  the  losses  caused  by  a  specific  risk  or  the  likelihood  of  this  risk  occurring  exceed  a 
defined  limit,  the  KION  Group's  Executive  Board  and  its  Accounting  &  Finance  function  are  notified 
immediately.  A  specially  developed  module  within  the  internet-based  reporting  system  used  for  the 
entire planning and reporting process is used to document each risk.  

The risks reported by the individual companies are combined to form divisional risk reports as part of a 
rigorous reporting process. To this end, minuted risk management meetings are held once a quarter. 
Moreover, material risks are discussed at the quarterly business review meetings. The divisional risk 
reports are then used to compile an overall risk portfolio for the KION Group as a whole. To support 
this,  additional  meetings  are  held  each  quarter  with  relevant  departments  of  the  holding  company  in 
order  to  identify  and  assess  risk,  above  all  Company-wide,  cross-brand  risk  affecting  areas  such  as 
treasury,  purchasing,  tax,  human  resources  and  financial  services.  The  Executive  Board  and  the 
Supervisory  Board's  audit  committee  are  informed  of  the  KION  Group's  risk  position  at  least  once  a 
quarter.  

Material features of the internal control and risk management system  
pertaining to the (Group) accounting process  

Principles 

The main objectives of the special  accounting-related internal control system are to avoid the risk of 
material  misstatements  in  financial  reporting,  to  identify  material  mismeasurement  and  to  ensure 
compliance  with  the  applicable  regulations.  There  can,  however,  be  no  absolute  certainty  that  these 
objectives are achieved in full and at all times.  

Material processes and controls in the (Group) accounting process 

For  its  (Group)  accounting  process,  the  KION  Group  has  defined  suitable  structures  and  processes 
within  its  internal  control  and  risk  management  system  and  implemented  them  in  the  organisation. 
Changes  to  the  law,  accounting  standards  and  other  pronouncements  are  continually  analysed  with 
regard to their relevance and effect on the consolidated financial statements; the relevant changes are 
then incorporated into the Group's internal policies and systems.  

Besides defined control mechanisms, this special accounting-related internal control system includes, 
for example, system-based and manual reconciliation processes, separation of functions, the double-
checking principle and adherence to policies and instructions.  

The  employees  involved  in  the  Group's  accounting  process  receive  regular  training  in  this  field. 
Throughout  the  accounting  process,  the  local  companies  are  supported  by  central  points  of  contact. 
The  consolidated  accounts  are  drawn  up  centrally  using  data  from  the  consolidated  subsidiaries.  A 
consolidation  department  with  specially  trained  employees  carries  out  the  consolidation  activities, 
reconciliations  and  monitoring  of  the  stipulated  deadlines  and  processes.  This  team  monitors  the 
system-based  controls  and  supplements  them  with  manual  checks.  The  entire  accounting  process 
contains a number of specific approval stages. Employees with the relevant expertise provide support 
on specialist questions and complex issues. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The central Internal Audit department also checks, among other things, the reliability of the accounting 
work by the subsidiaries in Germany and abroad. It focuses primarily on the following aspects: 

•  

•  
•  
•  

Compliance  with  legal  requirements,  directives  from  the  Executive  Board,  other 
policies and internal instructions  
Integrity and effectiveness of the internal control systems for avoiding financial losses 
Correct performance of tasks and compliance with business principles 
Formal and material correctness of the accounting and of the financial reporting that is 
based on the accounting. 

12.3 Types of risk 

12.3.1 Risks arising from the sovereign debt crisis 

Even though the markets performed very well overall in 2011, risk management continued to examine 
the  possible  impact  of  the  financial  crisis  and  of  the  performance  of  the  real  economy  on  the  KION 
Group's financial position and financial performance. In addition to ongoing screening and monitoring, 
the risk reports therefore included a separate assessment of the risks arising from the sovereign debt 
crisis. The economic problems in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, the EU rescue packages 
and  the  undercapitalisation  of  European  banks  that  has  become  apparent  were  all  signs  that  the 
financial  crisis  –  and  in  particular  the  economic  crisis  in  southern  Europe  –  has  not  yet  ended. 
Furthermore, it may flare up again at any time and spread to other regions.  

Government  action  to  support  economies  and  the  financial  system  resulted  in  a  rise  in  government 
indebtedness  worldwide.  In  Greece,  Italy,  Spain,  Portugal  and  Ireland,  debt  repayments  and  the 
consolidation of national budgets restrict future flexibility and increase the pressure on governments to 
take  appropriate  action  in  terms  of  both  income  and  expenditure.  It  is  impossible  to  predict  the 
implications  that  this  may  have  for  the  material-handling  market  and  therefore  also  for  the  KION 
Group. 

12.3.2 Market risks 

Cyclical fluctuations in macroeconomic activity have always affected the market for industrial trucks. A 
downturn  or  stagnation  in  the  industries  and  regions  relevant  to  the  KION  Group  represents  a  risk. 
Customers' decisions on whether to invest, particularly in new trucks, depend to a large degree on the 
economic  situation.  The  KION  Group  mitigates  this  risk  with  its  multi-brand  strategy,  comprehensive 
product  portfolio  and  a  diverse  customer  base  consisting  of  companies  of  different  sizes  in  different 
industries and regions. Market risk is also reduced by close monitoring of markets and competitors as 
well  as  any  resulting  necessary  adjustments  to  production  capacities.  The  KION  Group  takes 
measures  to  boost  its  sales  and  further  expand  less  cyclical  business  activities  such  as  services  in 
order to counteract economic downturns. 

Global economic prospects have been very varied in recent times, and the markets therefore remain 
fragile. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes the global economic situation is still at risk due 
to the decline in the pace of growth in all regions of the world and owing to uncertainties regarding the 
funding position of public finances and financial institutions. In addition to a high level of uncertainty in 
the  euro  zone,  there  is  also  a  continuing  risk  of  a  slowdown  in  growth  in  the  United  States.  Current 
developments,  above  all  in  Europe,  are  making  it  increasingly  difficult  to  gauge  demand  patterns 
reliably. The precise timing and even the extent of any change in the markets remains uncertain. The 
KION  Group  therefore  closely  monitors  macroeconomic  and  market  conditions  so  that  it  is  ready  to 
promptly step up action already implemented or initiate additional measures if required. 

12.3.3 Competition risks 

Manufacturers from Asia, especially those from China and Korea, have cost advantages in production 
due to the currency situation and also because Asian labour costs are lower. Providers from Asia can 
create  additional  competitive  pressures  in  Europe,  especially  in  this  market  environment.  However, 
customers'  high  quality  expectations  and  performance  needs  form  a  barrier  to  growth  for  many  of 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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these manufacturers. Their lack of an established distribution and service network in Europe makes it 
more difficult for them to gain a foothold in this market.  

Alliances, partnerships and acquisitions are playing an increasing role in improving competitiveness in 
terms  of  resources,  market  access  and  product  range.  The  KION  Group  continually  evaluates  its 
options  for  strengthening  and  consolidating  its  market  position.  An  example  of  this  in  2011  was  the 
establishment of Voltas Material Handling in India. 

12.3.4 Procurement and sales risks 

The  KION  Group  is  exposed  to  risks  in  its  procurement  and  sales  activities.  In  2011,  the  Group 
rigorously  maintained  its  more  intensive  management  of  receivables  and  procurement  as  a  result  of 
the economic crisis. 

Procurement activities constitute a potential risk for the KION Group in terms of the lack of availability 
of parts and components and the rising cost of raw materials, energy, base products and intermediate 
products.  As  in  2010,  the  supply  of  components  was  a  source  of  risk  last  year  due  to  the  surge  in 
demand. Whereas there had still been isolated problems in the supply of electronic components at the 
start of the year, supplies of industrial tyres proved difficult as the year progressed. During the second 
half of 2011, the KION Group experienced sometimes considerable delays in the supply of plastic and 
electronic parts from individual suppliers. The shortage of parts had improved significantly by the end 
of the year due to the intensive efforts on the part of the Company's logistics staff and the new supplier 
development department, which works with suppliers on the ground to improve processes. 

The earthquake and tsunami in Japan in spring 2011 did not lead to any major supply problems for the 
KION  Group  because  it  obtains  just  a  small  volume  of  goods  directly  from  there.  Only  the  supply  of 
internal  combustion  engines  was  interrupted  for  a  few  weeks  in  May  and  June  2011.  However,  the 
Japanese suppliers had caught up with the delivery backlog by July. 

Prices  had  been  rising  quickly  from  the  second  quarter  of  2010  onwards  as  a  result  of  the 
aforementioned  increase  in  demand  in  the  supplier  markets.  This  trend  continued  into  the  first  six 
months of 2011, but the second half of the year saw a much calmer price situation in the commodity 
markets.  

As  far  as  its  sales  are  concerned,  the  KION  Group  is  exposed  to  stiffer  competition  and  therefore 
downward pressure on prices as a result of increasing globalisation and greater market transparency. 
Nevertheless, the KION Group was again able to maintain appropriate pricing for its customers in a 
competitive  environment  in  2011.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  also  optimising  its  cost  structures  and 
business processes. For example, the KION Group continued to systematically implement its KIARA 
performance  enhancement  programme,  thereby  significantly  lowering  its  costs.  The  successful 
programme finished  at the end of 2011. The brand companies in the  KION Group are also steadily 
improving their services. Key factors for success here are the expansion of the distribution network, 
better logistics processes for spare parts and 24/7 availability of the service team.  

The  Baoli  brand  enables  the  KION  Group  to  supply  customers  in  low-price  market  segments  who 
were previously difficult to reach. Baoli also provides the KION Group with a line of trucks with which 
to meet demand for basic products, particularly in developing markets. In addition, the KION Group 
has strengthened its position in the Indian market by establishing Voltas Material Handling. 

12.3.5 Production risks 

The  KION  Group's  closely  integrated  manufacturing  network  presents  a  potential  risk  to  its  ability  to 
deliver goods on time in the event of operational disruptions or lengthy periods of production downtime 
at  individual  sites.  To  mitigate  these  risks,  the  KION  Group  carries  out  preventive  maintenance, 
implements fire protection measures, trains its staff and builds a pool of external suppliers. 

The Company has taken out a commercially appropriate level of insurance cover against loss. Quality 
assurance  is  a  high  priority  throughout  the  value  chain  and  reduces  possible  quality-related  risks 
arising  from  the  products  and  services  provided.  The  KION  Group  mitigates  its  quality-related  risks 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

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Group management report 

significantly  by  applying rigorous quality standards to  its development activities,  conducting stringent 
controls throughout the process chain and maintaining close contact with customers and suppliers. 

12.3.6 Financial risks 

The  main  types  of  financial  risk  managed  by  Group  Treasury,  including  risks  from  funding 
instruments,  are  liquidity,  exchange-rate,  interest-rate  and  counterparty  risk.  Credit  risk  consists 
solely of counterparty risks attaching to financial institutions. Risk management procedures issued by 
Group Treasury stipulate how to deal with the aforementioned risks. In contrast, the individual Group 
companies directly manage counterparty risks involving customers.  

The restructuring of the existing acquisition finance during 2009 continued to provide the Group with 
the flexibility needed to meet the requirements of the lending covenants. Accordingly, the KION Group 
has  secured  acquisition  finance  in  the  form  of  committed  credit  lines.  The  individual  tranches  have 
varying  maturities,  the  longest  bank  liability  extending  until  the  end  of  2016.  Apart  from  that,  €483 
million  of  the  original  acquisition  financing  have  already  been  repaid  through  the  corporate  bond  of 
€500 million with maturity in 2018. The revolving c redit facility has the shortest maturity expiring end of 
2013 (cf. table credit terms on page 50, section 5.2 Financial position). The Company expects that it 
will  be  able  to  agree  an  extension  with  the  banks  before  this  date  or  that  alternative  refinancing 
schemes  can  be  implemented.  Further  measures  to  ensure  long-term  financing  are  actively  and 
continuously  pursued  by  the  company.  As  contractually  agreed,  the  capex  facility  was  reduced  by 
approximately €54 million over the course of 2011.    

The  Company  generally  refers  to  credit  ratings  to  manage  counterparty  risk  when  depositing  funds 
with a financial institution. Deposits are also restricted to the limits covered by the deposit protection 
fund run by the Federal Association of German Banks. On 7 November 2011, the KION Group drew 
down  €133  million  from  the  revolving  credit  facilit y.  Although  sufficient  liquidity  was  available  for 
operational  business, capital expenditure and debt servicing, a stronger cash  position is considered 
sensible in view of the current volatility of the financial markets. The KION Group also established a 
further  diverse  group  of  creditors  that  is  independent  of  the  banks  by  issuing  a  corporate  bond  of 
€500 million in April 2011. 

The  KION  Group  only  uses  derivatives  to  hedge  underlying  operational  transactions;  they  are  not 
used for speculative purposes. Records are kept of the type of financial instruments used, the limits 
governing  their  use  and  the  group  of  banks  acting  as  counterparties.  Group  Treasury  rigorously 
complies  with  and  monitors  the  strict  separation  of  functions  between  the  front,  middle  and  back 
offices.  

Each Group company's liquidity planning is broken down by currency and incorporated into the KION 
Group's  financial  planning  and  reporting  process.  Group  Treasury  checks  the  liquidity  planning  and 
uses it to determine the funding requirements of each company. Normally, at least 50 per cent of the 
exchange-rate risk related to the planned operating cash flows based on liquidity planning is hedged 
by currency forwards in accordance with the relevant guideline. 

The  KION  Group  uses  interest-rate  and  currency-related  derivatives  –  primarily  interest-rate  swaps 
and  currency  swaps,  but  also  interest-rate  and  currency  options  –  to  hedge  the  interest-rate  and 
currency  risks  arising  in  connection  with  the  acquisition  finance.  Approximately  50  per  cent  of  the 
currency  risk  arising  from  the  US  dollar  tranche  is  hedged  by  currency  forwards  with  an  average  €-
US$  exchange  rate  of  around  1.38.  These  derivative  contracts  expire  in  November  2012. When  the 
currency  hedges  expire,  there  may  be  a  material  outflow  of  funds,  depending  on  the  US  dollar 
exchange rate. At the end of 2011, around 60 per cent of the interest-rate risk was hedged by interest-
rate  swaps  or  was  subject  to  a  fixed  rate  of  interest.  The  need  to  add  new  hedging  instruments  or 
replace ones that expire is reviewed on an ongoing basis.  

The  funds  raised  for  acquisitions  also  give  rise  to  risks  for  the  KION  Group  in  terms  of  compliance 
with certain financial covenants specified in the loan agreement. This risk continues to apply in view 
of  the  current  uncertain  economic  and  financial  market  environment.  However,  the  Company  is 
mitigating it by continuing steadfastly with steps to boost efficiency and by ensuring sufficient flexibility 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 53 of 57 

Group management report 

when defining new lending agreements. The KION Group complied with all the lending covenants in 
the reporting year. 

12.3.7 Accounting risks arising from goodwill and the brands 

In  2011,  goodwill  and  the  brands  represented  35  per  cent  of  total  assets  (2010:  36  per  cent). 
Pursuant  to  IFRS,  these  assets  are  not  amortised  and  their  measurement  depends,  above  all,  on 
future expectations. If these future expectations are not fulfilled, there is a risk that impairment losses 
will have to be recognised on these assets.  

12.3.8 Risks from financial services 

The  funding  terms  and  conditions  faced  by  the  lenders  themselves  (manifested,  for  example,  in  the 
payment of liquidity  premiums on interbank lending) may result in a future shortage of lines of credit 
and/or  increased  financing  costs  for  companies.  However,  the  Group  currently  does  not  expect  any 
further changes in its lines of credit or any excessive increases in margins.  

The  KION  Group's  leasing  activities  mean  that  it  may  be  exposed  to  residual  value  risks  from  the 
marketing of trucks that are returned by the lessee at the end of a long-term lease and subsequently 
sold  or re-leased. Residual values in the markets for used trucks are therefore  constantly monitored 
and forecast. 

KION regularly assesses its overall risk position arising from financial services. The risks identified are 
immediately  taken  into  account  by  the  Company  in  the  costing  of  new  leases  by  recognising 
writedowns or valuation allowances and adjusting the residual values. 

Risk-mitigating  factors  are  the  development  and  refinement  of  the  KION  Group's  international  used-
truck marketing, the ongoing expansion of used-truck marketing to end customers, and the increase in 
demand accompanied by the optimisation of its profitability, which all stabilise the residual values of its 
industrial  trucks.  The  majority  of  the  residual  values  have  underlying  remarketing  agreements  that 
transfer  any  residual-value  risk  to  the  leasing  company.  This  had  a  positive  impact  on  the  2011 
financial  results.  Group-wide  standards  to  ensure  that  residual  values  are  calculated  conservatively, 
combined with an IT system for residual-value risk management, reduce risk and provide the basis on 
which to create the transparency required.  

The  KION  Group  mitigates  its  liquidity  risk  and  interest-rate  risk  by  ensuring  that  most  of  its 
transactions  and  funding  loans  have  matching  maturities.  Long-term  leases  are  primarily  based  on 
fixed-interest  agreements.  The  credit  facilities  provided  by  various  banks  ensure  that  the  Group  has 
sufficient  liquidity.  Moreover,  the  KION  Group  offers  the  majority  of  financial  services  via  selected 
financing partners that bear the risks of the finance transaction.  

In order to exclude exchange-rate risk, KION generally funds its leasing business in the local currency 
used in each market. 

Because  of  low  default  rates,  counterparty  risk  has  not  been  significant  to  date  in  the  KION  Group. 
The Group has not identified any material changes between 2010 and 2011. KION also mitigates any 
losses from defaults by its receipt of the proceeds from the sale of repossessed trucks. It also primarily 
offers  financial  services  indirectly  via  selected  financing  partners,  and  KION  bears  the  counterparty 
risk  in  under  5  per  cent  of  cases.  The  credit  risk  management  system  was  updated  during  2011  in 
preparation for the planned transfer of financial services activities to a separate segment. In particular, 
this involved revising the regulations concerning the process organisation as well as processes for risk 
management and control.  

12.3.9 Human resources 

For KION to secure its long-term success, it is vital that managerial staff and  young professionals of 
sufficient quality and quantity to meet its future challenges are retained within the Company for a long 
period, particularly in key functions.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 54 of 57 

Group management report 

One  of  the  critical  challenges  is  to  identify  and  develop  young  professionals  with  high  potential  who 
already  work  for  the  Company  and  to  retain  them  over  the  long  term,  thereby  enabling  succession 
planning  for  key  roles  across  the  Group.  The  KION  Group  must  also  position  itself  in  the  external 
market as an employer of choice so that it can identify and recruit suitable talented candidates. This 
will enable it to make strategic additions to its portfolio of existing staff and, in this way, avert the risk of 
possibly losing expertise and thereby becoming less competitive. 

In  the  year  under  review,  the  KION  Group  introduced  plans  to  consolidate  its  European  production 
facilities. These may have a negative impact on the Company's business and thus its financial position 
and financial performance if they lead to strikes or reactions of other kinds by the workforce, employee 
representatives  or  third  parties.  The  planned  consolidation  will  see  the  current  production  of 
warehouse  technology  at  the  site  in  Montataire  (France)  transferred  to  Luzzara  (Italy),  while  the 
manufacture of STILL and OM counterbalance trucks will move from Bari (Italy) to the production site 
in Hamburg.   

These  plans  are  aimed  at  increasing  capacity  utilisation  and  improving  flexibility  in  order  to 
permanently safeguard the future of the European production sites. Even after these plans have been 
implemented, the KION Group will continue to have by far the highest number of European production 
facilities within the industry, with factories in all major markets in which demand is high. In 2011, the 
KION Group initiated the procedures necessary for such restructuring projects in conjunction with the 
employee representatives in France and Italy. The Company aims to implement the planned measures 
smoothly  and  in  a  socially  compatible  way  as  quickly  as  possible  and  in  accordance  with  legal 
requirements.  

12.3.10 IT 

In  order  to  process  and  manage  its  business  transactions,  the  Group  needs  a  reliable  IT  system 
landscape that is expandable and flexible enough to be adjusted in line with the requirements of the 
market. Complexity must be reduced so that differentiation is restricted only to those functions where it 
is absolutely required. This allows the KION Group to share existing expertise between the brands (on 
the basis of best practice) and strengthen its competitive position. 

The rationalisation of the current brand-specific systems is being driven forward under the auspices of 
the 'KION ONE' project, which has three modules: 'KION ONE Factory', 'KION ONE Sales & Service' 
and 'KION ONE Infrastructure Consolidation'. Internal and external specialists with the necessary skills 
are implementing these action plans without impairing the day-to-day running of the business. 

For  this  project,  the  KION  Group  is  using  its  internal  IT  service  provider  KION  Information 
Management Services (KIM), which was established in 2007 as a private limited company in Germany 
(GmbH). KIM pools internal IT resources and makes them available throughout the Group. The Group 
remains able to monitor risk via the Group-wide portfolio management and project planning & control 
system. Independent external audits are conducted to provide additional quality assurance. 

Various  technical  and  organisational  measures  protect  the  Company's  data  against  unauthorised 
access, misuse and loss. The technical protection measures include virus scanners, firewall systems 
and access controls. Access to the Group's infrastructure is also validated and recorded. 

12.3.11 Legal risks 

The  legal  risks  arising  from  the  KION  Group's  business  are  typical  of  those  faced  by  any  company 
operating in this sector.  

The Company is a party in a number of pending lawsuits in various countries. It cannot assume with 
any degree of certainty that it will win any of the lawsuits or that the existing risk provision in the form 
of  insurance  or  provisions  will  be  sufficient  in  each  individual  case.  However,  the  Company  is  not 
expecting any of these existing legal proceedings to have a material impact on its financial position or 
financial  performance.  These  lawsuits  relate,  among  other  things,  to  liability  risks,  especially  as  a 
result  of  legal  action  brought  by  third  parties  because,  for  example,  the  Company's  products  were 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 55 of 57 

Group management report 

allegedly  faulty  or  the  Company  allegedly  failed  to  comply  with  contractual  obligations.  The  KION 
Group has taken measures to prevent it from incurring financial losses as a result of these risks.  

Although  legal  disputes  with  third  parties  have  been  insignificant  both  currently  and  in  the  past,  the 
Company has a centralised reporting system to record and assist pending lawsuits. 

In addition to the high quality and safety standards applicable to all users of the Company's products, 
with which it complies when it develops and manufactures the products, it has also taken out the usual 
types  of  insurance  to  cover  any  third-party  claims.  These  issues  are  also  tackled  by  teams  whose 
members come from a variety of functions. The aim of the teams is to identify and minimise risks, for 
example  the  risks  arising  from  inadequate  contractual  arrangements.  A  further  objective  of  this 
cooperation  across  functions  is  to  ensure  compliance  with  mandatory  laws,  regulations  and 
contractual arrangements at all times.  

12.3.12 External risks 

External  risks  arise  as  a  result  of  constant  changes  in  the  Company's  political,  legal  and  social 
environment. Because it operates in countries in which the political or legal situation is uncertain, the 
KION  Group  is  exposed  to  the  consequent  risk  of  government  regulation,  capital  controls  and 
expropriations. Although fairly unlikely, natural disasters and terrorist attacks constitute a further risk to 
the KION Group's financial position and financial performance. 

12.4 Overall risk 

In 2011, the KION Group continuously analysed the risks arising, in particular, from the financial crisis 
and the performance of the real  economy  in  addition to its  normal quarterly risk reporting.  Particular 
attention  was  paid  to  the  potential  impact  of  financial  instability  in  some  economies  and  financial 
institutions  in  the  context  of  the  sovereign  debt  crisis.  As  far  as  possible,  risk  prevention  measures 
were initiated at an early stage where risks were identified – for example by using the revolving credit 
facility. Despite market growth in 2011, the situation in the global markets remains challenging due, in 
particular, to the uncertainties in the euro zone but also the possible slowdown in growth in the United 
States.  As  things  stand  at  present,  there  are  no  indications  of  any  risks  that  could  jeopardise  the 
Company's continuation as a going concern. 

13. Events after the balance sheet date 

No events of any importance occurred after the balance sheet date. 

14. Outlook 

The  forward-looking  statements  and  information  given  below  are  based  on  the  Company's  current 
expectations and assessments. Consequently, they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Many 
factors,  several  of  which  are  beyond  the  control  of  the  KION  Group,  affect  the  Group's  business 
activities  and  profitability.  Any  unexpected  developments  in  the  global  economy  would  result  in  the 
KION  Group's  performance  and  profits  differing  significantly  from  those  forecast  below.  The  KION 
Group  does  not  undertake  to  update  forward-looking  statements  to  reflect  subsequently  occurring 
events or circumstances. Furthermore, the KION Group cannot guarantee that future performance and 
actual profits generated will be consistent with the stated assumptions and estimates and can accept 
no liability in this regard. 

14.1 Outlook for the global economy 

The economic recovery lost momentum at the end of 2011. As a result, the robustness of the global 
economy  will be closely scrutinised in 2012 and the risk of a downturn appears heightened  in many 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 56 of 57 

Group management report 

countries.  The  prevailing  uncertainty  about  what  will  happen  is  reflected  above  all  in  the  variance 
between current economic forecasts. Two main trends can be observed: firstly the astonishingly strong 
data  for  the  real  economy  in  many  countries  and,  secondly,  significant  political  and  economic 
imponderables.  These  relate  primarily  to  the  outcome  of  the  euro  crisis,  further  developments  in  the 
financial sector, unstable financial policy in the USA  and the slackening  pace of economic activity  in 
the world's growth regions.  

The economic risks are mirrored by the lower growth forecasts published in recent months and by the 
volatility  of  the  financial  markets.  It  is  still  not  known  how  effective  the  additional  consolidation 
measures  taken  by  many  industrialised  countries  will  prove  to  be.  Overall,  there  are  signs  that 
domestic demand will weaken in the advanced economies. The economic slowdown that has become 
apparent in recent months in the emerging markets, combined with declining momentum in the export 
sector,  also  point  to  a  cooling  off  of  the  global  economy.  Commodity  prices  are  also  exhibiting  a 
downward  trend  in  line  with  general  economic  uncertainties  and  the  falling  level  of  global  trade. 
Whereas prices for utilities that are not dependent on oil seem to be decreasing further, expectations 
regarding oil prices are less favourable due to the geopolitical situation. 

On the basis of the aforementioned challenges and provided that no other uncertainties hold back the 
economy, the general assumption is that the global economy will grow at a slower pace in 2012 than it 
did  last  year.  As  long  as  economic  conditions  stabilise  soon,  experts  anticipate  that  the  European 
economy  will  stagnate  this  year,  with  France,  Germany  and  the  United  Kingdom  likely  to  have  the 
better economic prospects among the western Europe countries. Based on the same assumptions, as 
well  as  recent  developments,  the  outlook  is  more  positive  for  the  USA  than  for  other  large 
industrialised countries as  US growth is forecast to stay at the same level. Demand  in the emerging 
markets  is  likely  to  continue  to  normalise  within  a  cyclical  pattern,  but  at  a  high  level,  and  will  help 
bring relative stability to the world economy. In 2013, the economy is expected to pick up again. 

14.2 Market outlook 

The market for industrial trucks is closely correlated with macroeconomic conditions. The statements 
below should therefore be read in the context of the conditions described above. If the performance of 
the  global  economy  is  adversely  impacted  by  unforeseen  exogenous  factors,  the  consequences  will 
also affect the industrial trucks market. From the current perspective, it is not possible to determine the 
extent, the timing or the likelihood of these exogenous factors. 

Based on the assumption that the global economy will cool off in 2012 and in view of the high market 
volume in 2011, growth prospects for industrial trucks will be lower this year in all regions. On the one 
hand,  the  market  situation  looks  likely  to  adapt  to  the  economic  cycle  while,  on  the  other,  investing 
activities are expected to be more subdued in a macroeconomic context. The KION Group therefore 
anticipates moderate growth of around 2 per cent in the global market for industrial trucks in 2012. As 
far  as  2013  is  concerned,  the  KION  Group  expects  the  sector's  prospects  to  improve  in  line  with 
economic forecasts. 

The  KION  Group  predicts  that  truck  capacity  utilisation  and  usage  in  2012  will  remain  roughly  the 
same  in  the  western  European  market,  although  the  situation  will  vary  between  the  individual 
countries.  In  eastern  Europe,  the  markets  are  expected  to  recover  further  and  will  therefore 
significantly  stronger  growth  than  western  Europe.  The  US  market  points  to  continued  stabilisation 
with  moderate  growth.  The  KION  Group  expects  growth  in  the  emerging  markets  to  continue  to 
normalise but to remain far higher overall than in the advanced markets. 

14.3 Outlook for the KION Group  

In  2012,  the  KION  Group  is  likely  to  benefit  from  the  further  cost-structure  improvements  already 
begun as well as from last year's capital expenditure on developing new and additional products and 
on  expanding  the  sales  and  service  network  –  as  long  as  market  conditions  remain  broadly  stable. 
Provided that they do, the planned restructuring of the production sites is expected to bring significant, 
lasting improvements to capacity utilisation at the Luzzara and Hamburg plants, thereby boosting the 
necessary long-term competitiveness of the Group as a whole. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH 

Management report for 2011 

Page 57 of 57 

Further improvement of margins 

Group management report 

The KION Group began 2012  with  a  large  order  backlog and  is currently  cautiously  optimistic that  it 
will  again  generate  a  slight  year-on-year  increase  in  revenue.  This  assumes  that  no  external  events 
have a direct negative impact on either the global industrial truck markets or the Company. Moreover, 
demand  for  the  Company's  products  must  remain  at  the  same  high  level  as  in  2011.  In  these 
circumstances,  growth  would  be  driven  by  all  segments  and  business  activities.  Along  with  rigorous 
management  of  fixed  costs,  the  improvements  initiated  –  especially  those  designed  to  improve 
capacity utilisation at the production sites – would lead to a further increase in profitability from 2013. 
The  brand  companies  in  the  KION  Group  responded  to  the  increase  in  staff  costs  and  commodity 
prices by raising their gross list prices in December 2011 and early 2012. Against this background, the 
KION  Group  believes  another  slight  rise  in  its  adjusted  EBIT  margin  is  possible.  This  positive  trend 
would  also  be  reflected  in  net  income,  although  this  figure  will  be  affected  by  non-recurring  items  in 
2012.  These  will  mainly  be  related  to  expenses  for  consolidating  the  production  of  warehouse 
equipment  and  counterbalance  trucks  of  the  STILL  brand  at  one  European  site.  The  KION  Group 
therefore expects to achieve a significantly better financial performance this year, although falling just 
short of breaking even.  

Provided  that  the  global  economy  maintains  its  positive  trajectory,  the  KION  Group  believes  further 
slight  growth  in  its  revenue  and  margin  and  a  continued  gradual  improvement  in  net  income  are 
possible for 2013. 

Wiesbaden, 15 March 2012 

Gordon Riske 

Klaus Hofer    

Harald Pinger 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION HOLDING 1 GmbH 
Wiesbaden 

Consolidated  
Financial Statements 
31 December 2011 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Consolidated income statement 

€ thousand

Revenue
Cost of sales

Gross profit

Selling expenses
Research and development costs
Administrative expenses
Other income
Other expenses
Profit from equity investments
Other financial result

Earnings before interest and taxes

Financial income
Financial expense

Earnings before taxes

Income taxes
  Current taxes
  Deferred taxes

Net loss
  Attributable to shareholders of KION Holding 1 GmbH
  Attributable to non-controlling interests

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

€ thousand

Net loss

Impact of exchange differences
  thereof changes in unrealised gains and losses
  thereof realised gains and losses

Gains/losses on employee benefits
  thereof changes in unrealised gains and losses
  thereof tax effect

Gains/losses on cash flow hedges
  thereof changes in unrealised gains and losses
  thereof realised gains and losses
  thereof tax effect

Gains/losses from equity investments
  thereof changes in unrealised gains and losses

Other comprehensive income (loss)

Total comprehensive income (loss)

Comprehensive loss
  Attributable to shareholders of KION Holding 1 GmbH
  Attributable to non-controlling interests

Note

[8]

[9]
[10]
[11]

[12]
[13]

[14]

2011

2010 

4,368,395
-3,256,378 

3,534,474
-2,684,353 

1,112,017

850,121

-520,547 
-119,526 
-283,322 
81,503
-70,043 
11,192
1,886

-483,639 
-103,255 
-247,526 
59,585
-45,879 
3,569
1,660

213,160

34,636

73,664
-345,709 

88,349
-354,405 

-58,885 

-231,420 

-34,041 
-49,349 
15,308

34,722
-14,997 
49,719

-92,926 
-95,093 
2,167

-196,698 
-198,655 
1,957

2011

2010

-92,926 

-196,698 

6,476
6,476
0

8,394
13,995
-5,601 

-8,149 
7,071
-18,452 
3,232

532
532

37,260
37,260
0

-28,658 
-39,462 
10,804

10,022
52,818
-37,897 
-5,369 

-125 
-125 

7,253

18,499

-85,673 

-178,199 

-87,840 
2,167

-180,155 
1,956

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Consolidated statement of financial position at 31 December 2011 

ASSETS  

€ thousand

Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Leased assets
Other property, plant and equipment
Equity investments
Lease receivables
Other non-current financial assets
Deferred taxes
Non-current assets

Inventories
Trade receivables
Lease receivables
Current income tax receivables
Other current financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Current assets

Total assets

EQUITY AND LIABILITIES  

Note

2011

2010

[16]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[14]

[22]
[23]
[20]
[14]
[21]
[24]

1,537,996
977,555
539,731
538,121
36,545
242,840
25,732
261,963

1,507,010
986,410
501,164
566,492
37,841
246,808
17,474
241,772

4,160,483

4,104,971

625,369
676,553
118,381
4,953
107,096
373,451

535,529
633,265
120,950
4,550
106,790
252,884

1,905,803

1,653,968

6,066,286

5,758,939

€ thousand

Notes No.

2011

2010

Subscribed capital
Capital reserve
Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Non-controlling interests
Equity

Shareholder loan
Retirement benefit obligation
Non-current financial liabilities
Lease liabilities
Other non-current provisions
Other non-current financial liabilities
Deferred taxes
Non-current liabilities

Current financial liabilities
Trade payables
Lease liabilities
Current income tax liabilities
Other current provisions
Other current financial liabilities
Current liabilities

Total equity and liabilities

500
348,483
-806,429 
-37,218 
7,077

500
348,483
-711,504 
-44,471 
7,070

-487,587 

-399,922 

643,132
382,914
2,777,354
471,131
96,168
132,719
339,054

615,250
374,063
2,772,417
411,097
164,299
127,870
334,930

4,842,472

4,799,926

227,376
634,092
230,381
15,439
183,678
420,435

106,470
508,108
250,552
6,661
95,902
391,242

1,711,401

1,358,935

6,066,286

5,758,939

[25]

[27]
[26]
[27]
[28]
[29]
[30]
[14]

[27]

[28]
[14]
[29]
[30]

 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Consolidated statement of cash flows 

€ thousand

2011

2010

Net loss
+ income taxes
+ net financial income/expenses

= Earnings before interest and taxes

Depreciation/Impairment of non-current assets (excl. leased assets)
Depreciation/Impairment of leased assets
Other non-cash income and expenses
Gain (-) / loss (+) on disposal of non-current assets 
Change in leased assets
Change in lease receivables and lease liabilities
Change in inventories
Change in trade receivables
Change in trade payables
Cash payments for defined benefit obligations
Change in other provisions
Change in other operating assets
Change in other operating liabilities
Taxes paid

= Cash flow from operating activities

Cash receipts from disposal of non-current assets
Cash payments for purchase of non-current assets
Deposits from other loan claims
Dividends received
Interest income received
Acquisitions of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired
Cash receipts (+) / cash payments (-) for sundry assets

= Cash flow from investing activities

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests
Cash paid for increased ownership interests (after control)
Cash receipts from decreased ownership interests (after control)
Proceeds from borrowings
Loan financing costs paid
Repayment of borrowings
Repayment of other capital borrowings
Cash payments for forward foreign exchange hedging contracts 
Interest paid 

= Cash flow from financing activities 

-92,926 
34,041
272,045

213,160

186,569
169,452
9,943
6,428
-208,691 
26,056
-75,242 
-36,829 
114,886
-21,038 
13,989
334
30,346
-42,553 

-196,698 
-34,722 
266,056

34,636

169,013
176,558
12,295
4,987
-129,572 
-57,440 
-45,685 
-103,890 
145,491
-29,420 
-14,994 
7,195
43,072
-12,957 

386,810

199,289

3,408
-133,005 
2,879
6,599
3,397
-32,916 
-2,942 

4,177
-123,462 
-1,799 
2,854
3,623
-7,638 
-1,003 

-152,580 

-123,248 

-2,209 
-1,461 
82
632,691
-24,579 
-537,018 
-21,052 
-13,714 
-147,455 

-2,143 
-9,535 
0
56,742
-5,978 
-152,447 
-42,133 
0
-134,716 

-114,715 

-290,210 

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

1,052

3,645

= Change in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

120,567

-210,524 

252,884
373,451

463,408
252,884

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Consolidated statement of changes in equity for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Consolidated statement of changes in equity

€ thousand

Subscribed 
capital

Capital 
reserves

Retained 
earnings

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

Cumulative 
translation 
adjustment

 Gains/losses 
on defined 
benefit 
obligation

Gains/losses 
on Cash Flow  
Hedges

Gains/losses 
from equity 
investments

  Total equity 
attributable to 
shareholders

Non-controlling 
interests

Total

Balance as at 1/1/2010

500

348,483

-516,199 

-79,286 

41,156

-24,841 

 0

-230,187 

17,144

-213,043 

Net loss
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Comprehensive loss

Dividends
Effects on the acquisition of 
non-controlling interests
Other Changes

− 

− 

-198,655 
− 
-198,655 

-1,496 
4,846

37,261
37,261

-28,658 
-28,658 

10,022
10,022

-198,655 
18,500
-180,155 

-125 
-125 

1,957
-1 
1,956

-196,698 
18,499
-178,199 

-2,143 

-2,143 

-1,496 
4,846

-10,419 
532

-11,915 
5,378

Balance as at 31/12/2010

500

348,483

-711,504 

-42,025 

12,498

-14,819 

-125 

-406,992 

7,070

-399,922 

Balance as at 1/1/2011

500

348,483

-711,504 

-42,025 

12,498

-14,819 

-125 

-406,992 

7,070

-399,922 

Net loss
Other comprehensive income (loss)
Comprehensive loss

Dividends 
Other changes

− 

− 

-95,093 
− 
-95,093 

168

6,476
6,476

8,394
8,394

-8,149 
-8,149 

532
532

-95,093 
7,253
-87,840 

168

2,167
− 
2,167

-2,209 
49

-92,926 
7,253
-85,673 

-2,209 
217

Balance as at 31/12/2011

500

348,483

-806,429 

-35,549 

20,892

-22,968 

407

-494,664 

7,077

-487,587 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 1 of 81 

Notes  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  of  KION  Holding  1  GmbH  for  the 
year ended 31 December 2011 

Basis of presentation 

[ 1 ] 

General information on the Company 

KION  Holding  1  GmbH,  whose  registered  office  is  at  Abraham-Lincoln-Strasse  21,  65189  Wiesbaden,  is  the 
parent company of the KION Group in Germany. KION Holding 1 GmbH was formed with articles of association 
dated 24  October  2006,  and entered  in  the  commercial  register  at  the Wiesbaden Local  Court  under  reference 
HRB  22785  on  21  February  2007.  The  parent  company  of  KION  Holding  1  GmbH  is  Superlift  Holding  S.à  r.l., 
Luxembourg. 

The KION Group is a leading global supplier of industrial trucks (forklift trucks and warehouse trucks). It generat-
ed  revenue  of  €4,368,395 thousand  in  the  2011  finan cial  year  from  its  Linde,  Fenwick,  STILL,  OM,  Baoli  and 
Voltas brands (2010: €3,534,474 thousand). 

The consolidated financial statements and the group management report were prepared by the Executive Board 
of KION Holding 1 GmbH on 15 March 2012.  

[ 2 ] 

Basis of preparation  

The consolidated financial statements of the KION Group for the financial year ended 31 December 2011 have 
been  prepared  in  accordance  with  section  315a  of  the  German  Commercial  Code  (HGB)  which  requires  the 
application  of  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  (IFRSs)  of  the  International  Accounting  Standards 
Board  (IASB)  applicable as  at  the  reporting  date as  well  as  the  associated interpretations  (IFRICs)  of  the  IFRS 
Interpretations Committee (IFRS IC) as adopted by the European Union in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 
1606/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the application of international accounting 
standards. All of the IFRSs and IFRICs that were issued by the reporting date and that were required to be ap-
plied in the 2011 financial year have been applied in preparing the consolidated financial statements. 

Financial reporting standards to be adopted for the first time in the financial year under review: 

The following financial reporting standards and interpretations were adopted for the first time in 2011:  

•  Amendments  to  IFRS  1  'First-time  Adoption  of  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards':  amendments 

relating to the limited exemption from comparative IFRS 7 disclosures 

•  Revised version of IAS 24 'Related Party Disclosures' 
•  Amendments  to  IAS  32  'Financial  Instruments:  Presentation',  classification  of  rights  issues  (rights,  options 

and warrants) 

•  Amendments to IFRIC 14 'The Limit on a Defined Benefit Asset, Minimum Funding Requirements and their 

Interaction', prepayment of minimum funding requirements 
IFRIC 19 'Extinguishing Financial Liabilities with Equity Instruments' 
Improvements to IFRSs in 2010 

• 
• 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 2 of 81 

The first-time adoption of these standards and interpretations had no significant effect on the presentation of the 
financial position and financial performance of the KION Group.  

Financial reporting standards released but not yet adopted 

In its consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 the KION Group has not applied 
the following standards and interpretations, which have been issued by the IASB but are not yet required to be 
adopted in 2011:  

•  Amendments  to  IFRS  1  'First-time  Adoption  of  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards',  amendments 

relating to fixed transition dates and severe hyperinflation 

•  Amendments  to  IFRS  7  'Financial  Instruments:  Disclosures',  disclosures  relating  to  transfers  of  financial 

assets 

•  Amendments to IFRS 7 'Financial Instruments: Disclosures', offsetting of financial assets and financial liabili-

ties 
IFRS 9 'Financial Instruments' 
IFRS 10 'Consolidated Financial Statements' 
IFRS 11 'Joint Arrangements' 
IFRS 12 'Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities' 
IFRS 13 'Fair Value Measurement' 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  Amendments  to  IAS  1  'Presentation  of  Financial  Statements',  amendments  relating  to  the  presentation  of 

items of other comprehensive income 

•  Amendments to IAS 12 'Income Taxes', limited amendment to IAS 12 relating to the recovery of underlying 

assets 

•  Amendments  to  IAS 19  'Employee  Benefits',  elimination  of  the  use  of  the  'corridor'  approach  and  amend-

ments relating to the presentation of items of pension expense  
IAS 27R 'Separate Financial Statements' 
IAS 28R 'Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures' 

• 
• 
•  Amendments  to  IAS  32  'Financial  Instruments:  Presentation',  offsetting  of  financial  assets  and  financial 

liabilities 
IFRIC 20 'Stripping Costs in the Production Phase of a Surface Mine' 

• 

These standards and interpretations will only be applied by the companies included in the KION Group from the 
date at which they must be adopted for the first time. Their effects on the financial position and financial perfor-
mance of the KION Group are expected to be insignificant. 

The various amendments issued in May 2011 as part of the annual improvement project mainly relate to terminol-
ogy and editorial aspects. They are not expected to have any significant effect on the presentation of the financial 
position and financial performance. 

In order to improve the clarity of presentation, certain items are aggregated on the face of the statement of finan-
cial position and income statement. The items concerned are disclosed and explained separately in the notes. In 
accordance with IAS 1.60, assets and liabilities are classified into current and non-current items. The consolidated 
income statement is prepared in accordance with the cost of sales (function-of-expense) method. 

The reporting currency is the euro. All amounts are disclosed in thousands of euros (€ thousand) unles s stated 
otherwise. The addition of the totals presented may result in rounding differences of +/- €1 thousand.
 The sepa-
rate financial statements included in the consolidation were prepared on the same reporting date as the annual 
financial statements of KION Holding 1 GmbH. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 3 of 81 

[ 3 ] 

Principles of consolidation 

Acquisitions are accounted for using the acquisition method. In accordance with IFRS 3R, the identifiable assets 
acquired and the liabilities assumed on the acquisition date are recognised separately from goodwill, irrespective 
of  the  extent  of  any  non-controlling  interests.  The  identifiable  assets  acquired  and  the  liabilities  assumed  are 
measured at their fair value. 

The  amount  recognised  as  goodwill  is  calculated  as  the  amount  by  which  the  sum  of  the  consideration  trans-
ferred, the amount of non-controlling interests in the acquiree and the fair value of all previously held equity inter-
est at the acquisition date exceeds the fair value of the group's interest in the acquiree's net assets. If the cost of 
acquisition is lower than the fair value of the acquiree's net assets, the difference is recognised in income. 

For each acquisition, the group decides on a case-by-case basis whether the non-controlling interest in the ac-
quiree is recognised at fair value or as a proportion of the net assets of the acquiree. The option to recognise non-
controlling interests at fair value is not currently exercised. Consequently, non-controlling interests are recognised 
at the proportionate share of the fair value of the net assets attributable to them excluding goodwill.  

For acquisitions achieved in stages, previously held equity interests are recognised at their fair value on the date 
they were acquired. The difference between their carrying amount and fair value is recognised in the consolidated 
income statement. 

For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill is allocated to cash-generating units.   

Transaction  costs  are  immediately  recognised  in  the  income  statement.  Contingent  consideration  elements  are 
included at fair value at the date of acquisition when determining the purchase consideration. Contingent consid-
eration elements may consist of equity instruments or financial liabilities. Depending on the classification, changes 
in their fair value are reflected in subsequent measurements. 

The  consolidated  financial  statements  include  all  of  the  parent  company's  subsidiaries.  Intragroup  balances, 
transactions,  income  and  expenses,  and  gains  and  losses  on  intercompany  transactions  are  eliminated  in  full. 
Deferred taxes are recognised on temporary differences resulting from consolidation entries. 

Transactions  with  non-controlling  interests  are  treated  as  transactions  with  the  Group's  equity  providers.  Differ-
ences between the consideration paid for the acquisition of a non-controlling interest and the relevant proportion 
of the carrying amount of the subsidiary's net assets are recognised in other comprehensive income. Gains and 
losses  arising  from  the  sale  of  non-controlling  interests  are  also  recognised  in  other  comprehensive  income, 
provided there is no change in control.  

Associates  and  joint  ventures  that  are  material  to  the  financial  position  and  financial  performance  of  the  KION 
Group are accounted for using the equity method.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 4 of 81 

[ 4 ] 

Basis of consolidation 

KION Holding 1 GmbH's equity investments include subsidiaries, joint ventures, associates and financial invest-
ments. 

In addition to KION Holding 1 GmbH, the consolidated financial statements of the KION Group include all material 
subsidiaries in which KION Holding 1 GmbH holds a majority of the voting rights, either directly or indirectly, or in 
which it exercises control i.e. has the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to 
obtain benefits from its activities. Subsidiaries acquired in the course of the financial year are consolidated from 
the  date  at  which  control  is  transferred,  i.e.  the  date  from  which  it  is  possible  to  determine  their  financial  and 
operating policies such that benefit is obtained. Companies sold in the course of the financial year are deconsoli-
dated from the date on which control is lost. 

A joint venture is an equity interest in which the entity is jointly managed by companies in the KION Group and 
one  or  more  partners.  Joint  control  differs  from  significant  influence  insofar  as  it  is  governed  by  a  contractual 
agreement. 

Associates  are  entities  in  which  companies  in  the  KION  Group  are  able  to  exercise  significant  influence,  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  over  the  financial  and  operating  policies  of  the  entity  concerned.  Significant  influence  is 
assumed when KION Holding 1 GmbH holds between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of the voting rights. 

All other equity interests over which KION Holding 1 GmbH is unable to exercise control or significant influence, 
or  that  are  not  jointly  controlled  by  KION  Holding  1  GmbH  are  classified  as  financial  investments  and  are  not 
consolidated. 

The following table shows the number of equity investments broken down by category: 

Shareholdings by categories

Full consolidated subsidiaries
  Domestic
  Foreign

Equity investments in Joint Ventures and Associates 
  Domestic
  Foreign

Subsidiaries and financial investments
recorded at cost
  Domestic
  Foreign

1/1/2011

Addtions

Disposals

31/12/2011

88
16
72

12
7
5

68
15
53

6
1
5

− 
− 
− 

12
2
10

1
− 
1

1
− 
1

10
1
9

93
17
76

11
7
4

70
16
54

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 5 of 81 

A total of 17 German and 76 foreign subsidiaries were fully consolidated in addition to KION Holding 1 GmbH as 
at  31  December 2011.  KION  Finance  S.A.,  Luxembourg,  has  been  included  in  the  KION  Group’s  consolidated 
financial statements for the first time since April 2011 as required by IAS 27 in conjunction with SIC-12 (‘Consoli-
dation  -  special-purpose  entities’).  In  addition,  Eisenwerk  Weilbach  GmbH,  Wiesbaden,  Germany,  has  been 
included  in  the  consolidation  for  the  first  time  since  December  2011  because  it  had  become  more  financially 
significant. 

IBERCARRETILLAS,  S.A.,  El  Prat  de  Llobregat,  Spain,  was  deconsolidated  in  April  2011  when  it  merged  with 
STILL, S.A., Barcelona, Spain. 

Eleven  joint  ventures  and  associates  were  accounted  for  under  the  equity  method  as  at  31  December  2011 
(31 December 2010: twelve).  In each case, valuation was based on the lastest available annual financial state-
ments. 

70  (2010:  68)  subsidiaries  with  minimal  business  volume  or  no  business  operations  were  not  included  in  the 
consolidation. The unconsolidated subsidiaries and the associates not accounted for using the equity method are 
not  material  to  the  financial  position  and  financial  performance  of  the  KION  Group,  both  individually  and  in  the 
aggregate. 

Due  to  certain  circumstances,  the  following  fully  consolidated  companies  are  exempt  from  the  requirement  to 
prepare annual financial statements and management reports in accordance with sections 264 (3) and 264b HGB 
on account of their inclusion in the consolidated financial statements: 

German entities exempted from disclosure requirements

Entities exempted 

KION Holding 2 GmbH
Klaus Pahlke GmbH & Co. Fördertechnik KG
Schrader Industriefahrzeuge GmbH & Co. KG
LMH Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG
LMH Immobilien Holding GmbH & Co. KG

Head office

Wiesbaden
Haan
Essen
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg

A detailed overview of all the direct and indirect shareholdings of KION Holding 1 GmbH is presented in the list of 
shareholdings in the annex to these notes. 

[ 5 ] 

 Acquisitions 

Voltas Material Handling Private Limited 

In  April  2011,  the  KION  Group  and  Voltas  Limited,  Mumbai,  India,  together  established  a  company  to  develop, 
manufacture, sell and service forklift trucks and warehouse trucks. This company, which trades under the name of 
Voltas Material Handling Private Limited, Mumbai, India ('VMH'), acquired the forklift truck and warehouse tech-
nology business of Voltas Limited on 1 May 2011. KION Holding 1 GmbH indirectly holds 66 per cent of the share 
capital and voting rights in VMH via Linde Material Handling Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Singapore. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 6 of 81 

As a KION Group brand that manufactures in India, Voltas will focus most of its efforts on this market. Its product 
range  includes  warehouse  trucks,  diesel  trucks  and  electric  forklift  trucks  with  load  capacities  of  between  1.5 
tonnes  and  16  tonnes.  VMH  has  a network  of  25  branches  and authorised  dealers  throughout  India.  Since be-
coming part of the KION Group, VMH has in eight months generated revenue of €22,027 thousand and earned 
net income of roughly €19 thousand. It is not possi ble to calculate the revenue and net income that would have 
been earned if VMH had been acquired at the beginning of the reporting period because no reliable IFRS figures 
are available for the period prior to April 2011. 

A total of 131 Voltas Limited employees were taken on.  

The  incidental  acquisition  costs  incurred  by  this  business  combination  amounted  to  €780  thousand  and  h ave 
been recognised as an expense for the current period and reported as administrative expenses on the face of the 
consolidated income statement.  

Owing  to  further  contractual  arrangements,  the  newly  established  company  has  been  fully  consolidated  and, 
consequently, a liability of €8,920 thousand was re cognised at the acquisition date. This estimated fair value also 
represents  the  upper  limit  for  the  purchase  price.  This  purchase  price  obligation  may  decrease  consistent  with 
defined  key  figures.  The  table  below  shows  the  provisional  impact  of  the  acquisition  of  Voltas  Limited's  forklift 
truck and warehouse technology business on the consolidated financial statements of KION Holding 1 GmbH. 

Impact of the acquisition of VMH on the financial position of the KION Group

€ thousand

Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Deferred taxes (net)
Inventories

Trade receivables
Other assets

Total assets

Provisions
Liabilities

Total liabilities

Total net assets

Consideration transferred
   thereof: paid in cash

Fair value at the
acquisition date

14,700
5,102
974
2,306
4,312

3,040
32

30,465

1,199
4,205

5,404

25,061

25,061
16,141

The gross amounts of the receivables acquired as part of this transaction, which largely constitute trade receiva-
bles, totalled €3,164 thousand. At the acquisition d ate it was estimated that €70 thousand of these tra de receiva-
bles was irrecoverable. The goodwill arising from the acquisition of VMH is expected to be tax deductible. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 7 of 81 

Other acquisitions 

The dealer Cailotto Carrelli S.p.A., Verona, Italy (100 per cent of the company's share capital and voting rights) 
was acquired on 4 April 2011. 

In addition, by acquiring 100 per cent of the share capital and voting rights in Sterling Mechanical Handling Ltd., 
Heswall, United Kingdom, the remaining share capital and voting rights (51 per cent) in the dealer Linde Sterling 
Ltd., Basingstoke, United Kingdom, were acquired effective 15 June 2011. 

The carrying amount of the equity investment in Linde Sterling Ltd. immediately prior to the acquisition date was 
€3,238 thousand. As a result of the remeasurement of
 the equity investment (49 per cent) on the date of acquisi-
tion, €4,102 thousand was recognised in the income  statement and reported as profit from equity investments. 

Furthermore, the newly established company OOO '’Linde Material Handling Rus'’, Moscow, Russian Federation, 
acquired the business of the dealer Liftec in Russia on 2 December 2011. The consideration paid included trade 
receivables in the amount of €5,039 thousand that w ere offset, a cash payment of €4,903 thousand and c ontin-
gent  consideration  with  a  fair  value  of  €2,879  thou sand.  This  estimated  fair  value  at  the  acquisition  date  also 
represents the upper limit for the purchase price. The contingent consideration may be reduced in line with de-
fined revenue targets for 2012 and 2013 and is payable in 2014 if targets are met. 

The incidental acquisition costs incurred by these business combinations total €1,720 thousand and hav e been 
recognised  as  an  expense  for  the  current  period  and  reported  as  administrative  expenses  in  the  consolidated 
income statement. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 8 of 81 

The table below shows the overall impact of these acquisitions on the consolidated financial statements of KION 
Holding 1 GmbH based on the provisional figures available at the respective acquisition date. 

Impact of the other acquisitions on the financial position of the KION Group

€ thousand

Goodwill
Other intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Deferred taxes (net)
Inventories
Trade receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Other assets

Total assets

Provisions
Liabilities
Deferred taxes (net)

Total liabilities

Total net assets

Consideration transferred
   thereof: paid in cash

Fair value at the
acquisition date

16,710
8,556
15,704
290
5,967
8,079
23
1,702

57,030

1,449
25,360
525

27,334

29,696

29,696
16,798

Revenue increased by €35,720 thousand as a result o f the remaining acquisitions. The net loss reported for 2011 
contains a loss of approximately €70 thousand for t he entities acquired. If these business combinations had been 
completed by 1 January 2011, this would have had no material impact on either the revenue or the net loss re-
ported by the KION Group. 

The  purchase  price  allocations  for  the  acquisitions  described  above  were  only  provisional  as  at  31  December 
2011 because some details had not yet been fully evaluated. Goodwill represents the strategic, technological and 
geographical synergies that the KION Group is able to derive from the business combinations. None of the good-
will arising from the other acquisitions is currently tax deductible. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 9 of 81 

[ 6 ] 

Currency translation 

The financial statements in foreign currencies are translated in accordance with the functional currency concept 
(IAS 21  'The  Effects  of  Changes  in  Foreign  Exchange  Rates').  The  functional  currency  is  the  currency  of  the 
primary economic environment in which a company operates. The closing-rate method is used for currency trans-
lation.  

The  assets  and  liabilities of  foreign subsidiaries,  including goodwill,  are  translated at  the  middle  spot  exchange 
rate, i.e. at the average of the bid or offer rates on the reporting date. Income and expenses are translated at the 
average  rate  for  the  year. With  the  exception  of  income  and  expenses  recognised  as  other  comprehensive  in-
come  (loss),  equity  is  recognised  at  historical  rates.  The  resulting  translation  differences  are  not  recorded  in 
income but are recognised in other comprehensive income (loss) until subsidiaries are disposed of.  

Transactions  of  the  consolidated  companies  in  foreign  currencies  are  translated  into  the  relevant  company's 
functional  currency  at  the  rate  prevailing  on  the  transaction  date.  On  the  reporting  date,  monetary  items  are 
translated at the closing rate, and non-monetary items are translated at the rate prevailing on the transaction date. 
Currency translation differences are recorded in income and included in other income/expenses.  
The following translation rates were used for currencies that are material to the financial statements: 

Major foreign currency rates in €

Australian dollar (AUD)
Brazilian real (BRL)
Chinese yuan (CNY)
Pound sterling (GBP)
Polish zloty (PLN)
Swiss franc (CHF)
Czech koruna (CZK)
Hungarian forint (HUF)
US dollar (USD)

Average rate

Closing rate

2011

2010

2011

2010

1.3480
2.3273
9.0018
0.8680
4.1210
1.2327
24.5807
279.3808
1.3929

1.4440
2.3348
8.9863
0.8584
3.9941
1.3815
25.2775
275.3971
1.3275

1.2683
2.4142
8.1551
0.8343
4.4675
1.2154
25.5990
315.5400
1.2957

1.3075
2.2203
8.8173
0.8575
3.9666
1.2496
25.0415
278.3900
1.3380

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 10 of 81 

[ 7 ] 

Accounting policies 

The  consolidated  financial  statements  are  prepared  based  on  the  financial  statements  of  the  parent  and  the 
consolidated subsidiaries, which are prepared in accordance with uniform KION Group accounting policies. 

Revenue recognition 

Revenue is the fair value received for the sale of products and services and lease income (excluding VAT) after 
deduction of trade discounts and rebates. In accordance with IAS 18, revenue is recognised when it is sufficiently 
probable that a future economic benefit will flow to the company and that benefit can be reliably measured. Addi-
tional criteria also apply, depending on each individual transaction, such as:  

Sale of goods 
With the exception of items classified as 'sale with risk', revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when the 
KION Group delivers goods to a customer, the goods are accepted by the customer and the flow of benefits to the 
Group is considered to be probable. If a customer is expected to accept goods but has yet to do so, the corre-
sponding  revenue  is  only  recognised  when  the  goods  are  accepted.  Appropriate  provisions  are  recognised  for 
risks relating to the sale of goods. In the case of revenue from agreements classified as 'sale with risk', the reve-
nue is deferred over the term of the agreement if the risks and rewards remain substantially with the KION Group. 
The term 'sale with risk' is discussed in the following section and under 'Leases' below. 

Rendering of services  
Revenue from services is recognised in the year in which the services are rendered. For services provided over 
several periods, revenue is recognised in accordance with the proportion of the total services rendered in each 
period  (stage  of  completion). Unrealised  revenue  from  long-term  service  agreements  is  therefore  deferred  over 
the average term of the agreements concerned and recognised in line with progressive cost trends. 

Revenue from financial service transactions is recognised in the amount of the sales value of the leased asset if 
classified as a finance lease and in the amount of the lease payments if classified as an operating lease. As part 
of  the  financial  services  business,  industrial  trucks  are  also  sold  to finance  partners  who  then enter  into  leases 
directly with the end customer (sale with risk). If significant risks and rewards remain with the KION Group as a 
result of an agreed residual value guarantee that accounts for more than 10 per cent of the asset's value or as a 
result of an agreed default guarantee, the proceeds from the sale are deferred and recognised as revenue on a 
straight-line basis over the term until the residual value guarantee or the default guarantee expires.  

Interest income and royalties  
Interest  income  is  recognised  proportionately  in  accordance  with  the  effective  interest  method.  Income  from 
royalties is deferred in accordance with the substance of the relevant agreements and recognised pro rata.  

Information on the deferral of lease income is contained in the disclosures on the accounting treatment of leases.  

Cost of sales 

The  cost  of  sales comprises  the  cost  of  goods  and services  sold  and  includes directly  attributable  material  and 
labour costs as well as directly attributable overhead, including depreciation of production equipment and amorti-
sation of certain intangible assets, as well as write-downs of inventories. Cost of sales also includes additions to 
warranty provisions, which are recognised in the amount of the estimated cost at the date on which the related 
product is sold.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 11 of 81 

Government grants 

Government grants are recognised at fair value provided that the Group has satisfied the necessary conditions for 
receiving  the  grant.  Grants  not  related  to  capital  expenditures  are  recognised  in  the  income  statement,  under 
other  income,  in  the  period  in  which  the  expense  intended  to  be  covered  by  the  grant  is  incurred.  Grants  for 
capital expenditures are deducted from the cost of the asset concerned and result in a corresponding reduction in 
depreciation over the subsequent periods. 

Financial income and expenses 

Net  financial  income  mainly  consists  of  interest  expense  on  financial  liabilities,  interest  income  from  financial 
receivables, gains and losses on financial instruments recognised through profit or loss, exchange rate gains and 
losses on financial activities and the interest expense on pension provisions. The expected return on plan assets 
relating to pension provisions is also included in financial income. 

Interest income and expense are recognised in profit and loss in accordance with the effective interest method. 
The effective interest method is used for calculating the amortised cost of a financial asset or financial liability and 
the allocation of interest income and interest expense over the relevant periods. The effective interest rate is the 
interest rate at which the estimated future payments (including all fees that are part of the effective interest rate, 
transaction costs and other premiums and discounts) are discounted to the net carrying amount of the financial 
asset or liability over the expected term of the financial instrument. 

Dividends are recognised in income when a resolution on distribution has been passed. They are reported in the 
income statement under other financial income/expenses. 

Goodwill 

Goodwill has an indefinite useful life and is not amortised. Instead, it is tested for impairment in accordance with 
IAS 36 ('Impairment of Assets') at least once a year, and more frequently if there are indications that the asset 
might be impaired.  

Impairment testing is performed at the level of the individual cash-generating units (CGUs) or groups of CGUs. A 
CGU is defined as the smallest identifiable group of assets that generates cash inflows from continuing use that 
are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. CGUs are generally based on 
the  lowest  level  of  an  entity  at  which  –  for  internal  management  purposes  –  the  management  systematically 
monitors and controls the contribution to earnings made by the assets concerned, including goodwill. However, a 
CGU  may  not  be  larger  than  an  operating  segment  as  defined  in  IFRS  8  'Operating  Segments'.  In  particular, 
CGUs are considered to be clearly defined and independent if the entity's management has prepared independ-
ent forecasts relevant to decision-making for the individual CGUs.  

For  the  purposes  of  internal  and  external  reporting,  the  activities  of  the  KION  Group  are  broken  down  into  the 
LMH, STILL and Other segments on the basis of their characteristics and risk profile.  

The  relevant  CGUs  for  the  purpose  of  goodwill  impairment  testing  are  the  LMH  and  STILL  segments  and  the 
VMH CGU,  which is assigned to the Other segment, as the structure of the internal reporting and management 
system, including the decision-relevant forecasts by the KION Group, is based on these CGUs.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 12 of 81 

The  recoverable  amount  of  a CGU  is  determined by  calculating  its  value in use on  the basis  of  the  discounted 
cash flow method. The cash flows used in the calculation are the operating cash flows taken from financial fore-
casts approved by KION's management and also used for internal management purposes. The cash flows fore-
cast for the next five years are included in the calculation for the impairment test in accordance with IAS 36.33 (b). 
The financial forecasts are based on assumptions relating to the development of the global economy, commodity 
prices  and  exchange  rates.  The  budget  for  2012,  the  medium-term  planning  for  2013  to  2014  and  the  market 
forecasts  for  2015  to  2016  were  used  to  determine  the  cash  flows.  Cash  flows  beyond  the  five-year  planning 
horizon were extrapolated for the LMH and STILL CGUs using a growth rate of 1 per cent (2010: 1 per cent). A 
growth rate of 2 per cent for VMH was used for determining cash flows into perpetuity to reflect forecasted trends 
for the high-growth market of India. 

CGU  cash  flows  are  discounted  using  a  weighted  average  cost  of  capital  (WACC)  that  reflects  current  market 
assessments  of  the  specific  risks  to  individual  CGUs.  The  underlying  capital  structure  for  the  LMH  and  STILL 
CGUs is determined by comparing peer group companies in the same sector. The beta factor derived from the 
peer  group  was  1.03  (2010:  1.09).  Yield  curve  data  from  the  European  Central  Bank  as at  31  December  2011 
was  used  to  determine  a  risk-free  interest  rate;  this  interest  rate  was  3.40  per  cent  (2010:  3.45  per  cent).  The 
market  risk  premium  taken  from  empirical  studies  of  the  capital  markets  by  the  Institute  of  Public  Auditors  in 
Germany  (IDW)  was  set  at  5.5  per  cent,  which  was  unchanged  in  2010  and  reflects  the  increased  uncertainty 
currently to be observed in the capital markets. A country risk premium was not taken into consideration for the 
LMH and STILL CGUs because the KION Group mainly operates in the European market. The risk-adjusted cost 
of borrowing before tax was based on an interest rate of 5.3 per cent (2010: 5.5 per cent). A leverage ratio of 25.4 
per cent (2010: 32.2 per cent) was calculated based on the capital structure determined for the peer group. 

The pre-tax interest rate determined on the basis of these parameters and used to discount the estimated cash 
flows was 10.5 per cent for LMH and 10.4 per cent for STILL (7.7 per cent after tax for both LMH and STILL). The 
interest rates determined in 2010 for LMH and STILL were 10.3 per cent before tax and 7.6 per cent after tax. A 
country-specific  discount  rate was  determined  for  the  VMH  CGU  of  14.6  per cent before tax  and  11.0  per cent 
after tax. 

Goodwill as at 31 December 2011 had been allocated as follows: €971,873 thousand to the LMH CGU (31 De -
cember  2010:  €954,802 thousand),  €552,208 thousand 
sand) and €13,915 thousand to the VMH CGU. The impai rment test carried out as of 31 December 2011 did not 
reveal  any  need  to  recognise  impairment  losses  for  the  existing  goodwill  of  the  LMH,  STILL  and  VMH  CGUs. 
Sensitivity  analysis has  enabled  us  to determine  that  no  impairment  losses  need  to  be  recognised  for goodwill, 
even if key assumptions vary within realistic limits. 

to  the  STILL  CGU  (31  December  2010:  €552,208  thou-

Other intangible assets 

Other purchased intangible assets with a finite useful life are carried at cost less all cumulative amortisation and 
all cumulative impairment losses. If events or market developments suggest impairment has occurred, impairment 
tests are carried out on the carrying amount of items classified as other intangible assets with a finite useful life. 
The carrying amount of an asset is compared with its recoverable amount, which is defined as the higher of its 
value in use and its fair value net of costs to sell. If the reasons for recognising impairment losses in the past no 
longer apply, impairment losses not exceeding the amortised cost of the assets are reversed.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 13 of 81 

Other intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are carried at cost and are mainly capitalised brand names. 
As of 31 December 2011, the brand names had been allocated as follows: €477,182 thousand to the LMH CGU  
(31  December  2010:  €468,400 thousand)  and  €115,700 
thousand  to  the  STILL  CGU  (31  December  2010: 
€115,700 thousand).  Brand  names  are  not  amortised  pr ovided  they  have  been  established  in  the  market  for  a 
number of years and there is no foreseeable end to their useful life. In accordance with IAS 36, they are tested for 
impairment at least once a year or whenever there are indications that the asset might be impaired. The impair-
ment test is performed in the same way as the impairment test for goodwill. Assessments of indefinite useful life 
are carried out in each year. 

The  brand name  obtained  from  the  acquisition  of  VMH  amounted  to  €1,497 thousand  as  of  31 December  2011 
and is reported in the Other segment. The VMH brand name has a limited useful life of five years and is therefore 
not subject to IAS 36. 

Development costs are capitalised if the following can be demonstrated:  

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

the technical feasibility of the intangible asset; 
the intention to complete the intangible asset and use or sell it; 
the ability to use or sell the intangible asset; 
the extent to which the intangible asset is expected to generate future economic benefits; 
the availability of adequate technical, financial and other resources to complete the development and to use 
or sell the intangible asset; and 
the ability to reliably measure the expenditure attributable to the intangible asset during its development. 

Capitalised  development  costs  include  all  costs  and  overhead  directly  attributable  to  the  development  process. 
Once  they  have  been  initially  capitalised,  these  costs  and  internally  generated  intangible  assets  –  particularly 
internally generated software – are carried at cost less cumulative amortisation and cumulative impairment loss-
es. Internally generated intangible assets are not qualifying assets so finance costs are not capitalised. All non-
qualifying  research  and  development  costs  are  expensed  as  incurred  and  reported  on  the  income  statement 
under research and development costs together with the amortisation on capitalised development costs. 

The following useful lives are applied in determining the carrying amounts of other intangible assets:  

Useful life of other intangible assets

Customer relationships/client base
Technology
Development costs
Patents and licences
Software

Leases 

Years

10
10
5-7
3-15
3-8

As  part  of  the  financial  services  business,  companies  in  the  KION  Group  enter  into  leases  as  lessors  and  as 
lessees.  In  line  with  IAS  17,  leases  are  classified  as  finance  leases  if substantially  all  of the  risks  and  rewards 
incidental to ownership of the leased asset are transferred to the lessee. All other leases are classified as operat-
ing leases, again in accordance with IAS 17. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 14 of 81 

Sales leases 

KION Group companies lease equipment, mainly various industrial trucks, to their customers in order to promote 
sales. The leases may be of a short-term or long-term nature. 

For long-term leases, industrial trucks are generally sold to leasing companies. The assets are then either leased 
back  by  KION  Group  companies  and  sub-leased  to  customers  (described  below  as  'sale  and  leaseback  sub-
leases')  or  the  leasing  company  itself  enters  into  the  lease  with  the  customer  (described  below  as  'sales  with 
risk'). Long-term leases generally have a term of four to five years.  

Short-term leases are entered into directly with customers, with economic ownership of the leased assets remain-
ing with the KION Group companies. The assets are reported as leased assets as a separate item on the face of 
the statement of financial position. Short-term leases usually have a term of one day to one year.  

If a KION Group company enters into a finance lease as the lessor, the future lease payments to be paid by the 
lessee are recognised as lease receivables at an amount equal to the net investment in the lease. Interest income 
is allocated to each reporting period in order to ensure a constant return on the outstanding net investment in the 
lease. 

If the economic ownership of leased assets remains with a KION Group company as the lessor under an operat-
ing lease, the assets are reported as leased assets in a separate item on the face of the statement of financial 
position.  The  leased  assets  are  carried  at  cost  and  depreciated  in  accordance  with  the  accounting  policies  for 
property, plant and equipment. Lease-related income is recognised on a straight-line basis over the terms of the 
lease.  

If  the  risks  and  rewards  incidental  to  sale  and  leaseback  sub-leases  are  substantially  borne  by  KION  Group 
companies,  the  corresponding  assets  are  reported  as  non-current  leased  assets  and  are  depreciated  over  the 
term of the underlying leases. If substantially all of the risks and rewards are transferred to the end customer, a 
corresponding lease receivable is recognised. Long-term customer leases are funded for terms that match those 
of the leases; funding items are recognised as lease liabilities.  

As part of the financial services provided by the Group, industrial trucks are also sold to finance partners who then 
enter into leases directly with end customers. 

If KION Group entities provide material residual value guarantees or a customer default guarantee, these transac-
tions, which are classified as sale agreements under civil law, are recognised in accordance with the provisions 
on lessors with operating leases in conjunction with the IFRS principles for revenue recognition ('sale with risk'). 
Accordingly, the vehicles are recognised as assets in the statement of financial position at their cost on the date 
of the sale and depreciated to their guaranteed residual value, or zero, over the term of the lease between the 
finance partner and end customer. If the KION Group provides a residual value guarantee, a lease liability equiva-
lent to the residual value obligation is recognised. 

Procurement leases 

In  addition  to  entering  into  leases  for  sales  purposes,  KION  Group  companies  also  lease  buildings, machinery, 
office  furniture  and operating equipment  for  their  own  use, primarily  using operating  leases.  The  corresponding 
lease payments are recognised in the income statement on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 15 of 81 

KION Group companies also lease assets for their own use using finance leases. In this case, the lesser of the 
fair value of the leased asset or the present value of future lease payments is recognised at the inception of the 
lease under leased assets. A corresponding liability to the lessor is recognised as a lease liability in the statement 
of financial position.  
Leased  assets  are  depreciated  over  the  shorter  of  their  useful  life  or  the  term  of  the  lease,  unless  title  to  the 
leased assets passes to the lessee when the lease expires, in which case the leased assets are depreciated and 
the lease liabilities are reversed over the useful life of the leased assets. 

The  difference  between  total  lease  liabilities  and  the  fair  value  of  leased  assets  represents  the  finance  charge 
which  is  recognised  in  the  income  statement  over  the  term  of  the  leases  at  a  constant  rate  of  interest  on  the 
outstanding balance in each period.  
At the end of the lease term, the leased assets are either returned or purchased, or the contract is extended.   

Other property, plant and equipment 

Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost less straight-line depreciation and impairment losses. The cost 
of internally generated machinery and equipment includes all costs directly attributable to the production process 
and an appropriate portion of production overhead. This includes production-related depreciation and proportion-
ate costs for administration and social insurance / employee benefits. 

The cost of property, plant and equipment is reduced by the amount of any government grants received. Expens-
es for maintenance and repairs are recognised in income to the extent that they are not required to be capitalised. 
Borrowing costs are capitalised for certain items of property, plant and equipment whose acquisition or production 
exceeds one year and the definition of a qualifying asset is met. As was the case in the previous year, there were 
no qualifying assets in 2011.  

Depreciation  of  property,  plant  and  equipment  is  recognised  on  a  straight-line  basis  and  reported  in  functional 
costs. The useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed annually and adjusted to reflect changes in condi-
tions. 

The following useful lives are applied in determining the carrying amounts of items of property, plant and equip-
ment: 

Useful life of other property, plant and equipment

Buildings
Plant and machinery
Office furniture and equipment

Years

10-25
6-15
3-15

If there are certain indications of impairment, property, plant and equipment assets are tested for impairment by 
comparing  the  residual  carrying  amount  of  the  assets  with  their  recoverable  amount,  which  is  defined  as  the 
higher of value in use and fair value less costs to sell. If the residual carrying amount is greater than the recover-
able amount, an impairment loss is recognised for the asset.  

The KION Group calculates the recoverable amount primarily on the basis of value in use. In determining value in 
use,  the  expected  future  cash  flows  are  discounted  using  a  risk-adjusted  discount  rate,  taking  into  account  the 
current and future level of earnings and segment-specific, technological, economic and general trends. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 16 of 81 

If an impairment test for an item of property, plant and equipment is performed at the level of a cash-generating 
unit  to  which  goodwill  is  allocated  and  results  in  the  recognition  of  an  impairment  loss,  first  the  goodwill  and, 
subsequently, the assets must be written down in proportion to their relative carrying amounts. If the reason for an 
impairment loss recognised in prior years no longer applies, impairment losses not exceeding the amortised cost 
of the asset concerned are reversed. This does not apply to goodwill. 

Equity investments 

In accordance with the equity method, associates and joint ventures are measured as the proportion of the inter-
est in the equity of the investee. They are initially carried at cost. In subsequent periods, the KION Group's inter-
est in the profit or loss generated after acquisition is recognised in income. Other changes in the equity of associ-
ates and joint ventures are recognised in other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated financial state-
ments in proportion to the Group's interest in the associate or joint venture.  

If  the  Group's  interest  in  the  losses  made  by  an  associate  or  joint  venture  exceeds  the  carrying  amount  of  the 
proportionate equity attributable to the Group, no additional losses are recognised. Any goodwill arising from the 
acquisition of an associate or joint venture is included in the carrying amount of the investment in the associate or 
joint venture. When an associate or joint venture is sold, the Group's interest in its goodwill is taken into account 
in determining the gain or loss on disposal. 

If there is evidence that an associate or joint venture may be impaired, the carrying amount of the investment in 
question is tested for impairment.  

Other financial assets  

The investments in non-consolidated affiliated companies and (long-term) equity investments that are reported in 
other  non-current  financial  assets  are  carried  at  cost  less  impairment  losses,  as  observable  fair  values  are  not 
available and reliable results cannot be obtained using other permitted measurement techniques. At present there 
is  no intention  to sell  these  financial instruments.  At  each  reporting  date,  financial  assets  or  groups  of  financial 
assets are tested for impairment. Impairment losses are recognised in income as appropriate.  

Primary financial assets are initially recognised and derecognised in the financial statements on their settlement 
dates.  

Under  IAS  39  ('Financial  Instruments:  Recognition  and  Measurement'),  securities  allocated  to  current  or  non-
current  financial  assets  are  classified  according  to  those  carried  at  fair  value  through  profit  and  loss  (FAHfT), 
available for sale (AfS) and held to maturity (HtM). 

The KION Group did not designate any securities as carried at fair value through profit and loss (FAHfT) in the 
reporting year. The FAHfT category therefore only includes financial derivatives that do not form part of a formally 
documented hedge. 

Available-for-sale  financial  instruments  (AfS)  are  carried  at  fair  value.  Equity  investments  for  which  no  market 
price  is  available,  are  recorded  at  cost.  Unrealised  gains  and  losses,  including  deferred  taxes,  are  reported  in 
other comprehensive income (loss) until they are realised.  

Carrying  amounts  are  tested  for  impairment  on  every  reporting  date  and  whenever  indications  of  impairment 
arise. If there is an objective indication of impairment (such as a borrower being in significant financial difficulties), 
an impairment loss must be recognised directly in the income statement.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 17 of 81 

If objective facts in favour of reversing impairment losses are present on the reporting date, reversals are recog-
nised in an appropriate amount. Reversals may not exceed the amortised cost that would have been recorded if 
the impairment loss had not been recognised. In the case of debt instruments, reversals of impairment losses are 
recognised in the income statement. 

Held-to-maturity  financial  assets  are  carried  at  amortised  cost  less  impairment  losses  in  accordance  with  the 
effective interest method.  

Income taxes 

In the consolidated financial statements, current and deferred taxes are recognised on the basis of the tax laws of 
the  jurisdictions  involved.  Deferred  taxes  are  recognised  in  other  comprehensive  income  (loss)  if  they  relate  to 
transactions also recognised in other comprehensive income (loss). 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognised in accordance with the liability method for all temporary differ-
ences between the IFRS carrying amounts and the tax base, as well as for temporary consolidation measures. 

Deferred  tax  assets  also  include  tax  refund  claims  that  arise  from  the  expected  utilisation  of  existing  tax  loss 
carryforwards and interest carryforwards in subsequent years and whose utilisation is reasonably certain accord-
ing  to  current  forecasts.  On  the  basis  of  this  estimate,  deferred  tax  assets  were  recognised  on  certain  interest 
carryforwards for the first time in 2010. 

Deferred taxes are determined on the basis of the tax rates that will apply or are expected to apply at the realisa-
tion date in accordance with the current legal situation in each country concerned. In accordance with the provi-
sions in IAS 12, deferred tax assets and liabilities are not discounted. 

Deferred tax assets are offset against deferred tax liabilities to the extent that they have the same maturity and 
relate to the same taxation authority. 

Inventories 

Inventories are carried at the lower of cost and net realisable value.  

The acquisition costs of raw materials and merchandise are calculated on the basis of an average.  

The cost of finished goods and work in progress includes direct costs and an appropriate portion of the material 
and  production  overhead  and  production-related  depreciation  directly  attributable  to  the  production  process. 
Administrative costs and social insurance / employee benefits are included to the extent that they are attributable 
to the production process. Borrowing costs as defined by IAS 23 are not a component of cost as inventories are 
not qualifying assets as defined by IAS 23.4. The amount recognised is an average value or a value determined 
in accordance with the FIFO method. 

Net realisable value is the selling price that can be realised less the estimated costs of completion and the esti-
mated costs necessary to make the sale. 

Write-downs  are  recognised  for  inventory  risks  resulting  from  duration  of  storage,  impaired  recoverability,  etc. 
Write-downs are reversed up to a maximum of cost if the reasons for their recognition no longer apply. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 18 of 81 

Receivables  

In  the  first  period  they  are  recognised,  receivables  and  other  assets  are  carried  at  fair  value  including  directly 
attributable  transaction  costs.  In  subsequent  periods  they  are  measured  at  amortised  cost  using  the  effective 
interest method. Appropriate valuation allowances are recognised for identifiable individual risks. Low-interest or 
non-interest-bearing receivables due in more than one year are carried at their present value.  

Derivative financial instruments  

Derivative  financial  instruments  comprise  currency  forwards  and  interest-rate  swaps  and  are  used  for  hedging 
purposes to mitigate exchange-rate and interest-rate risks. 

In accordance with IAS 39 (Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement), all derivative financial instru-
ments are measured at their fair value irrespective of an entity's purpose or intention in entering into the derivative 
contract. Changes in the fair value of derivative financial instruments in a formally documented hedge are report-
ed in the income statement (for fair value hedges) or in other comprehensive income (loss) (for cash flow hedg-
es).  

The KION Group currently only uses cash flow hedges for exchange-rate and interest-rate risks.  

In the case of cash flow hedges, derivatives are employed to hedge future cash flow risks from existing underlying 
transactions  or  planned  transactions.  The  effective  portion  of  changes  in  the  fair  value  of  derivatives  is  initially 
recognised in other comprehensive income (loss), and is subsequently reclassified to the income statement when 
the revenue from the corresponding underlying transaction is realised. The ineffective portion of the changes in 
fair value is recognised immediately in net financial income/expenses.  

If the criteria for hedge accounting are not satisfied, changes in the fair value of derivative financial instruments 
are recognised in the income statement.  

In the case of hedges of net investments in foreign subsidiaries, the translation risks resulting from investments 
with a different functional currency are hedged. Unrealised gains and losses on hedging instruments are reported 
in other comprehensive income (loss) until the company is sold. In the past financial year, KION Group compa-
nies have not entered into any hedges for net investments in foreign subsidiaries.  

Further information on risk management and accounting for derivative financial instruments can be found under 
note [ 33 ]. 

Retirement benefit obligation 

The retirement benefit obligation is calculated in accordance with the projected unit credit method. Future pension 
obligations  are  measured  on  the  basis  of  the  pro  rata  vested  benefit  entitlements  as  at  the  reporting  date  and 
discounted to their present value. The calculations include assumptions about future changes in certain parame-
ters, such as expected salary and pension increases and biometric factors affecting the amount of future benefits. 
Pension provisions are reduced by the fair value of the plan assets used to cover the Group's benefit obligations. 
Plan assets are measured at fair value. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 19 of 81 

Actuarial gains and losses, including deferred taxes, are recognised in other comprehensive income (loss). The 
cost of  additions  to  pension  provisions  is  allocated  to  functional costs.  The  interest  cost on  pension  obligations 
and  the  expected  return  on  plan  assets  are  reported  in  net  financial  income/expenses.  Further  details  can  be 
found in note [ 26 ]. 

Other provisions 

Other  provisions  are  recognised  when  the  Group  has  a  legal  or  constructive  obligation  to  a  third  party  as  the 
result of a past event that is probable to lead to a future outflow of resources and that can be reliably estimated. A 
provision  is  recognised  in  the  amount  of  the  mean  of  the  range  of  probabilities.  Measurement  includes  indirect 
and direct costs. 
Provisions  for  identifiable  risks  and  contingent  liabilities  are  recognised  in  the  amount  that  represents  the  best 
estimate of the cost required to settle the obligations existing on the reporting date. Recourse claims are not taken 
into account. The settlement amount also includes estimated future cost increases as of the reporting date. Provi-
sions  with  a  maturity  of  more  than  twelve  months  are  discounted  using  the  standard  market  interest  rate.  The 
discount  rate  is  a  before-tax  rate  that  reflects  current  market  expectations  for  the  time  value  of money  and  the 
specific risks inherent in the liability. Accrued interest is recognised in interest expense.  

Warranty provisions are recognised on the basis of past or estimated future claim statistics. Individual provisions 
are recognised for claims that are known to the Group. The corresponding expense is recognised in cost of sales 
at the date on which the revenue is recognised. 

Provisions for expected losses from onerous contracts and other business obligations are measured on the basis 
of the work yet to be performed. 

A restructuring provision is recognised when a KION Group company has prepared a detailed, formal restructur-
ing plan and this plan has raised a valid expectation in those affected that the company will carry out the restruc-
turing by starting to implement that plan or announcing its main features to those affected by it. The measurement 
of a restructuring provision only includes the direct expenditures arising from the restructuring and not associated 
with the ongoing activities of the company concerned. 

Shareholder loan, financial liabilities, other financial liabilities, trade payables 

These liabilities are initially recognised at fair value at the time they are entered into. Directly attributable transac-
tion  costs  are  deducted  for  all  financial  liabilities  that  are  not  subsequently  designated  as  at  fair  value  through 
profit or loss. 
The  shareholder  loan,  non-current  financial  liabilities  and  other  financial  liabilities  are  then  carried  at  amortised 
cost. Any differences between historical cost and the settlement amount are recognised in accordance with the 
effective interest method.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 20 of 81 

Assumptions and estimates 

The preparation of the IFRS consolidated financial statements requires the use of assumptions and estimates for 
certain line items that affect recognition and measurement in the statement of financial position and the income 
statement.  The  actual  amounts  recognised  may  differ  from  these  estimates.  Estimates  are  applied  in  particular 
when: 

• 

• 
• 
• 
• 

in  assessing  the  need  for  and  the  amount  of  impairment  losses  on  intangible  assets,  property,  plant  and 
equipment and inventories; 
in determining the useful life of non-current assets; 
in classifying leases; 
recognising and measuring defined benefit pension obligations, provisions for tax and other provisions; and 
in assessing the recoverability of deferred tax assets. 

Goodwill is tested for impairment annually at the level of the cash-generating unit to which goodwill is allocated, 
by considering the Group's three-year planning combined with the growth forecasts for 2015 to 2016 and assum-
ing division-specific growth rates for the period thereafter. Any material changes to these factors might result in 
the recognition of impairment losses. Further information on goodwill can be found in note [ 16 ]. 

Information on leases can be found in the sections on sales leases and procurement leases in this note. 

Defined  benefit  pension  obligations  are  calculated  on  the  basis  of  actuarial  parameters.  As  differences  due  to 
actuarial gains and losses are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss), any change in these parameters 
would not affect the net profit for the current period. For further details about sensitivity analysis of the impact of 
certain assumptions, please refer to the information about provisions in note [ 26 ]. 

Significant estimates are involved in calculating provisions for tax. These estimates may change on the basis of 
new information and experience. Where necessary, the KION Group's accounting departments receive assistance 
from external legal advisers and tax consultants when making the estimates required. 

The  recognition  and  measurement  of  other  provisions  is  based  on  an  estimate  of  the  probability  of  the  future 
outflow of resources, supplemented by past experience and the circumstances known to the Group at the report-
ing date. Accordingly, the actual outflow of resources for a given event may be different from the amount recog-
nised in other provisions. Further details can be found in note [ 29 ]. 

Deferred tax assets on tax loss carryforwards and interest carryforwards are recognised on the basis of an esti-
mate of the future recoverability of the tax benefit, i.e. an assumption as to whether sufficient taxable income or 
tax relief will be available against which the carryforwards can be utilised. The actual amount of taxable income in 
future periods, and hence the actual utilisation of tax loss carryforwards and interest carryforwards, may be differ-
ent from the estimates made when the corresponding deferred tax assets were recognised. 

Changes are recognised in profit or loss when they become known and assumptions are adjusted accordingly. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 21 of 81 

Notes to the consolidated income statement 

[ 8 ] 

Revenue 

The revenue earned by the KION Group in the year under review broken down by product category is as follows: 

Revenue by product category

€ thousand

New business
Hydraulics
Service offering
  - After sales
  - Rental business
  - Used trucks
  - Other

Total revenue

Further information on revenue can be found in note [ 36 ] Segment report. 

[ 9 ] 

Other income 

The breakdown of other income is as follows: 

Other income

€ thousand

Foreign currency exchange rate gains
Remeasurement of purchase price obligations
Profit from release of deferred lease profits
Income from reversal of provisions
Rental income
Gains on disposal of non-current assets
Gains from revaluation of non-current assets
Sundry income

Total other income

2011

2010

2,364,235
172,662
1,831,498
1,065,731
441,152
218,982
105,633

1,775,628
119,901
1,638,945
970,668
402,361
187,246
78,670

4,368,395

3,534,474

2011

2010

22,600
11,971
6,886
6,638
2,155
1,381
0
29,872

81,503

18,554
0
6,952
5,038
2,231
1,077
1,546
24,187

59,585

The foreign currency exchange rate gains and losses result from the measurement of financial receivables and 
liabilities  denominated  in  foreign  currency  and  the  measurement  of  the  related  derivatives.  The  year-over-year 
increase in  foreign  currency  exchange  rate  gains  and  losses  (see  also  note  [  10  ]  Other expenses)  is  primarily 
attributable to more volatile exchange rates compared with 2010. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 22 of 81 

The  remeasurement  of  purchase  price  obligations  relates  to  shares  held  for  two  UK  dealers.  The  gains  on  the 
remeasurement of purchase price obligations result from the significantly improved market environment and the 
resulting increase in the value of the shareholdings.  

[ 10 ]  Other expenses 

The breakdown of other expenses is as follows: 

Other expenses

€ thousand

Impairment of non-current assets
Foreign currency exchange rate losses
Losses on disposal of property, plant and equipment
Sundry other expenses

Total other expenses

2011

2010

27,032
19,467
7,963
15,581

70,043

8,522
16,949
5,966
14,442

45,879

The impairment recognised on non-current assets in the reporting year comprised impairment losses of € 10,261 
thousand  on  intangible  assets  (2010: €8,464  thousan d)  and  impairment  of  €16,771 thousand on  other  prop erty, 
plant and equipment (2010: €58 thousand). The loss  was largely caused by the planned transfer of production. 

Gains and losses on foreign currency exchange rate differences (gains are presented in Other income) include 
losses of €188 thousand on derivative financial ins truments used to hedge exchange-rate risk resulting from our 
operations (2010: €3,947 thousand). These losses on  derivatives are offset by gains on the currency translation of 
the corresponding underlying transactions. 

[ 11 ]  Share of profit (loss) of equity investments 

The  share  of  profit  of  equity  investments  amounted  to  €11,192 thousand  in  the  reporting  year  (2010: 
€3,569 thousand).  This  amount  includes  income  of  €4
,102  thousand  from  the  remeasurement  of  an  existing 
equity investment of 49 per cent held in Linde Sterling Ltd., Basingstoke, United Kingdom, for which a controlling 
influence was obtained following the acquisition of the remaining shares. Further details can be found in note [ 19 
]. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 23 of 81 

[ 12 ]  Financial income  

Financial income is comprised of the following: 

Financial income

€ thousand

Interest income from leases
Foreign currency exchange rate gains (financing)
Return on pension plan assets
Other interest and similar income

Total financial income

2011

2010

24,414
23,149
22,732
3,369

73,664

25,528
36,141
23,247
3,433

88,349

The interest income from leases relates to the interest portion of lease payments in financial services transactions 
in which KION Group companies operate as the lessor (finance leases).  

The foreign currency exchange rate gains include gains on hedging transactions amounting to €22,883 th ousand 
(2010: €36,048 thousand).  

The return on pension plan assets item shows the expected return on plan assets used to fund pension obliga-
tions. 

[ 13 ]  Financial expense 

The financial expense is comprised of the following: 

Financial expense

€ thousand

Interest expense from loans
Foreign currency exchange rate losses (financing)
Interest cost of defined benefit obligation
Interest cost of leases
Interest cost of shareholder loan
Interest expense from corporate bond
Amortisation of finance costs
Interest cost of non-current financial liabilities
Other interest expense and similar charges
Total financial expense

2011

2010

135,737
52,264
42,436
37,738
27,882
25,395
11,359
2,574
10,324
345,709

167,347
53,877
41,434
35,951
27,882
− 
8,333
3,263
16,318
354,405

Interest  expense  include  interest  cost  of  €117,273  thousand  arising  from  variable-rate  loan  liabilities  under  the 
senior  facilities  agreement  (2010:  €129,260  thousan d)  and  losses  of  €18,464 thousand  on  interest-rate  swaps 
(2010: €38,087 thousand). 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 24 of 81 

The  foreign  currency  exchange  rate  losses  include  a  loss  of  €19,022 thousand  on  the  translation  of  a  f oreign-
currency loan denominated in US dollars (2010: €38,2 19 thousand) and losses of €31,843 thousand on deri vative 
financial instruments (2010: €15,641 thousand).  

The interest cost of the defined benefit obligation is the annual interest expense in connection with the change in 
the non-current pension obligations. 

The interest cost of leases relates to the interest portion of lease payments in financial services transactions in 
which risks and rewards are borne by KION Group companies as the lessee (finance leases). Sale-finance lease-
back-operating  sub-leases 
(2010: 
€16,615 thousand). This interest expense was not di rectly offset by any interest income. The interest income is a 
component of the lease payments reported within revenue. 

interest  expense  of 

€19,587 thousand 

(SALB-FL-OL) 

incurred 

[ 14 ] 

Income taxes  

income 

tax  expense  of 

The 
€49,349 thousand 
€49,719 thousand) in deferred tax income. The curre nt tax expense includes expenses of €2,602 thousand  (2010: 
income of €11,868 thousand) relating to previous fi nancial years.  

€34,722 thousand)  consisted  of 
(2010: 
€15,308 thousand 

i ncome  of 
tax  expense  and 

(2010: 
in  curren t 

€14,997 thousand) 

€34,041 thousand 

(2010: 

At  the  reporting  date  there  were  income  tax  assets  of  €4,953 thousand  receivable  from  tax  authorities  ( 2010: 
€4,550 thousand) and income tax liabilities of €15, 439 thousand (2010: €6,661 thousand).  

Deferred  taxes  are  recognised  for  temporary  differences  between  the  tax  base  and  IFRS  carrying  amounts. 
Deferred taxes are determined on the basis of the tax rates that will apply or are expected to apply at the realisa-
tion date in accordance with the current legal situation in each country concerned. The current corporate income 
tax  rate  in  Germany  is  15.0  per  cent.  Taking  into  account  the  average  trade  tax  rate  of  13.9  per  cent  and  the 
solidarity surcharge (5.5 per cent of corporate income tax), the combined tax rate for companies in Germany was 
unchanged on 2010 at 29.8 per cent. The income tax rates for foreign companies used in the calculation of de-
ferred taxes are between 10.0 per cent and 38.5 per cent (2010: 10.0 per cent and 37.8 per cent). 

No  deferred  taxes  have  been  recognised  on  differences  of  €100,146 thousand  between  the  IFRS  carrying 
amounts  and  the  tax  base  for  equity  investments  (outside  basis  differences)  because  the  KION  Group  is  in  a 
position  to manage  the  timing  of  the  reversal  of  temporary differences and  there are  no plans  to dispose  of  in-
vestments in the foreseeable future. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 25 of 81 

Deferred tax assets include the following items in the statement of financial position: 

Deferred tax assets 

€ thousand

Intangible assets and property, plant and equipment
Financial assets
Current assets
Deferred charges and prepaid expenses
Provisions
Liabilities
Deferred income
Tax loss carryforwards and interest carryforwards
Offsetting

Total deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities include the following items in the statement of financial position: 

Deferred tax liabilities 

€ thousand

Intangible assets and property, plant and equipment
Financial assets
Current assets
Deferred charges and prepaid expenses
Provisions
Liabilities
Deferred income
Offsetting

Total deferred tax liabilities

2011

2010

86,789
1
34,697
6,065
101,669
200,678
46,386
70,230
-284,552 

65,130
705
26,485
2,922
88,501
163,136
47,953
95,341
-248,401 

261,963

241,772

2011

2010

456,138
3,139
113,340
8,588
29,838
9,749
2,814
-284,552 

444,580
3,097
97,701
15
28,837
8,003
1,098
-248,401 

339,054

334,930

The deferred tax liabilities essentially relate to the purchase price allocation in the acquisition of the KION Group, 
particularly for intangible assets and property, plant and equipment. 

Deferred  tax  assets  amounting  to  €211,398 thousand 
because it is unlikely that the corresponding benefit can be utilised. Unrecognised deferred tax assets relate to tax 
loss  carryforwards  of  €91,636 thousand  (2010:  €74,2 63 thousand),  interest carryforwards  of  €116,060 th ousand 
(2010: €81,844 thousand) and other temporary differ ences of €3,702 thousand (2010: €5,012 thousand).  

(2010:  €161,119 thousand)  have  not  been  recognised 

Deferred  taxes  are  recognised  on  tax  loss  carryforwards  and  interest  carryforwards  to  the  extent  that  sufficient 
future taxable income is expected to be generated against which the losses can be utilised. Of the deferred tax 
assets  amounting  to  €9,198  thousand  recognised  on  i nterest  carryforwards  for  the  first  time  in  2010, 
€2,243 thousand was written down in 2011 because, b ased on the information available at the reporting date, a 
lower amount was expected to be used in future. The total amount of unrecognised deferred tax assets relating to 
loss  carryforwards  of  €91,636 thousand  (2010:  €74,2 63 thousand)  concerns  tax  losses  that  can  be  carried  for-
ward indefinitely. 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 26 of 81 

As of 31 December 2011, the KION Group's tax loss carryforwards in Germany amounted to €381,941 thousand  
(31 December 2010: €400,286 thousand) for corporate  income tax and €263,525 thousand (31 December 2010 : 
€288,910 thousand)  for  trade  tax.  There  were  also  f oreign  tax  loss  carryforwards  totalling  €187,438 th ousand 
(31 December 2010: €183,353 thousand). 

As of 31 December 2011, the interest carryforwards in Germany that can be carried forward indefinitely amounted 
to €464,939 thousand (31 December 2010: €342,252 th

ousand). 

The table below shows the reconciliation of expected income tax expense to effective income tax expense. The 
Group reconciliation is an aggregation of the individual company-specific reconciliations prepared in accordance 
with relevant local tax rates, taking into account consolidation effects recognised in income. The expected tax rate 
applied in the reconciliation is unchanged on 2010 at 29.8 per cent. 

Income taxes 

€ thousand

Earnings before taxes

Anticipated income taxes
Deviations due to the trade tax base
Deviations from the anticipated tax rate
Change in valuation allowance on deferred taxes
Losses for which deferred taxes have not been recognised
Change in tax rates and tax legislation
Interest carryforwards without the recognition of deferred taxes
Non-deductible expenses
Tax-exempt income
Tax relating to other periods
Deferred taxes prior periods
Other

Effective income taxes (current and deferred taxes)

2011

2010

-58,885

-231,420 

17,548
-3,087
13,560
-9,765
-17,372
-1,404
-31,786
-8,556
1,903
-2,602
5,001
2,519

-34,041

68,894
-2,026 
3,289
-1,999 
-11,108 
-311 
-34,073 
-14,608 
34
11,868
16,055
-1,293 

34,722

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 27 of 81 

[ 15 ] 

Other income statement disclosures  

The  cost  of  materials  rose  by  €530,162 thousand  in 
€1,713,907 thousand). 

the  reporting  year  to  €2,244,069 thousand  (2010: 

Personnel expenses increased by €95,516 thousand in  2011 to €1,063,726 thousand (2010: €968,210 thousan
d). 
Personnel  expenses  include  wages  and  salaries  of  €83 3,585 thousand  (2010:  €755,923 thousand)  as  well  as  
social  security  contributions  and  expenses  for  pensions  and  other  benefits  of  €230,141 thousand  (2010:  
€212,287 thousand). The accretion of interest cost  related to the discount on estimated pension obligations is not 
recognised under personnel expenses but is instead reported under financial expense as a component of interest 
cost  of  the  defined  benefit  obligation.  The  pension  expenses  of  €29,741 thousand  (2010:  €25,774 thousa
nd)  is 
essentially comprised of the pension entitlements of €16,242 thousand vested in 2011 (2010: €14,315 th ousand) 
and the unrecognised past service cost of €177 thou sand (2010: €79 thousand). 

Impairment losses and depreciation expenses on property, plant and equipment together with impairment losses 
and  amortisation  expense  of  intangible  assets  amounted  to  €356,021 thousand  in  the  reporting  year  (201 0: 
€347,117 thousand). Inventories were written down b y €6,179 thousand (2010: €6,311 thousand).  

The  breakdown  of  lease  payments  expensed  in  the  period  and  related  to  operating  leases  where  KION  Group 
companies are the lessee is as follows: 

Lessee: Expenses recognised for operating lease payments

€ thousand

Procurement lease contracts
Sublease contracts 

Total recognised expenses for lease payments

2011

2010

67,043
38,181

57,913
43,015

105,224

100,928

The expenses in connection with sub-leases relate to leases in which KION Group companies are both the lessor 
and lessee. These expenses were offset by income of €51,072 thousand in 2011 (2010: €52,806 thousand).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 28 of 81 

Notes to the consolidated statement of financial position 

[ 16 ]  Goodwill and other intangible assets 

Goodwill is allocated to the segments as follows: 

Goodwill broken down by segment  

€ thousand

LMH
STILL
Other

Total goodwill

2011

2010

971,873
552,208
13,915

954,802
552,208
− 

1,537,996

1,507,010

The change in goodwill resulted mainly from business combinations amounting to €31,535 thousand in 201 1. The 
goodwill of €13,915 thousand arising from the acqui sition of the forklift truck and warehouse technology business 
of Voltas Limited, Mumbai, India, has been allocated to the 'Other' segment.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 29 of 81 

Intangible assets  

€ thousand

Goodwill Brand names

Technology & 
development

Sundry 
intangible 
assets

Total

Balance as at 1/1/2010

1,504,796

590,340

263,463

142,655

2,501,254

Group changes
Currency translation adjustments
Additions
Disposals
Amortisation
Impairment
Appreciation
Reclassification

0
778
1,511
-75
0
0
0
0

0
678
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
304
47,538
0
-47,328
-3,044
0
261

234
2,744
21,582
3
-27,360
-5,420
21
-261

234
4,504
70,631
-72
-74,688
-8,464
21
0

Balance as at 31/12/2010

1,507,010

591,018

261,194

134,198

2,493,420

Gross carrying amount as at 31/12/2010
Accumulated amortisation

1,507,010
0

591,018
0

406,879
-145,685

214,386
-80,188

2,719,293
-225,873

Balance as at 1/1/2011

1,507,010

591,018

261,194

134,198

2,493,420

Group changes
Currency translation adjustments
Additions
Disposals
Amortisation
Impairment
Reclassification

31,535
150
0
-699
0
0
0

2,982
524
99
0
-244
0
0

0
-14
53,363
-1
-52,544
-10,236
-39

7,634
225
16,755
-163
-27,359
-25
188

42,151
885
70,217
-863
-80,147
-10,261
149

Balance as at 31/12/2011

1,537,996

594,379

251,723

131,453

2,515,551

Gross carrying amount as at 31/12/2011
Accumulated amortisation

1,537,996
0

594,609
-230

449,864
-198,141

236,275
-104,822

2,818,744
-303,193

The Group intends to retain and further strengthen the Linde, STILL, OM and KION brand names on a long-term 
basis. Brand names worth €473,782 thousand (31 Decem ber 2010: €471,918 thousand) are assigned to the LM H 
segment. The value of brand names allocated to the STILL segment was unchanged year over year at €114,0 00 
thousand. These assets are not amortised as they have an indefinite useful life. A value of €1,830 thou sand was 
attributed  to  the  Voltas  brand  name  in  2011  as  part  of  the  purchase  price  allocation.  Unlike  the  other  brand 
names,  the  Voltas  brand  is  amortised  over  its  useful  life.  Brand  names  worth  €6,597  thousand  (31  Decemb er 
2010: €5,100 thousand) have been allocated to the ' Other' segment.  

for 

total  carrying  amount 

technology  and  development  assets  as  of  31  December 2011  was 

The 
€251,723 thousand  (31  December 2010:  €261,194  thous and).  Development  costs  of  €53,363 thousand  were 
capitalised in the reporting year (31 December 2010: €47,538 thousand). Total research and development
of 
€62,780 thousand (31 December 2010: €50,372 thousan d) related to amortisation and impairment losses.    

 costs 
this  amount, 

ousand)  were  expensed.  Of 

(31  December  2010: 

€119,526 thousand 

€103,255 th

Impairment losses of €10,261 thousand were recognis ed on these assets in 2011 to reflect the lack of opportuni-
ties to use them in future as a result of the planned transfers of production. €10,236 thousand of thi s amount was 
attributable to technology and development assets. The impairment losses related to the STILL segment.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 30 of 81 

Other intangible assets relate primarily to the intangible assets identified through the purchase price allocation for 
the acquisition of the KION Group, such as the customer base. 

The amortisation expense and impairment losses on intangible assets are reported under functional costs. 

[ 17 ]  Leased assets 

The changes in leased assets in 2011 and 2010 were as follows: 

Leased assets

€ thousand

Balance as at 1/1/

Group changes
Currency translation adjustments
Additions
Disposals
Depreciation
Reclassification

Balance as at  31/12/

Gross carrying amount as at 31/12/
Accumulated depreciation

2011

2010

501,164

536,224

10,690
-1,449
287,722
-86,623
-169,452
-2,321

0
16,830
188,832
-65,140
-176,558
976

539,731

501,164

1,436,849
-897,118

1,443,182
-942,018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 31 of 81 

The segment breakdown of leased assets is as follows: 

Leased assets broken down by segment

€ thousand

LMH

STILL

Other

Total

Balance as at 1/1/2010
Currency translation adjustments
Additions
Disposals
Depreciation
Reclassification

312,271
14,230
103,549
-39,660
-103,939
-157

220,035
2,600
84,240
-25,480
-70,261
1,133

3,918
0
1,043
0
-2,358
0

536,224
16,830
188,832
-65,140
-176,558
976

Balance as at 31/12/2010

286,294

212,267

2,603

501,164

Gross carrying amount as at 31/12/2010
Accumulated depreciation

871,633
-585,339

562,603
-350,336

8,946
-6,343

1,443,182
-942,018

Balance as at 1/1/2011
Group changes
Currency translation adjustments
Additions
Disposals
Depreciation
Reclassification

286,294
10,690
387
152,280
-51,931
-102,152
199

212,267
0
-1,836
133,689
-34,371
-65,802
-2,520

2,603
0
0
1,753
-321
-1,498
0

501,164
10,690
-1,449
287,722
-86,623
-169,452
-2,321

Balance as at 31/12/2011

295,767

241,427

2,537

539,731

Gross carrying amount as at 31/12/2011
Accumulated depreciation

841,619
-545,852

586,699
-345,272

8,532
-5,995

1,436,850
-897,119

The breakdown of leased assets by contract type is shown in the following table: 

Leased assets broken down by contract types  

Operating leases 
as lessor

Sale with risk

Finance leases 
as lessee

Total

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Land and buildings

Industrial trucks

Plant and machinery

Office furniture and equipment

− 

− 

− 

− 

6,798

12,426

6,798

12,426

455,075

386,971

66,464

86,322

− 

− 

2,261

3,375

− 

237

− 

641

33

301

8,562

25

521,572

473,318

2,671

8,733

301

11,060

2,671

12,749

Total leased assets

457,336

390,346

66,701

86,963

15,694

23,855

539,731

501,164

Assets  held  under  operating  leases  include  leased  assets  with  a  residual  value  of  €333,153 thousand  (31   De-
cember  2010:  €274,877  thousand)  that  are  funded  by  means  of  sale  and  leaseback  transactions  with  leasing 
companies and  leased  assets  with  a  residual  value  of €124,183 thousand  (31  December 2010: €115,469 tho
u-
sand) that are largely funded internally or by means of bank loans. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 32 of 81 

Total  operating 
€162,140 thousand (31 December 2010: €129,946 thous

in  non-cancellable 

resulted 

leases 

and). 

lease  obligations 

from  customers  amounting 

to 

The following table shows the maturity structure of the minimum lease payments: 

Minimum lease payments

€ thousand

Cash receipts from minimum lease payments
  due within one year 
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

2011

2010

162,140
66,613
94,768
759

129,946
53,965
75,510
471

The buildings, plant and machinery, and office furniture and equipment leased under finance leases are reported 
in leased assets with a residual value of €15,694 t housand (31 December 2010: €23,855 thousand). The c orre-
sponding liabilities are reported as lease liabilities. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 33 of 81 

[ 18 ]  Other property, plant and equipment 

The changes in the carrying amounts of other property, plant and equipment were as follows: 

Other property, plant and equipment  

€ thousand

Balance as at 1/1/2010
Group changes
Exchange rate adjustments
Additions
Disposals
Depreciation
Impairment
Reversal of impairment
Reclassification

Balance as at 31/12/2010

Plant, 
machinery, 
and office 
furniture and 
equipment

Advances 
paid and 
assets 
under 
construction

Land and 
buildings

348,277
0
9,353
7,892
-57
-16,193
0
203
4,709

233,000
1,019
3,176
34,045
-816
-71,156
-58
1,322
431

354,184

200,963

9,227
0
212
10,835
-2,813
0
0
0
-6,116

11,345

Total

590,504
1,019
12,741
52,772
-3,686
-87,349
-58
1,525
-976

566,492

Gross carrying amount as at 31/12/2010
Accumulated depreciation

619,066
-264,882

923,997
-723,034

11,345
0

1,554,408
-987,916

Balance as at 1/1/2011
Group changes
Exchange rate adjustments
Additions
Disposals
Depreciation
Impairment
Reclassification

354,184
4,404
3,722
4,148
-6,595
-15,908
-8,796
3,280

200,963
1,061
1,198
46,132
-1,957
-63,482
-7,975
3,666

11,345
779
-291
13,627
-609
0
0
-4,775

566,492
6,244
4,629
63,907
-9,161
-79,390
-16,771
2,171

Balance as at 31/12/2011
Gross carrying amount as at 31/12/2011
Accumulated depreciation

338,439
625,996
-287,557

179,606
983,898
-804,292

20,076
20,076
0

538,121
1,629,970
-1,091,849

Land  and  buildings  in  the  amount  of  €12,168 thousan d  (31  December  2010:  €12,293 thousand)  were  largely  
pledged as collateral for accrued retirement benefits under partial retirement agreements. 

The KION Group recognised impairment losses of €16,7 71 thousand in accordance with IAS 36 in 2011, predom-
inantly  in  connection  with  the  planned  transfers  of  production.  Of  this  amount,  €8,796 thousand  relate d  to  land 
and  buildings,  and  €7,975 thousand  to  plant  and  mac hinery  as  well  as  office  furniture  and  equipment.  The  im-
pairment losses related to the STILL segment.        

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 34 of 81 

[ 19 ]  Equity investments 

As  of  31  December  2011,  the  Group  reported  equity  investments  with  a  total  carrying  amount  of 
€36,545 thousand (31 December 2010: €37,841 thousan
d). These associates and joint ventures can be seen in 
the list of shareholdings in the annex to these notes. Their key figures are as follows: 

Equity investments 

€ thousand

Associates (100 percent)
Revenue
Net income

Assets
Liabilities

Joint ventures (100 percent)
Revenue
Net income

Assets
  non-current assets
  current assets 
Liabilities
  non-current liabilities
  current liabilities 

The figures presented in the table are based on a 100 per cent investment. 

2011

2010

540,068
10,960

576,103
494,021

107,874
5,612

51,546
25,115
26,431
26,223
2,699
23,524

562,596
9,214

611,561
529,526

77,086
1,321

46,410
28,070
18,340
26,419
2,053
24,366

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 35 of 81 

[ 20 ] 

Lease receivables 

For  leases  where  KION  Group  companies  lease  assets  directly  to  customers  as  part  of  the  Group's  financing 
activities, the Group's net investment in the lease is reported as a lease receivable. 

The amounts recognised as lease receivables are based on the following data: 

Lease receivables 

€ thousand

Gross investments
  due within one year 
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years 

Present value of outstanding minimum lease payments
  due within one year 
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

2011

2010

399,726
135,897
254,724
9,105

361,221
118,381
234,043
8,797

411,116
140,737
260,835
9,544

367,758
120,950
237,571
9,237

Unrealised financial income

38,505

43,358

investments 

Gross 
€326,930 thousand (31 December 2010: €336,585 thous

include  minimum 

lease  payments 

and).  

from  non-cancellable  sub-leases  amounting 

to 

Lease  receivables  include  the  unguaranteed  residual  values  accruing  to  the  benefit  of  the  KION  Group  in  the 
amount of €38,714 thousand (31 December 2010: €39,6

40 thousand). 

Lease  receivables  also 
€3,013 thousand) that have been sold but whose sign ificant risks and rewards remain with the KION Group due to 
default and residual-value guarantees. Corresponding liabilities in the same amounts have been recognised. 

€1,684 thousand  (31  December  2010: 

include  receivables 

the  amount  of 

in 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 36 of 81 

[ 21 ]  Other financial assets 

Other financial assets of €132,828 thousand (31 Dec ember 2010: €124,264 thousand) comprise the followi ng: 

Other financial assets  

€ thousand

Pension assets
Investments in affiliated companies
Other investments
Loans receivable
Non-current securities

Other non-current financial assets

Derivative financial instruments
Financial receivables from affiliated companies and related companies
Financial receivables from third parties
Deferred charges and prepaid expenses
Sundry financial assets

Other current financial assets

Total other financial assets

2011

2010

19,958
1,956
2,253
795
770

25,732

23,277
4,277
1,074
14,030
64,438

10,263
2,224
2,253
1,907
827

17,474

23,706
7,459
658
16,647
58,320

107,096

106,790

132,828

124,264

Pension assets relate to asset surpluses from defined benefit plans. As at the reporting date, the present values 
of defined benefit obligations are netted against the fair value of plan assets. If the plan assets exceed the obliga-
tion, this results in an asset.  

The sundry financial assets essentially include receivables from value added tax amounting to €21,782  thousand 
(2001: €20,864 thousand).  

Other financial assets include non-derivative financial receivables amounting to €36,237 thousand (31  December 
2010: €35,416 thousand) that fall within the scope  of IFRS 7. 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 37 of 81 

[ 22 ] 

Inventories 

The reported inventories are categorised as follows: 

Inventories  

€ thousand

Materials and supplies
Work in progress
Finished goods and merchandise
Advances paid

Total inventories

2011

2010

150,949
98,387
370,714
5,319

625,369

120,019
72,294
337,249
5,967

535,529

The increase in inventories compared with 2010 largely results from the higher volume of business in 2011. 

The KION Group recognised impairment losses of €6,17 9 thousand in 2011, predominantly in connection with the 
planned transfers of production. The impairment losses related to the STILL segment. 

[ 23 ]  Trade receivables 

The trade receivables consist of the following: 

Trade receivables  

€ thousand

Receivables from third parties
  thereof receivables from third parties before valuation allowances
  thereof valuation allowances for overdue receivables > 90 days ≤ 180 days
  thereof valuation allowances for overdue receivables > 180 days
  thereof other valuation allowances for receivables
Trade receivables from affiliated companies
Trade receivables from investments in associated companies and joint ventures

Total trade receivables

2011

2010

651,560
701,125
-9,242 
-27,988 
-12,335 
3,150
21,843

601,214
648,339
-9,213 
-28,836 
-9,076 
4,011
28,040

676,553

633,265

Valuation  allowances  of  €49,565 thousand  (31  Decembe r  2010:  €47,125 thousand)  were  recognised  for  trade  
receivables.  

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 38 of 81 

[ 24 ]  Cash and cash equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents

€ thousand

Cash held by banks, on hand and cheque
Pledged cash
Current securities

Total cash and cash equivalents

2011

2010

372,957
494
− 

252,572
− 
312

373,451

252,884

The change in cash and cash equivalents is shown in the consolidated statement of cash flows. For more detailed 
information, please also refer to note [ 32 ]. 

[ 25 ]  Equity 

Subscribed capital and capital reserve 

As at the reporting date, the Company's subscribed capital was fully contributed and amounted to €500 t housand 
and  was  unchanged 
to 
in 
€348,483 thousand as at the reporting date. The cap ital reserve resulted from a capital contribution by a share-
holder.  

the  previous  year,  capital  reserve  amounted 

from  prior  year.  Also,  as 

Retained earnings 

The development of retained earnings is shown in the consolidated statement of changes in equity. The retained 
earnings comprise the net loss for the financial year and past contributions to earnings by the consolidated com-
panies, provided they have not been distributed.  

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)  

Accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  (loss)  includes  the  currency  translation  differences  arising  from  the 
translation of the financial statements of foreign subsidiaries, the effects of the fair value measurement of deriva-
tive financial instruments designated in cash flow hedge relationships, the company´s proportionate share of other 
comprehensive income adjustments related to equity investments, and the actuarial gains and losses in connec-
tion with defined benefit pension obligations. 

Non-controlling interests 

Non-controlling  interests  in  companies  in  the  KION  Group  amounted  to  €7,077  thousand  (31  December  2010:  
€7,070 thousand). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 39 of 81 

[ 26 ]  Retirement benefit obligation 

The  retirement  benefit  obligation  is  recognised  for  obligations  to  provide  current  and  future  post-employment 
benefits.  Post-employment  benefit  plans  are  classified  as  either  defined  benefit  plans  or  defined  contribution 
plans, depending on the substance of the plan as derived from its principal terms and conditions. 

Defined contribution plans 

In the case of defined-contribution pension plans, the Group pays contributions to government or private pension 
insurance  providers  based  on  statutory  or  contractual  provisions,  or  on  a  voluntary  basis.  The  Group  does  not 
enter  into  any  obligations  above  and  beyond  the  payment  of  contributions  to  an  external  pension  fund.  The 
amount of future benefits is based solely on the amount of the contributions paid by the employer (and in some 
cases the beneficiaries themselves) to the external pension fund, including income from the investment of these 
in  2011 
contributions.  The  total  expense  arising  from  defined contribution  plans  amounted  to  €56,118 thousand 
(2010: €48,867 thousand). Of this total, contributi ons paid by employers into government-run plans amounted to 
€53,337 thousand (2010: €46,480 thousand). The defi
ned contribution plan expense is reported within the func-
tional costs.  

Defined benefit plans 

The KION Group currently grants pensions to almost all employees in Germany and a number of foreign employ-
ees. These pensions consist of fixed benefit entitlements and are therefore reported as defined benefit plans in 
accordance  with  IFRS.  For  all  of  the  significant  defined  benefit  plans  within  the  Group,  the  benefits  granted  to 
employees  are  determined  on  the  basis  of  their  individual  income,  i.e.  either  directly  or  by  way  of  intermediate 
benefit arrangements. 

In accordance with IAS 19 ('Employee Benefits'), pension provisions are recognised to cover obligations arising 
from  the  current  and  future  pension  entitlements  of  active  and  former  employees  of  the  KION  Group  and  their 
surviving dependants. 

Some  of  KION  Group's  pension  obligations  in  Germany  are  financed  by  way  of  contractual  trust  arrangements 
(CTAs), which qualify as plan assets within the meaning of IAS 19. In the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the 
Netherlands, significant plan assets are invested in external pension funds with restricted access. 

In the case of defined benefit plans, the beneficiaries are granted a specific benefit by the Group or an external 
pension  fund.  Due  to  future  salary  increases,  the  benefit  entitlement  at  the  retirement  age  of  the  beneficiary  is 
likely to be higher than the amount granted at the reporting date. Pensions are often adjusted after an employee 
reaches retirement age. The amount of the Group's obligation, which is defined as the actuarial present value of 
the obligation to provide the level of benefits currently earned by each beneficiary, is expressed as the present 
value of the defined benefit obligation, which includes adjustments for future salary and pension increases. 

Measurement assumptions 

The  discount  rate  used  to  calculate  the  defined  benefit  obligation  at  each  reporting  date  is  determined  on  the 
basis  of  current  capital  market  data  and  long-term  assumptions  about  future  salary  and  pension  increases  in 
accordance  with  the  best  estimate  principle.  These  assumptions  vary  depending  on  the  economic  conditions 
affecting the currency in which benefit obligations are denominated and in which fund assets are invested, as well 
as capital market expectations. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 40 of 81 

Benefit obligations are calculated on the basis of current mortality probabilities as determined in accordance with 
actuarial principles. The calculations also include assumptions about future employee turnover based on employ-
ee age and years of service and about the probability of retirement. The defined benefit obligation is calculated on 
the basis of the following weighted-average assumptions as at the reporting date: 

Assumptions underlying provisions for pensions and other postemployment benefits

Discount rate
Expected return on plan assets
Rate of remuneration increase
Rate of pension increase

Germany

UK

Other

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

5.65%
5.71%
2.75%
1.75%

5.45%
5.54%
2.75%
1.75%

4.85%
4.43%
4.18%
3.18%

5.45%
5.21%
4.17%
3.65%

4.01%
4.51%
2.31%
0.38%

4.15%
4.26%
2.28%
0.76%

The assumed discount rate is determined on the basis of the yield as at the reporting date on investment-grade, 
fixed-interest  corporate  bonds  with  maturities  that  match  the  expected  maturities  of  the  pension  obligations. 
Pension obligations in foreign companies are calculated on a comparable basis taking into account any country-
specific requirements.  

The expected return on plan assets is determined on the basis of the plan's policy regarding the asset classes in 
which  it  invests.  Expected  returns  are  based  on  the  current  yields  on  government  bonds  with  corresponding 
maturities, adjusted for specific credit spreads for the different asset classes. The expected return on plan assets 
is  recognised  as  income  in  the  relevant  period.  The  differences  between  expected  and  actual  income  on  plan 
assets represent experience adjustments and are recognised in other comprehensive income in the year in which 
they arise. 

The  rate  of  remuneration  increase  relates  to  expected  future  increases  in  salaries,  which  are  estimated  on  an 
annual basis taking into account factors such as inflation and the overall economic situation.  

The mortality rates used in the calculation are based on published country-specific statistics and empirical values. 
Since  31  December  2009,  the  modified  Heubeck  2005  G  mortality  tables  have  been  used  in  Germany  as  the 
basis; the modified tables include a somewhat higher life expectancy for males than the unmodified tables. 

The  actuarial  assumptions  not  listed  in  the  table  above,  such  as  employee  turnover,  invalidity,  etc.,  are  deter-
mined in accordance with recognised forecasts in each country, taking into account the circumstances and fore-
casts of the companies concerned. 

The assumptions applied in calculating the defined benefit obligation as at 31 December 2010 also apply to the 
calculation of the interest cost and the current service cost in 2011. 

Differences  between  the  forecast  and  actual  change  in  the  defined  benefit  obligation  and  changes  in  related 
assets  (actuarial  gains  and  losses)  are  recognised  immediately  in  other  comprehensive  income  in  accordance 
with  IAS  19.  This serves  to ensure  that  the  pension  liability  on  the  face  of  the  statement  of  financial position  is 
always the actuarial present value of obligations not funded by plan assets. 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 41 of 81 

In  the  case  of  external  pension  funds,  the  actuarial  present  value  of  the  pension  obligations,  as  calculated  in 
accordance with the projected unit credit method, is reduced by the fair value of the assets of the external pension 
funds. If the assets of the external pension funds exceed the pension obligations, a corresponding asset is recog-
nised in accordance with IAS 19. IAS 19.58 in conjunction with supplementary explanatory guidance in IFRIC 14 
states  that  the  recognition  of  an  asset  for  this  excess  of  pension  plan  assets  over  pension  obligations  is  only 
permitted if the company concerned is entitled to receive a refund of this excess or a reduction in future contribu-
tions  in  its  function  as  the  employer  responsible  for  the  benefits  under  the  plan.  If  pension  obligations  are  not 
covered by the assets of an external pension fund, the net obligation is reported in pension provisions. 

Plan assets for the defined benefit plans in the UK exceed the pension obligations. The requirements which limit 
the asset to be recognised on the statement of financial position do not apply. 

Statement of financial position 

The change in the present value of the defined benefit obligation is as follows: 

Changes in defined benefit obligation

Germany

UK

Other

Total

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Present value of defined benefit
as at January 1
Group changes
Exchange differences
Current service cost
Interest cost
Employee contributions
Actuarial gains (-) and losses (+)
Acquisitions/Divestments
Pension benefits paid by the Company
Pension benefits paid from plan assets
Liability transfer out to third parties
Past service cost (+) and income (-)

Gains (-) / losses (+) 
on the curtailment of a plan

Present value of defined benefit
as at Decem ber 31

381,913
− 
− 
11,894
20,526
− 
-14,150 

-10,697 
− 
-215 
− 

331,745
1,890
− 
10,411
19,733
− 
28,081

-9,947 
− 
− 
− 

362,716
− 
10,769
1,245
19,132
135
12,665
− 
− 
-16,312 
− 
46

328,057
− 
11,005
1,514
18,801
174
22,471
− 
− 
-19,306 
− 
− 

75,681
284
973
3,103
2,778
781
103
− 
-1,946 
-1,584 
− 
− 

62,977
− 
5,135
2,390
2,900
708
4,617
− 
-1,693 
-2,361 
− 
1,442

820,310
284
11,742
16,242
42,436
916
-1,382 
− 
-12,643 
-17,896 
-215 
46

722,779
1,890
16,140
14,315
41,434
882
55,169
− 
-11,640 
-21,667 
− 
1,442

− 

− 

− 

− 

-811 

-434 

-811 

-434 

389,271

381,913

390,396

362,716

79,362

75,681

859,029

820,310

  thereof unfunded
  thereof funded

177,739
211,532

173,889
208,024

− 
390,396

− 
362,716

22,148
57,214

22,245
53,436

199,887
659,142

196,134
624,176

The  reduction  in  the  present value  of  defined  benefit  obligations  arising  from  actuarial  gains  relate  to  the  year-
over-year  increase  in  the  discount  rates  applicable  to  pension  plans  in  Germany  (€14,150 thousand)  and   is  al-
most totally offset by the increase in the present value of defined benefit obligations arising from actuarial losses 
relating to the year-over-year decrease in the discount rates applicable to pension plans in the United Kingdom 
(€12,665 thousand). 

The effects of the restructuring programme on the defined benefit obligation are reported in the relevant financial 
year as gains on the curtailment of a plan in accordance with IAS 19.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
   
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 42 of 81 

The following table shows the change in the fair value of plan assets: 

Changes in plan assets

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Germany

UK

Other

Total

Fair value of plan assets 
as at 1 January
Exchange differences
Expected return on plan assets
Actuarial gains (+) and losses (-)
Employer contributions
Employee contributions
Pension benefits paid by funds

Fair value of plan assets 
as at 31 Decem ber

34,956
− 
1,936
1,325
− 
− 
− 

25,322 369,270 336,095
11,272
11,309
19,868
18,736
14,766
17,364
6,401
5,902
135
174
-19,306 
-16,312 

− 
1,443
-809 
9,000
− 
− 

50,907
842
2,060
-4,975 
2,278
781
-1,584 

40,093 455,133 401,510
16,031
12,151
23,247
22,732
17,350
13,714
17,780
8,180
916
882
-21,667 
-17,896 

4,759
1,936
3,393
2,379
708
-2,361 

38,217

34,956 406,404 369,270

50,309

50,907 494,930 455,133

In 2010, employer contributions included a non-recurring payment of €9,000 thousand into a German CTA.  Deci-
sions on additions to plan assets take into account the change in plan assets and pension obligations. For com-
panies outside Germany, decisions also take into account the statutory minimum coverage requirements and the 
amounts deductible under local tax rules. 

h 
The  payments  expected  for  the  following  year  amount  to  €21,845  thousand  (2011:  €20,571 thousand),  whic
include  expected  employer  contributions  of  €8,831  t housand  to  plan  assets  (2011:  €8,156 thousand)  and  ex-
pected  direct  payments  of  pension  benefits  amounting  to  €13,014  thousand  (2011:  €12,415 thousand)  that
  are 
not covered by corresponding reimbursements from plan assets. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 43 of 81 

The reconciliation of funded status and net defined benefit obligation to the amounts reported on the face of the 
consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 December is shown in the following table: 

Funded status and net defined benefit obligation

Germany

UK

Other

Total

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Present value of the partially or 
fully funded defined benefit obligation
Fair value of plan assets

211,532 208,024 390,396 362,716
34,956 406,404 369,270

38,217

57,214
50,309

53,436 659,142 624,176
50,907 494,930 455,133

Surplus (-) / deficit (+)

173,315 173,068

-16,008 

-6,554 

6,905

2,529 164,212 169,043

Present value of the unfunded defined 
benefit obligation

Surplus (-) / deficit (+) total

Unrecognised past 
service cost (+) and income (-)

Net defined benefit obligation 
as at 31 Decem ber

  Reported as 
“retirement benefit obligation“

  Reported as 
“Other non-current financial assets“

177,739 173,889

− 

− 

22,148

22,245 199,887 196,134

351,054 346,957

-16,008 

-6,554 

29,053

24,774 364,099 365,177

− 

− 

− 

− 

-1,143 

-1,377 

-1,143 

-1,377 

351,054 346,957

-16,008 

-6,554 

27,910

23,397 362,956 363,800

351,054 346,957

3,950

3,709

27,910

23,397 382,914 374,063

− 

− 

-19,958 

-10,263 

− 

− 

-19,958 

-10,263 

In  addition,  the  KION  pension  plan  for  employees  of  the  KION  Group  in  Germany  holds  plan  assets  of 
€18,474 thousand  (2010:  €16,840 thousand)  which  are
  wholly  offset  by  corresponding  liabilities  relating  to  the 
direct pension entitlement plan. 

Statement of cash flows 

In  the  case  of  obligations  not  covered  by  external  assets,  payments  to  beneficiaries  are  made  directly  by  the 
Company  and  therefore  have  an  impact  on  cash  flows  from  operating  activities.  If  the  benefit  obligations  are 
backed by external assets, the payments are made from existing plan assets and have no effect on the Compa-
ny's cash flow. Instead, any contributions made to the external pension fund by the Company result in net cash 
used for operating activities. 

During the reporting year, pension benefits of €30, 539 thousand (2010: €33,307 thousand) were paid in  connec-
tion with the main pension entitlements in the Group, of which €12,643 thousand (2010: €11,640 thousan
d) was 
paid directly by the Company and €17,896 thousand ( 2010: €21,667 thousand) was paid from plan assets.  Cash 
contributions  to  plan  assets  in  2011  amounted  to  €8 ,180 thousand  (2010:    €17,780 thousand).  Furthermor e, 
pension benefit payments totalling €215 thousand (2 010: €0) were transferred to external pension funds . 

Income statement 

In accordance with IAS 19, actuarial computations are performed for benefit obligations in order to determine the 
amount to be expensed in each period in a systematic way. The expenses recognised in the income statement for 
pensions and similar obligations consist of a number of components that are calculated and disclosed separately. 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 44 of 81 

The  service  cost  is  the  new  pension  entitlement  arising  in  the  financial  year  and  is  recognised  in  the  income 
statement. It is calculated as the actuarial present value of that proportion of the expected defined benefit obliga-
tion when the pension is paid attributable to the year under review on the basis of the maximum length of service 
achievable by each employee.  

The  interest  cost  (i.e.  the  expense  arising  from  increase  in  the  defined  benefit  obligation  since  the  end  of  the 
previous year because the benefits are one period closer to settlement using the discount rate assumed for the 
year under review) is recognised in the income statement, as is the expected return on plan assets in the case of 
benefits covered by external plan assets. 

An unrecognised past service cost arises if there is a change to the pension entitlement. 

The breakdown of the net cost of the defined benefit obligation (expenses less income) recognised in the income 
statement for 2011 is as follows: 

Cost of defined benefit obligation

Germany

UK

Other

Total

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Current service cost
Interest cost
Expected return on plan assets
Past service cost (+) and income (-)

11,894
20,526
-1,936 
− 

10,411
19,733
-1,443 
− 

1,245
19,132
-18,736 
46

1,514
18,801
-19,868 
− 

3,103
2,778
-2,060 
131

2,390
2,900
-1,936 
79

16,242
42,436
-22,732 
177

14,315
41,434
-23,247 
79

Gains (-) or losses (+) 
on the curtailment of a plan

Total cost of 
defined benefit obligation

− 

− 

− 

− 

-708 

-434 

-708 

-434 

30,484

28,701

1,687

447

3,244

2,999

35,415

32,147

Overall, the KION Group reported an expense of €19,7 04 thousand (2010: €18,187 thousand) under net fina ncial 
income/expenses.  This  amount  comprised  the  interest  cost  and  the  expected  return  on  plan  assets.  All  other 
components of pension expenses are recognised under functional costs. 

The actual total return on plan assets in 2011 was €36,446 thousand (2010: €40,597 thousand). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 45 of 81 

Other comprehensive income (loss) 

The  breakdown  of  actuarial  gains  and  losses  on  the  defined  benefit  obligation  recognised  in  the  statement  of 
comprehensive income in 2011 are as follows: 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

Germany

UK

Other

Total

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Accum ulated other com prehensive 
incom e/loss as at 1 January

Gains (+) and losses (-) on the 
measurement of defined benefit obligation
Gains (+) and losses (-) on plan assets
Exchange differences

Accum ulated other com prehensive 
incom e/loss as at 31 Decem ber
  thereof actuarial gains and losses

  thereof effect of reduction in
 future contributions (IFRIC 14)

65,983

94,873

-40,769 

-31,985 

-4,925 

-3,137 

20,289

59,751

14,150
1,325
− 

-28,081 
-809 
− 

-12,665 
17,364
-944 

-22,471 
14,766
-1,079 

-103 
-4,975 
-157 

-4,617 
3,393
-564 

1,382
13,714
-1,101 

-55,169 
17,350
-1,643 

81,458
81,458

65,983
65,983

-37,014 
-37,014 

-40,769 
-40,769 

-10,160 
-10,160 

-4,925 
-6,830 

34,284
34,284

20,289
18,384

− 

− 

− 

− 

− 

1,904

− 

1,904

Primarily  experience  adjustments  to  plan  assets  had  increased  other  comprehensive  income  by  a  total  of 
€8,394 thousand as at 31 December 2011 (after defer red taxes). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 46 of 81 

Additional disclosures 

The plan assets of the main pension plans consist of the following components: 

Fair value of plan assets

Germany

UK

Other

Total

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

Securities
Fixed-income securities
Real estate
Insurance policies
Other

Total plan assets

6,862
12,580
2,859
− 
15,916

6,123
12,754
2,552
− 
13,527

73,583
267,739
331
− 
64,751

78,395
258,959
282
− 
31,634

7,187
11,499
3,593
26,353
1,677

7,020
11,233
3,510
27,506
1,638

87,632
291,818
6,783
26,353
82,344

91,538
282,946
6,344
27,506
46,799

38,217

34,956

406,404

369,270

50,309

50,907

494,930

455,133

The plan assets do not include any real estate or other assets used by the KION Group itself. The increase in the 
Other category is largely attributable to the change in the portfolio structure of the four large plans in the United 
Kingdom and concerns inflation-linked UK government bonds.  

The expected return in 2012 for the main investment categories of plan assets are as follows: 

Expected return on plan assets

Securities
Fixed-income securities
Real estate
Insurance policies
Other

Germany

UK

Other

2012
7.35%
3.74%
5.10%
− 
6.68%

2011
7.45%
3.50%
5.20%
− 
6.68%

2012
5.77%
4.31%
6.50%
− 
3.19%

2011
6.73%
4.81%
6.50%
− 
4.17%

2012
6.80%
2.40%
4.60%
4.69%
6.00%

2011
7.10%
2.90%
4.60%
3.88%
6.40%

Weighted average expected return

5.71%

5.54%

4.43%

5.21%

4.51%

4.26%

The total expected return is calculated from the weighted average expected returns from the investment catego-
ries in the plan assets. 

The present value of the defined benefit obligation is based on the assumptions detailed above. If the discount 
rate were to increase or decrease by a quarter of one percentage point (rising to 5.9 per cent or falling to 5.4 per 
cent in the case of Germany as at 31 December 2011), pension entitlements would be €35,632 thousand (2 010: 
€34,559 thousand) higher, respectively. Other compr ehen-
€32,312 thousand) lower or €35,747 thousand (2010: 
(2010: 
sive income, after tax, would be €25,999 thousand ( 2010: €23,147 thousand) higher or €26,036 thousand 
€24,757 thousand) lower. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 47 of 81 

Five-year overview 

The following table shows a five-year overview of experience adjustments arising from the differences between 
actuarial assumptions and actual circumstances: 

History of experience adjustments

€ thousand

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Present value of defined benefit obligation 
as at 31 December

859,029

820,310

722,779

629,198

750,713

Experience adjustments arising 
on the plan liabilities

Fair value of plan assets 
as at 31 December

Experience adjustments arising 
on the plan assets

Surplus (-) / deficit (+) in total

Unrecognised past service cost (+) 
and income (-)

Cumulative effect of the asset ceiling

Net defined benefit obligation 
as at 31 December

144

-76 

4,858

39

4,747

494,930

455,133

401,510

320,248

495,639

13,714

17,350

51,763

-107,388 

-4,641 

364,099

365,177

321,269

308,950

255,074

-1,143 

-1,377 

− 

− 

40

− 

− 

− 

− 

3,258

362,956

363,800

321,309

308,950

258,332

While  the  actuarial  gains  and  losses  on  the  present  value  of  the  obligation  only  result  in  part  from  experience 
adjustments, the actuarial gains or losses on the fair value of the plan assets are entirely attributable to experi-
ence adjustments. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 48 of 81 

[ 27 ]  Financial liabilities and shareholder loan 

The financial liabilities reported by the KION Group essentially comprise interest-bearing liabilities to banks and 
capital market liabilities in connection with the corporate bond that was issued. The liabilities to banks stem large-
ly from a loan agreement. Interest is also payable on the shareholder loan, which is reported as a separate line 
item. 

The table below shows the contractual maturity structure of the financial liabilities and the shareholder loan. 

Maturity structure of financial liabilities and shareholder loan

€ thousand

Liabilities to banks
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

Capital market liability
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

Other financial liabilities
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

Total current financial liabilities

Total non-current financial liabilities

Liabilities from shareholder loan
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

2011

2010

2,509,889
223,979
2,285,910
0

2,871,887
103,282
2,464,124
304,481

487,508
0
0
487,508

7,333
3,397
0
3,936

0
0
0
0

7,000
3,188
0
3,812

227,376

106,470

2,777,354

2,772,417

643,132
0
0
643,132

615,250
0
0
615,250

Loan agreement 

In connection with its acquisition of Linde AG's material-handling business the KION Group signed a loan agree-
ment (a senior facilities agreement and a subordinated facility agreement, referred to below as 'SFA') for a total 
original amount of €3,300,000 thousand with the lea d banks Barclays Bank Plc, Bayerische Hypo- und Vereins-
bank  AG,  Credit  Suisse  (London  branch),  Goldman  Sachs  International  Bank,  Lehman  Commercial  Paper  Inc. 
(UK  branch)  and  Mizuho  Corporate  Bank  Ltd.  on  23  December 2006.  The  loans  provided  under  the  SFA  carry 
variable interest rates. Transaction costs of €20,1 75 thousand reduced the carrying amount of the loans as at the 
reporting date. These costs have been allocated pro rata to each of the tranches and expensed over their respec-
tive terms. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 49 of 81 

The following material amendments were made to the SFA in subsequent years: 

•  Under  amendments made  to the  SFA  on 8  March  2007  the  subordinated  facility  agreement  was  totally  re-
placed  by  a  senior  facilities  agreement  and  unused  credit lines  totalling  €200,000  thousand  were  retur ned, 
thereby reducing the total amount of the SFA to €3,1 00,000 thousand.  

•  Under amendments made to the SFA on 23 September 2009 the financial covenants applicable during the 
term of the loan were modified. At the same time, an additional credit line of €100,000 thousand and an  in-
crease in the collateral security provided for this facility were agreed. Furthermore, the interest rates payable 
on existing credit lines were raised by between 0.25 and 1.50 percentage points. The amounts of these inter-
est-rate increases primarily fall due in the form of bullet payments at maturity (payments in kind, or PIKs). All 
the interest payable on the new credit line of €100 ,000 thousand falls due in the form of a bullet payment at 
maturity. The company making this credit line available is Superlift Funding S.à r.l., Luxembourg, which is a 
related party to the KION Group. 

Corporate bond  

thousand  through  the  consolidated  subsidiary  KION 
The  KION  Group  issued  a  corporate  bond  for  €500,000 
Finance S.A., Luxembourg, in April 2011. Of the bond's total par value of €500,000 thousand, €325,000 tho
usand 
is repayable at a fixed interest rate of 7.875 per cent p.a., while €175,000 thousand carries a floati ng interest rate 
based on three-month EURIBOR plus a margin of 4.25 percentage points. The interest on the fixed-rate tranche 
is  paid  semi-annually,  while  interest  on  the  floating-rate  tranche  is  paid  once  a  quarter.  The  bond's  principal  is 
redeemed as a bullet payment on maturity. Borrowing costs of €12,492 thousand reduced the carrying amou nt of 
the bond as at the reporting date. These costs have been allocated pro rata to each of the tranches and expensed 
over their respective terms. The corresponding liability is reported as a capital market liability.  

Shareholder loan 

KION Holding 1 GmbH and Superlift Holding S.à r.l., Luxembourg, signed an agreement on a shareholder loan for 
the amount of €500,000 thousand on 27 December 2006 . The last maturity date for repayment of the loan was 
most recently (in April 2011) stipulated as 31 December 2021. The loan principal and the associated interest are 
both  unsecured  and  are  repayable  on  the  due  date.  The  interest  rate  was  fixed  at  5.5  per  cent  p.a.  effective 
1 September 2007 and is payable on the outstanding loan principal. 

Changes in net financial debt  

The KION Group uses its financial debt as a key internal figure for analysing the changes in its financial liabilities. 
Financial liabilities take into account the gross carrying amounts of the liabilities to banks and the capital market 
liability before borrowing costs. The key figure 'net financial debt' is calculated by deducting cash and cash equiv-
alents.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 50 of 81 

The table below gives a breakdown of the KION Group's net financial debt as at 31 December 2011: 

Net financial debt

€ thousand

Corporate bond - fixed rate (2011/2018) - gross
Corporate bond - floating rate  (2011/2018) - gross
Liabilities to banks (gross)
Financial debt
./. Cash and cash equivalents
Net financial debt
./. Capitalized borrowing costs
Net financial debt after borrowing costs

Financial debt after borrowing costs

2011

2010

325,000
175,000
2,530,064
3,030,064
373,451
2,656,613
32,667
2,623,946

− 
− 
2,893,713
2,893,713
252,884
2,640,829
21,826
2,619,003

2,997,397

2,871,887

€483,000 thousand of the total corporate bond issue  proceeds of €500,000 thousand was used to repay ex isting 
SFA  liabilities.  In  addition,  loans  made  available  under  a  SFA  credit  line  (the  capex  line)  were  reduced  by  an 
additional  €54,018  thousand  to  €71,596 thousand  in 
2011  in  accordance  with  the  contractual  repayment 
agreement. On 7 November 2011, the KION Group reacted to the uncertainty prevailing in financial and banking 
markets by drawing down €132,691 thousand under a r evolving SFA credit line and holding it as cash. 

The table below gives details of the changes in financial debt and lists the applicable terms and conditions: 

Credit terms 

Interest rate

Notional amount

Maturity

Term Loan Facility Term B (EUR)
Term Loan Facility Term B (USD)
Term Loan Facility Term C (EUR)
Term Loan Facility Term C (USD)
Term Loan Facility Term D
Term Loan Facility Term G
Term Loan Facility H1a (Corporate bond - fixed rate)
Term Loan Facility H1b (Corporate bond - floating rate)
Multicurrency Revolving Credit Facility
Multicurrency Capex Restructuring and Acquisition Facility

Other liabilities to banks

Total financial debt
./. Capitalized borrowing costs
Total financial debt after borrowing costs

EURIBOR + MARGIN
LIBOR + MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
LIBOR + MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
Fixed rate
3-M-EURIBOR+MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
EURIBOR + MARGIN
Various currencies and 
interest terms

2011

2010

690,881
310,560
663,033
310,560
201,742
111,210
325,000
175,000
132,691
71,596

911,162
296,873
869,985
296,873
201,167
105,779
− 
− 
− 
162,131

2014
2014
2015
2015
2016
2016
2018
2018
2013
2013

37,791

49,743

3,030,064
-32,667 
2,997,397

2,893,713
-21,826 
2,871,887

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 51 of 81 

Financial covenants 

The SFA and the contractual terms and conditions governing the issuance of the corporate bond require compli-
ance  with  certain  requirements,  or  undertakings  and  certain  covenants  among  other  things.  The  SFA  also  re-
quires  compliance  with  specific  financial  covenants  during  the  term  of  the  agreement.  The  financial  covenants 
specify required ratios for the financial position and financial performance of the KION Group. The covenants are 
expressed  in  the  form  of  key  figures  relating  to  leverage,  available  liquidity,  EBITDA,  interest  paid  and  capital 
expenditures. If these requirements or financial covenants are breached, this may, for example, give lenders the 
right to terminate the SFA or permit bondholders to call the corporate bond prior to its maturity date. 

All the financial covenants were met in the past financial year. 

Loan collateral 

Under the SFA, the KION Group is under an obligation to provide collateral for its obligations and liabilities. This 
obligation also includes to the corporate bond (newly added SFA tranches H1a und H1b), under which the funds 
from the corporate bond accrued to the KION Group. By the reporting date a total of 26 (31 December 2010: 21) 
KION Group companies (guarantors) in five countries – Germany, the UK, France, Spain and Italy – had provided 
the  necessary  collateral.  The  year-over-year  change  in  the  companies  participating  in  the  SFAS  was  largely 
attributable to the fact that the financial services companies established in 2011 had become a party to the SFA. 

The collateral includes guarantees, the assignment of shares in the guarantors (with the exception of shares in 
KION  GROUP  GmbH),  the  assignment  of  bank  accounts  and  guarantor  receivables,  the  assignment  of  claims 
arising from and in connection with the share purchase agreement between Linde Material Handling GmbH and 
Linde AG dated November 5, 2006, relating to the shares in the former KION GROUP GmbH, the assignment of 
shares  in  KION  Information  Management  Services  GmbH  and  assignments  and  transfers  of  title  to  intellectual 
property  rights  by  guarantors  in  Germany.  The  statutory  provisions  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  the  agreements 
entered into require that all the assets of the UK guarantor are pledged as security. 

The  carrying  amounts  of  the  financial  assets  pledged  as  collateral  amounted  to  €791,985 thousand  as  at
reporting date (31 December 2010: €709,051 thousand ). 

  the 

No  liabilities  to  banks  were  secured  by  pledges  of  real  property  at  the  end  of  2011  (31  December  2010:  €125 
thousand). 

[ 28 ]  Lease liabilities 

Lease  liabilities  primarily  relate  to  finance  lease  obligations  of  €669,035 thousand  (31  December  2010 : 
€617,547 thousand) arising from sale and leaseback 

transactions for funding leases with customers. 

Lease liabilities also include obligations of €15,7 65 thousand (31 December 2010: €17,814 thousand) ar ising from 
residual-value guarantees that were provided when leased assets were sold to leasing companies.  

The  KION  Group  has  recognised  lease  liabilities  amounting  to  €16,712 thousand  (31  December  2010:  €26,28
8 
thousand) arising from procurement leases, which are classified as finance leases due to their terms and condi-
tions. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 52 of 81 

The amounts recognised as lease liabilities are based on the following data: 

Minimum lease payments

€ thousand

Total minimum lease payments (gross)
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

Present value of minimum lease payments 
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

2011

2010

769,603
260,230
490,680
18,693

701,512
230,381
452,988
18,143

724,220
278,967
427,041
18,212

661,649
250,552
393,335
17,762

Interest included in minimum lease payments

68,091

62,571

[ 29 ]  Other provisions 

Other provisions relate to the following items: 

Other provisions 

€ thousand

Balance as at 1/1/2011
  thereof non-current 
  thereof current 
Changes in group of consolidated entities
Additions
Utilisations
Reversals
Additions to accrued interest
Exchange differences
Other adjustments

Balance as at 31/12/2011
  thereof non-current 
  thereof current 

Provisions
 for product 
warranties

Provisions for 
personnel

Other 
obligations

Total other 
provisions

60,455
60,455
0
150
34,864
-18,964
-2,454
136
419
343

74,949
69,729
5,220

133,893
94,750
39,143
134
75,844
-61,592
-2,816
2,630
10
0

148,103
16,935
131,168

65,853
9,094
56,759
811
24,297
-23,405
-11,255
39
274
180

56,794
9,504
47,290

260,201
164,299
95,902
1,095
135,005
-103,961
-16,525
2,805
703
523

279,846
96,168
183,678

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 53 of 81 

The provisions for product warranties include contractual and statutory obligations arising from the sale of indus-
trial trucks and spare parts. It is expected that the bulk of the costs will be incurred within the next two years after 
the reporting date.  

The  provisions  for  personnel comprise  provisions  for  partial  retirement  obligations,  long-service  awards,  annual 
bonuses and severance pay. The provision for partial retirement obligations is recognised on the basis of individ-
ual contractual arrangements. The KION Group recognised restructuring provisions of €74,465 thousand in  2011, 
predominantly in connection with the planned transfers of production.        

Other obligations largely comprise provisions for guarantees and litigation. 

[ 30 ]  Other financial liabilities 

Other financial liabilities include the following items: 

Other financial liabilities  

€ thousand

Deferred income
Sundry other liabilities 

Other non-current financial liabilities

Deferred income
Personnel liabilities
Derivative financial instruments
Social security liabilities
Tax liabilities
Advances received from third parties
Liabilities on bills of exchange
Liabilities from accrued interest
Sundry current financial liabilities

Other current financial liabilities

2011

2010

118,455
14,264

132,719

86,551
128,349
17,742
38,894
50,269
41,981
3,799
10,360
42,490

420,435

124,948
2,922

127,870

81,274
94,573
30,030
35,460
35,683
40,682
2,303
2,049
69,188

391,242

Total other financial liabilities

553,154

519,112

Other  financial  liabilities  include  non-derivative  liabilities  of  €180,226 thousand  (31  December  2010:
thousand) that fall within the scope of IFRS 7. 

  €156,053 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 54 of 81 

[ 31 ]  Contingent liabilities and other financial obligations 

Contingent liabilities 

Contingent liabilities

€ thousand

Liabilities on bills of exchange
Liabilities on guarantees 
Collateral security for third-party liabilities 

Total contingent liabilities

2011

2010

3,516
2,129
69

5,714

2,303
1,098
− 

3,401

Litigation  

The legal risks arising from the KION Group's business are typical of those faced by any company operating in 
this sector. The Company is a party in a number of pending lawsuits in various countries. It cannot assume with 
any degree of certainty that it will win any of the lawsuits or that the existing risk provision in the form of insurance 
or  provisions  will  be  sufficient  in  each  individual  case.  However,  the  Company  believes  it  is  remote  that  these 
ongoing lawsuits will result in additional provisions.  

Other financial commitments 

Other financial commitments

€ thousand

Liabilities under non-cancellable operating leases
Capital expenditure commitments in property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditure commitments in intangible assets
Other financial commitments

Total other financial commitments

2011

2010

205,394
6,109
1,630
16,958

230,091

208,874
5,660
1,205
17,290

233,029

The maturity structure of the total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases is as 
follows: 

Minimum lease payments 

€ thousand

Nominal minimum lease payments (gross)
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

2011

2010

205,394
58,856
104,634
41,904

208,874
63,621
96,175
49,078

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 55 of 81 

The minimum lease payments relate to payments for leased buildings, machinery, office furniture and equipment 
(procurement  leases)  as  well  as  payments  for  industrial  trucks  refinanced  with  a  sale  and  leaseback  and  sub-
leased to end customers (sale and leaseback sub-leases). 

Minimum lease payments broken down into procurement leases & sale-and-leaseback subleases 

Procurement leases

Sale-and-leaseback 
subleases

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

Minimum lease payments (cash out)
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

Minimum lease payments (cash in)
  due within one year
  due in one to five years
  due in more than five years

151,486
38,134
71,452
41,900

158,406
39,844
69,484
49,078

− 
− 
− 
− 

− 
− 
− 
− 

53,908
20,722
33,182
4

11,257
5,813
5,440
4

50,468
23,777
26,691
− 

16,795
8,358
8,437
− 

The  future  minimum  lease  payments  for  sale  and  leaseback  transactions  not  recognised  on  the  statement  of 
financial position amounting to €53,908 thousand ar e partially offset by payments received under non-cancellable 
sub-leases  amounting  to  €11,257 thousand.  The  futur e  payments  also  include  obligations  arising  from  the  refi-
nancing of industrial trucks for which there are no offsetting receipts under short-term sub-leases. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 56 of 81 

Other disclosures 

[ 32 ]  Consolidated statement of cash flows 

The  consolidated  statement  of  cash  flows  shows  the  changes  in  cash  in  the  KION  Group  resulting  from  cash 
inflows and outflows in the year under review, broken down into cash flow from operating, investing and financing 
activities. The effects on cash from changes in exchange rates are shown separately. Cash flow from operating 
activities is presented using the indirect method in which the profit or loss for the year is adjusted for non-cash 
operating items.  

Cash  flow  from  operating  activities  increased  by  94  per  cent  to  €386,810  thousand  in  2011  (2010:  €199, 289 
thousand).  The  underlying  reason  for  this  improvement  was  that  earnings  before  interest  and  tax  (EBIT)  in-
creased to €213,160 thousand in the reporting year  (2010: €34,636 thousand). 

The net cash used for investing activities in the KION Group increased by 24 per cent to €152,580 thous and in 
2011  (2010:  €123,248  thousand).  Cash  payments  for  c apital  expenditures  on  non-current  assets  and  property, 
plant  and  equipment  came  to  a  total  of  €133,005 tho usand  (2010:  €123,462 thousand).  The  net  cash  used 
for 
8  thousand)  and  essentially  related  to  the  acquisition  of  the 
acquisitions  totalled €32,916 thousand  (2010:  €7,63
the  pur-
forklift  truck  and  warehouse  technology  business  of  Voltas  Limited,  Mumbai,  India  (€16,141 thousand), 
chase  of 
in  Linde  Sterling  Ltd.,  Basingstoke,  United  Kingdom 
(€9,795 thousand),  the  investment  in  Liftec's  busin ess  in  Russia  (€4,903 thousand)  and  a  smaller  acqui sition  in 
Italy. The proceeds from the disposal of assets primarily related to disposals of assets no longer required for the 
Group's operating activities. 

the  remaining  shares  (51  per  cent) 

The net cash used for financing activities amounted to €114,715 thousand (2010: €290,210 thousand). Wh ereas 
the  main  factors  affecting  this  cash  flow  in  2010  were  the  net  repayment  of  loans  (€95,705 thousand)  a nd  the 
repayment of other funding by individual Group companies (€42,133 thousand), the net outflow of cash i n 2011 
was  largely  attributable  to  the  net  inflows  resulting  from  the  issuance  of  a  corporate  bond  (inflow  of  €500,000 
thousand), the funds drawn down under a revolving SFA credit line (inflow of €132,691 thousand) and the  repay-
ment  of  SFA  liabilities  (outflow  of  €537,018  thousand ).  Interest  payments  increased  by  €12,739 thousand 
to 
€147,455 thousand  as  a  result  of  higher  interest  ar ising  from  financial  liabilities  and  capital  market  liabilities.  In 
2011, there were also payments of €13,714 thousand 

for currency hedges (2010: €0). 

The  KION  Group  acquired  an  additional  5.34  per  cent  of  the  shares  in  KION  Baoli  (Jiangsu)  Forklift  Co.  Ltd., 
China,  for  a  total  of  €1,461  thousand  in  2011.  The  cash  used  for  this  transaction  is  reported  in  cash  flow  from 
financing activities as required by IAS 7.  

Cash and cash equivalents increased by a total of € 120,567 thousand, €1,052 thousand of which was attr ibutable 
to exchange-rate movements for the year ended 31 December 2011. This sharp increase stemmed largely from 
the  funds  drawn  down  under  the  revolving  SFA  credit  line.  Cash  and  cash  equivalents  totalled  at 
€373,451 thousand as at the reporting date. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 57 of 81 

[ 33 ] 

Information on financial instruments 

The KION Group uses both primary and derivative financial instruments.  

The following section summarises the relevance of these financial instruments for the KION Group. 

The following table shows the measurement categories defined by IAS 39. In line with IFRS 7, the table shows 
the carrying amounts and fair values of financial assets and liabilities: 

Carrying amounts broken down by class and category

Classes

€ thousand

Financial assets

Categories

FAHfT

AfS

LaR

HtM

FLaC

FLHfT

Carrying 
amount

2011

Loans receivable
Financial receivables
Available-for-sale investments
Lease receivables* 
Trade receivables
Other receivables

795
5,351
768
361,221
676,553
59,514

thereof non-derivative receivables
thereof derivative financial instruments 23,277 21,500

36,237

Cash and cash equivalents

373,451

768

795
5,351

676,553

36,237

Financial liabilities

Liabilities to banks
Capital market liability
Other financial liabilities
Shareholder loan
Lease liabilities*
Trade payables
Other liabilities

2,509,889
487,508
7,333
643,132
701,512
634,092
197,968

180,226
thereof non-derivative liabilities
thereof derivative financial instruments 17,742

* as defined by IAS 17

2,509,889
487,508
7,333
643,132

634,092

180,226

2,471

Fair value

795
5,351
768
362,319
676,553
59,514

36,237
23,277
373,451

2,509,889
388,750
7,333
530,045
700,785
634,092
197,968

180,226
17,742

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 58 of 81 

Carrying amounts broken down by class and category

Classes

€ thousand

Financial assets

Carrying 
amount

2010

Categories

FAHfT

AfS

LaR

HtM

FLaC

FLHfT

Fair Value

Loan receivable
Financial receivables
Available-for-sale investments
Lease receivables* 
Trade receivables
Other receivables

1,907
8,117
825
367,758
633,265
59,122

thereof non-derivative receivables
thereof derivative financial instruments 23,706 19,900

35,416

Cash and cash equivalents

252,884

825

1,907
8,117

633,265

35,416

Financial liabilities

Liabilities to banks
Capital market liability
Other financial liabilities
Shareholder loan
Lease liabilities*
Trade payables
Other liabilities

thereof non-derivative liabilities
instruments

* as defined by IAS 17

2,871,887
0
7,000
615,250
661,649
508,108
186,083

156,053
30,030

1,907
8,117
825
374,358
633,265
59,122

35,416
23,706
252,884

2,871,887
0
7,000
554,358
666,622
508,108
186,083

156,053
30,030

2,871,887
0
7,000
615,250

508,108

156,053

5,029

 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 59 of 81 

The change in valuation allowances for lease receivables and trade receivables was as follows: 

Change in valuation allowances

€ thousand

Valuation allowances as at 1 January
Group changes
Additions (cost of valuation allowances)
Reversals
Utilisations
Currency translation adjustments

Valuation allowances as at 31 December

The net gains and losses on financial instruments by IAS 39 category are as follows: 

Net gains and losses on financial instruments broken down by category 

€ thousand

Loans and receivables (LaR)

Available-for-sale investments (AfS)

Financial assets held for trading (FAHfT)

Financial liabilities held for trading (FLHfT)

Financial liabilities carried at amortised cost (FLaC)

2011

2010

47,125
626
10,547
-3,092 
-5,425 
-216 

49,565

48,614
− 
13,912
-9,466 
-4,212 
-1,723 

47,125

2011

2,062

13

2010

9,223

15

14,360

39,381

-10,109 

-27,063 

-225,277 

-220,979 

The  above  gains  and 
include 
€18,464 thousand (2010: €38,087 thousand) because t hese losses relate to a documented hedge. 

losses  arising  on  hedging 

losses  do  not 

transactions  amounting 

to 

Fair value measurement  

The majority of the funding, loans, investments, other non-derivative receivables and liabilities, trade receivables 
and  trade  payables  held  by  the  Group  have  short  remaining  terms  to  maturity.  The  carrying  amounts  of  these 
financial instruments approximate their fair values. 

The fair value of derivative financial instruments is determined using appropriate valuation methods on the basis 
of observable market information at the reporting date. The fair value of interest rate swaps is calculated as the 
present value of the estimated future cash flows. The fair value of currency forwards is calculated on the basis of 
the  forward  rates  at  the  reporting  date.  In  the  KION  Group,  all  derivative  financial  instruments  are classified  as 
level 2 measurements as defined by IFRS 7. 
In order to minimise default risk to the greatest possible extent, the KION Group only enters into derivatives with 
counterparties holding a high credit rating. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 60 of 81 

With the exception of derivative financial instruments and available-for-sale assets, all financial assets and liabili-
ties are measured at amortised cost. 

Financial assets measured at fair value  

€ thousand

Financial assets
  thereof available-for-sale
  thereof derivative instruments

Financial liabilities measured at fair value

€ thousand

Financial liabilities
  thereof derivative instruments

2011

2010

24,045
768
23,277

24,531
825
23,706

2011

2010

17,742
17,742

30,030
30,030

The fair value of available-for-sale assets is determined on the basis of quoted prices in an active market. These 
assets are classified as level 1 as defined by IFRS 7. 

[ 34 ]  Financial risk reporting 

Capital management 

One of the prime objectives of capital management is to ensure liquidity at all times. Measures aimed at achieving 
these  objectives  include  the  optimisation  of  the  capital  structure,  the  reduction  of  liabilities  and  ongoing  Group 
cash  flow  planning  and  management.  Besides  the  supplementary  agreement  to  the  SFA  in  2009,  long-term 
financing requirements were also covered by the issuance of the corporate bond (see 'Credit terms' table). 

Close  cooperation  between  local  units  and  the  Group  head  office  ensures  that  the  local  legal  and  regulatory 
requirements faced by foreign group companies are considered in the capital management process. 

Net  financial  debt  before  borrowing  costs  –  defined  as  the  difference  between  financial  liabilities  and  cash  and 
cash equivalents – is the key performance measure used in liquidity planning at Group level. Lease liabilities and 
other financial liabilities are excluded from this figure, which were €2,656,613 thousand in 2011 (201 0: €2,640,829 
thousand).  

Credit risk 

In certain finance and operating activities, the KION Group is subject to credit risk, i.e. the risk that partners will 
fail  to  meet  their  contractual  obligations.  This  risk  is  limited  by  diversifying  business  partners  based  on  certain 
credit  ratings.  The  Group  only  enters  into  transactions  with  business  partners  and  banks  holding  a  good  credit 
rating and subject to fixed limits. Counterparty risks involving our customers are managed by the individual Group 
companies. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 61 of 81 

The following table shows the age structure of receivables as at the reporting date. 

Age structure analysis of receivables 

Carrying 
amount

Thereof: 
Neither 
overdue nor 
impaired at 
the reporting 
date

Thereof: 
Overdue and 
impaired at 
the reporting 
date

Thereof: 
Not impaired at the reporting 
date, but

up to and 
including
90 days 
overdue

more than
90 days
overdue

€ thousand

2011

Financial receivables
Lease receivables 
Trade receivables
Other non-derivative receivables

5,351
361,221
676,553
36,237

5,351
361,221
539,560
35,189

− 
4,286
643

− 
117,666
− 

− 
10,727
41

€ thousand

2010

Financial receivables
Lease receivables 
Trade receivables
Other non-derivative receivables

8,117
367,758
633,265
35,416

8,117
367,758
493,781
35,060

− 
10,101
21

− 
114,472
− 

− 
13,896
83

Impairment losses are based on the credit risk associated with the receivables and are assessed primarily using 
factors such as a customer’s credit rating and historical pattern of meeting payment terms.  

Some of the receivables that were overdue as at the reporting date, but for which no impairment losses had been 
reported, were offset by corresponding trade payables or collateral. Apart from this item, the Group did not hold 
any significant collateral. 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 62 of 81 

Liquidity risk 

Based  on  IFRS  7,  a liquidity  risk  arises  if  a company is unable  to meet  its  financial liabilities.  The  KION  Group 
maintains a liquidity reserve in the form of lines of credit and cash in order to ensure financial flexibility and sol-
vency. The age structure of financial liabilities is reviewed continuously and was improved by issuing the corpo-
rate bond. 

The following table shows all of the contractually agreed payments under recognised financial liabilities as at 31 
December 2011, including derivative financial instruments with negative fair values. 

Liquidity analysis of financial liabilities and derivatives 

€ thousand

Primary financial liabilities
Gross liabilities to banks
Borrowing costs
Net liabilities to banks

Capital market liability
Borrowing costs

Other financial liabilities
Shareholder loan
Trade payables
Lease liabilities
Other financial liabilities

Derivative financial liabilities
Derivatives with negative fair value
  + Cash in
  - Cash out

2011

Carrying 
amount 
2011

2,530,064
-20,175
2,509,889

500,000
-12,492
487,508
7,333
643,132
634,092
701,512
180,225

17,742

Cash flow 
2012

Cash flow 
2013 - 2016

Cash flow 
from 2017

-307,224

-2,643,650

− 

-34,864

-143,062

-556,723 

-3,397
− 
-634,092
-260,230
-180,225

0
− 
0
-490,680
− 

-6,090 
-928,194 
− 
-18,693 
− 

295,698
-291,278

32,127
-36,919

− 
− 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 63 of 81 

Liquidity analysis of financial liabilities and derivatives 

€ thousand

Primary financial liabilities
Gross liabilities to banks
Borrowing costs
Net liabilities to banks
Other financial liabilities
Shareholder loan
Trade payables
Lease liabilities
Other financial liabilities

Derivative financial liabilities
Derivatives with negative fair value
  + Cash in
  - Cash out

2010

Carrying 
amount 
2010

2,893,713
-21,826
2,871,887
7,000
615,250
508,108
661,649
156,053

30,033

Cash flow 
2011

Cash flow 
2012 - 2015

Cash flow 
from 2016

-192,543

-3,132,989

-370,561 

-3,188
− 
-508,108 
-278,967
-156,053

− 
− 
− 
-427,041
− 

-6,059 
-782,618 
− 
-18,212 
− 

175,364
-203,057

40,867
-41,809

− 
− 

The calculation of future cash flows for derivative financial liabilities includes all currency forwards and interest-
rate swaps that have negative fair values as at the reporting date.  

Bank guarantee lines (e.g. sureties, performance bonds) had been issued under the ancillary facility agreements 
for a total amount in the low double-digit millions as at 31 December 2011. They included guarantees payable 'on 
first demand'. No guarantees were utilised in 2011. 

The volume of business for which factoring was used in 2011 was €17,844 thousand (2010: €19,853 thousa nd). 
Because all material risks and rewards are assigned to the purchaser, these assets are derecognised in full. 

Default risk 

For financial assets, default risk is defined as the risk that a counterparty will default, and therefore is limited to a 
maximum  of  the  carrying  amount  of  the  assets  relating  to  the  counterparty  involved.  The  potential  default  risk 
attaching to financial assets is mitigated by secured forms of lending such as reservation of title, credit insurance 
and guarantees. 

Specific  valuation  allowances for  defaults  are  recognised to  reflect  the  risk  arising  from  primary  financial instru-
ments. Financial transactions are only entered into with selected partners holding good credit ratings. Investments 
in interest-bearing securities are limited to investment-grade securities.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 64 of 81 

Risks from financial services 

The  KION  Group's  leasing activities  mean that  it may  be  exposed  to  residual  value  risks  from the marketing of 
machinery and equipment that is returned by the lessee at the end of a long-term lease and subsequently sold or 
re-leased. Residual values in the markets for used trucks are therefore constantly monitored and forecasted. 

KION regularly assesses its overall risk position arising from financial services, recognising write-downs, valuation 
allowances or provisions to cover the risks it identifies. It immediately takes into account any changes in residual 
values when calculating new leases. 
The increased marketing activities for used trucks and the overall increase in demand help to stabilise the residu-
al values of the KION Group's industrial trucks and therefore serve to mitigate risk.  

In  addition,  residual  values  are  mainly  based  on  remarketing  agreements  that  continued  to  achieve  positive 
outcomes in 2011. Under these agreements, any residual-value risk is transferred to the leasing company con-
cerned. Group-wide standards to ensure that residual values are calculated conservatively reduce risk and pro-
vide the basis on which to create the transparency required. KION also has an IT system for residual-value risk 
management. 

The  KION  Group  mitigates  its  liquidity  risk  and  interest-rate  risk  by  ensuring  that  most  of  its  transactions  and 
funding  loans  have  comparable  maturities.  Long-term  leases  are  primarily  based  on  fixed-interest  agreements. 
The credit facilities provided by various banks ensure that the Group has sufficient liquidity. 

In order to eliminate exchange-rate risk, KION generally funds its leasing business in the local currency used in 
each market. 

Because of low default rates, counterparty risk has not been significant to date in the KION Group. The Company 
did not identify any material year-over-year changes in 2011. KION's losses from defaults are also mitigated by its 
receipt of the proceeds from the sale of repossessed trucks. In addition, it primarily offers financial services indi-
rectly via selected funding partners, and KION bears the counterparty risk in less than 5 per cent of cases. The 
credit risk management system was refined as part of the work involved in transferring financial services activities 
to a separate segment. In particular, this involved revising procedures on operational and organisational structure 
as well as processes for risk management and control. 

Exchange-rate risk 

In accordance with its treasury risk policy, the KION Group hedges exchange rate risks both locally at the level of 
the individual companies and centrally via KION GROUP GmbH in order to meet the prescribed minimum hedging 
ratios.  

The  main  hedging  instruments  employed  are  foreign-currency  forwards,  provided  that  there  are  no  country-
specific restrictions on their use.  

At an entity level, hedges are entered into for highly probable future transactions on the basis of rolling 15-month 
forecasts,  as  well  as  for  firm  obligations  not  reported  in  the  statement  of  financial  position.  In  accordance  with 
IAS 39, these hedges are generally classified as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes (see note [ 35 ]). 

Foreign-currency forwards are also employed to hedge the exchange rate risks resulting from internal financing.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 65 of 81 

The following table shows an overview of the foreign-currency forwards entered into by the KION Group. 

Foreign-currency forwards

Fair value

Notional amount

€ thousand

2011

2010

2011

2010

Foreign-currency forwards (assets)

Foreign-currency forwards (liabilities)

Hedge 
Trading

Hedge 
Trading

1,765
21,500

8,650
2,471

3,762
19,824

73,758
363,277

109,653
639,473

4,236
3,595

189,351
103,018

89,900
79,335

The currency options bought and sold in 2008, each with a notional value of US$ 780,000 thousand, were closed 
in 2011. The income generated by the sale totalled €1,649 thousand. No new options have been entered i nto. 

Significant exchange rate risks from financial instruments are measured on the basis of value at risk (VaR) as part 
of internal Group management. VaR figures are calculated using historical variance-covariance analyses. Correla-
tions and volatilities are calculated on the basis of the 250 working days prior to the reporting date (unweighted). 

Exchange rate risks from financial instruments as defined by IFRS 7, are only included in calculating value at risk 
if the financial instruments are denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the reporting entity 
concerned. This means that exchange rate risks resulting from the translation of the separate financial statements 
of subsidiaries into the Group reporting currency, i.e. currency translation risk, are not included. 

Value-at-Risk 

€ thousand

Currency risk

2011

2010

54,676

19,968

The value at risk in respect of currency risk as at 31 December 2011 was €54,676 thousand (31 December  2010: 
€19,968 thousand). Value at risk is the loss that i s not expected to be exceeded over a holding period of one year 
with a confidence level of 97.7 per cent (2010: 97.7 per cent). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 66 of 81 

Interest-rate risk 

Interest-rate risk within the KION Group is managed centrally. The basis for decision-making includes sensitivity 
analyses of interest-rate risk positions in key currencies.  

The table below shows the cumulative effect of an increase or decrease of 100 basis points (bps) in the relevant 
interest-rate curves, with a rate of 0 per cent constituting the lower limit of the calculation. 

Interest-rate sensitivity

€ thousand

2011

2011

2010

2010

+100 bps

-100 bps

+100 bps

-100 bps

Other comprehensive income (loss)
Net income

28,702
-9,358 

-18,031 
9,358

34,714
-17,226 

-32,600 
18,454

The Group essentially funds itself by drawing down loans under its agreed credit facilities. Interest-rate derivatives 
- mainly interest-rate swaps - are used to hedge the resulting interest-rate risk. 

Interest-rate swaps 

€ thousand

Interest-rate swaps (assets)

Interest-rate swaps (liabilities)

Fair value

Notional amount

2011

2010

2011

2010

− 
− 

46
− 

− 
− 

70,000
− 

6,621
− 

20,769
− 

2,070,000
− 

2,493,706
− 

Hedge 
Trading

Hedge 
Trading

The interest-rate caps purchased in 2009 and with a notional value of €1,250,000 thousand expired in 2 011 as 
planned. No new interest-rate options have been entered into. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 67 of 81 

[ 35 ]  Hedge accounting 

Hedging currency risk 

In  accordance  with  its  treasury  risk policy,  the  KION  Group  applies  hedge accounting  in hedging  the exchange 
rate  risks  arising  from  highly  probable  future  revenues  in  various  currencies.  Foreign-currency  derivatives  with 
settlement dates in the same month as the expected cash flows from the Group's operating activities are used as 
hedges.  

The effectiveness of the Group's hedging transactions is assessed on the basis of forward rates using the hypo-
thetical derivative approach under the cumulative dollar-offset method. The effective portion of the changes in the 
fair  value  of  foreign-currency  derivatives  is  recognised  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  (loss)  and 
only reversed when the corresponding hedged item is recognised in income.  

Because of the short-term nature of the Group's payment terms, reclassifications to the income statement and the 
recognition of the corresponding cash flows generally take place in the same reporting period. A foreign-currency 
receivable or liability is recognised when goods are dispatched or received. Hedge accounting continues until the 
corresponding  payment is  received,  with  the  changes in  the  fair  value of  the  derivative being  recognised  in  the 
income statement, thereby largely offsetting the effect of the measurement of the receivable at the reporting date. 

The changes in fair value recognised and reclassified in other comprehensive income in 2011 are shown in the 
consolidated statement of comprehensive income. The ineffective portion of the changes in the fair value of the 
hedging transactions is recognised directly in the income statement. There were no significant ineffective portions 
in 2011. 

In  total,  foreign-currency  cash  flows  of  €263,109 t housand  (2010:  €199,554 thousand)  were  hedged  and  d esig-
nated  as  hedged  items,  of  which  €187,298 thousand  i s  expected  to  be  settled  by  30  September 2012  (2010: 
€161,820 thousand expected by 30 September 2011). T he remaining cash flows designated as hedged items fall 
due in the period up to 19 December 2013. 

Hedging of interest-rate risk 

The KION Group uses hedge accounting in connection with the hedging of interest-rate risk. 

The  KION  Group  is  essentially  financed  by  the  utilisation  of  loans  with  variable  interest  rates  and  in  different 
currencies. Interest-rate derivatives denominated in various currencies were used to hedge the resulting interest-
rate risk in 2011. Because the KION Group used interest-rate swaps to transform 51 per cent of its variable-rate 
exposure into fixed-rate obligations as at the reporting date, it is not fully benefiting from the low level of market 
interest rates. The individual hedges were designated at the time the swaps were entered into. 

The  effective  portion  of  the  hedges  was  recognised  in  other  comprehensive  income  (loss).  As  in  the  previous 
year, the cumulative effectiveness of the hedging transactions was almost 100 per cent. Again, as in 2010, there 
were no ineffective portions. 
In  total,  variable portions of  future  interest  payments  amounting to  €27,196 thousand  (2010:  €54,999 t
housand) 
were  designated  as  hedged  items,  of  which  €8,126 th ousand  is  expected  to  be  paid  by  30  September 2012 
(2010: €14,196 thousand fell due by 30 September 20 11). The remaining cash flows designated as hedged items 
fall due by 31 December 2014. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 68 of 81 

[ 36 ] 

Segment report 

IFRS 8 specifies the 'management approach' for defining operating segments. Under this approach, the internal 
reports that are regularly used by the chief operating decision-maker to make decisions on the allocation of re-
sources to a segment and to assess the performance of a segment are used as the basis for determing the oper-
ating segments. The chief operating decision-maker in the KION Group is its Executive Board comprising Gordon 
Riske (CEO), Otmar Hauck (COO), Klaus Hofer (CHRO) and Harald Pinger (CFO). 

Since the 2011 financial year, the chief operating decision-makers have divided the KION Group into the Linde 
Material  Handling  (LMH)  and  STILL  brands  for  management  purposes.  Segment  reporting  follows  the  same 
breakdown, taking into account the relevant organisational structures and corporate strategy of the KION Group. 

Linde Material Handling (LMH) 
Linde Material Handling manufactures material-handling products under the Linde, Fenwick and Baoli brands and 
also produces hydraulic components that are used both in its own trucks and in the products of external manufac-
turers. 

Baoli  operates  in  the  market  as  an  independent  brand  focusing  on  the  economy  segment  in  China  and  other 
growth markets.  

STILL 
The  STILL  brand  has  positioned  itself  as  a  leading  provider  of  intelligent  intralogistics  management  tools.  In 
addition to core products (forklifts, warehouse handling equipment and tow tractors), the product range includes 
pioneering material flow services. 

As  a  leading  Italian  manufacturer,  OM  provides  customers  in  the  value  segment  with  reliable,  technologically 
advanced electric and diesel trucks as well as warehouse handling equipment. 

In 2010, the STILL and OM brands began to bundle their activities, enabling them to boost their competitiveness 
by benefiting from each other's product range and distribution capability. OM focuses on its home Italian market 
and is integrating the STILL Group's activities in Italy into its operations. In the medium-term, STILL will integrate 
the OM  Group's activities outside Italy into its network. STILL is also using attractive products from OM to sup-
plement its own product range. It is therefore significantly expanding its coverage of the market for these products 
and  greatly  improving their  market  penetration  via  its  excellent  distribution  network.  The  STILL  and  OM  brands 
have been merged and managed jointly under the STILL segment since the 2011 financial year. 

Other 
The 'Other' segment comprises the companies operating under the Voltas brand as well as holding and service 
companies in the KION Group. Voltas is a KION Group brand company whose manufacturing is based in India 
and  whose  business  activities  focus  primarily  on  this  market.  The  service  companies  perform  cross-segment 
services  for  the  KION  Group.  The  bulk  of  the  revenue  in  this  segment  is  generated  by  internal  IT  and  logistics 
services rendered by the service companies. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 69 of 81 

The basis for internal reporting is a presentation of the financial position and financial performance based on data 
from  continuing  operations,  excluding  items  relating  to  the  KION  Group  in  December  2006  and  excluding  non-
recurring items. In addition to the above items, other net financial income/expenses and the share of profit (loss) 
of equity investments are also excluded from the performance indicator known as 'management reporting EBIT'. 
Segment reporting therefore includes a reconciliation of externally reported consolidated earnings before interest 
and tax (EBIT) including KION acquisition items and non-recurring items with the adjusted EBIT for the segments 
('management reporting EBIT').  

Segment  reports  are  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  same  accounting  policies  as  the  consolidated  financial 
statements, as described in note [ 7 ]. Intra-group transactions are generally conducted on an arm's length basis. 
The following tables show information for the KION Group's operating segments for 2011 and 2010: 

Segment report  

LMH

STILL

Other

Consolidation/
Reconciliation

Total

€ thousand

2011

Revenue from external customers
Intersegment revenue
Total revenue

2,778,835
76,761
2,855,596

1,549,616
116,313
1,665,929

39,944
183,365
223,309

−  4,368,395
− 
-376,439 
-376,439  4,368,395

Earnings before taxes

250,444

-29,629 

-192,493 

-87,207 

-58,885 

Financial income
Financial expense
= Financial result

EBIT

+ Non-recurring items
+ KION acquisition items

= Adjusted EBIT

./. Other financial result
./. Equity result*

46,351
-57,142 
-10,791 

13,249
-39,345 
-26,096 

32,371
-267,529 
-235,158 

261,235

-3,533 

-4,830 
26,468

97,308
7,960

282,873

101,735

1,027
5,533

375
1,557

42,665

23,005
1,537

67,207

83,885
− 

-18,307 
18,307
− 

73,664
-345,709 
-272,045 

-87,207 

213,160

− 
− 

115,483
35,965

-87,207 

364,608

-83,401 
− 

1,886
7,090

Management Reported EBIT

276,313

99,803

-16,678 

-3,806 

355,632

Carrying amount of 
equity investments
Capital expenditures**
Depreciation**
Order intake
Number of employees***

31,898
75,952
98,400
3,107,037
13,838

4,647
43,270
46,315
1,752,394
7,328

− 
13,783
14,822
223,153
696

* Already adjusted by non-recurring items 
** Excluding leased assets
***Number of employees in full-time equivalents as at 31 December

− 
− 
− 

36,545
133,005
159,537
-400,728  4,681,856
21,862

− 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 70 of 81 

Segment report  

LMH

STILL

Other

Consolidation/
Reconciliation

Total

€ thousand

2010

Revenue from external customers
Intersegment revenue
Total revenue

2,191,490
62,399
2,253,889

1,333,489
86,899
1,420,388

9,495
150,373
159,868

−  3,534,474
-299,671 
− 
-299,671  3,534,474

Earnings before taxes

69,831

-44,664 

-230,230 

-26,357 

-231,420 

Financial income
Financial expense
= Financial result

EBIT

+ Non-recurring items
+ KION acquisition items

= Adjusted EBIT

./. Other financial result
./. Equity result

42,572
-59,227 
-16,655 

86,486

26,922
25,712

139,120

1,197
3,838

13,045
-38,424 
-25,379 

47,378
-243,518 
-196,140 

-14,646 
-13,236 
-27,882 

88,349
-354,405 
-266,056 

-19,285 

-34,090 

1,525

34,636

36,794
2,763

20,272

558
-269 

11,979
556

-21,555 

-3,305 
− 

− 
− 

75,695
29,031

1,525

139,362

3,210
− 

1,660
3,569

Management Reported EBIT

134,085

19,983

-18,250 

-1,685 

134,133

Carrying amount of 
equity investments
Capital expenditures*
Depreciation*
Order intake
Number of employees**

33,433
70,477
103,596
2,509,672
12,240

4,408
34,150
43,844
1,518,378
7,235

− 
18,835
14,597
159,868
493

* Excluding leased assets
**Number of employees in full-time equivalents as at 31 December

The breakdown of segment revenue by region is as follows 

Segment revenue broken down by customer location

− 
− 
− 

37,841
123,462
162,037
-328,238  3,859,680
19,968

− 

€ thousand

Germany
EU excl. Germany
Rest of Europe
America
Asia
Rest of world

Total segment revenue

2011

2010

1,174,777
2,114,588
203,530
280,611
434,814
160,075

899,817
1,820,151
151,807
232,673
301,879
128,147

4,368,395

3,534,474

There are no relationships with individual customers that generate revenue deemed to be significant as a propor-
tion of total consolidated revenue. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 71 of 81 

Financial income and expenses including all interest income and expenses are described in notes  
[ 12 ] and [ 13 ]. 

The  non-recurring  items  mainly  comprise  severance  payments,  social  plan  costs,  costs  relating  to  the  planned 
transfers of production and consultancy costs. Also included for 2011 are the remeasurement of purchase price 
obligations and the remeasurement of an existing equity investment in an entity, over which a controlling influence 
can  be  exerted  following  the acquisition  of  additional  shares.  The  KION  acquisition items  comprise  a  net  write-
down on the fair value adjustments identified as part of the purchase price allocation (PPA). 

Segment  capital  expenditures  include additions  to  intangible  assets  and property,  plant and  equipment,  but not 
additions to leased assets. A separate segment report for leased assets is presented in note [ 17 ].  

Depreciation/amortisation relates to intangible assets with finite useful lives and property, plant and equipment. 

Capital expenditures broken down by company location (excl. leased assets)

€ thousand

Germany
EU excl. Germany
Rest of Europe
America
Asia
Rest of world

Total capital expenditures

2011

2010

92,340
27,796
233
5,849
5,378
1,409

88,875
25,688
187
4,364
3,870
478

133,005

123,462

The  regional  breakdown  of  non-current  assets  excluding  financial  assets,  financial  instruments,  deferred  tax 
assets and post-employment benefits is as follows: 

Non-current assets broken down by company location

€ thousand

Germany
EU excl. Germany
Rest of Europe
America
Asia
Rest of world

Total non-current assets

2011

2010

2,703,550
665,590
24,492
34,672
116,428
48,671

2,711,755
661,375
19,992
30,609
88,213
49,132

3,593,403

3,561,076

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 72 of 81 

Supplementary disclosures based on future segment structure 

In  2011  the  KION  Group  put  in  place  the  organisational  structures  to  manage  and  report  the  Group's  financial 
services (FS) activities separately in 2012.  

To this end, separate financial services companies have been established in the key markets of France, Germa-
ny, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Further companies will be gradually introduced in countries with a high 
proportion of finance and leasing business. In countries with lower levels of FS activity, sales and service compa-
nies will continue to engage in financial services operations as well. 

During  the course of  2011  the  Group also  developed  a  reporting  model  for the discrete  reporting and manage-
ment of financial services business. Future reporting in the KION Group will be based on this model. The sections 
below  include  voluntary  additional  disclosures  based  on  the  new  reporting  model  and  the  associated  revised 
breakdown of business activities in order to give prominence to the greater importance of financial services activi-
ties in the KION Group and to the future segment structure. These voluntary supplementary disclosures for the 
reporting year follow the principles required by IFRS 8. 

Financial services activities will form a separate Financial Services segment alongside the LMH, STILL and Other 
brand segments described above: 

Financial Services (FS) 
The purpose of the FS segment is to act as an internal partner for the brand segments, providing finance solu-
tions  that  promote  sales.  The  FS  activities  include  internal  financing  of  short-term  rental fleets,  the  financing  of 
long-term leasing business for KION Group customers, and risk management. When long-term leasing business 
is  being  conducted,  FS  operates  as  a  contractual  partner  to  external  customers  and  provides  the  necessary 
funding in conjunction with external financial partners. When short-term business is being transacted, FS's con-
tractual relationship is with the LMH and STILL brand segments or with the external financial partners. Besides 
management  of  residual-value  risk,  risk  management  also  includes  the  credit  risk  management  system,  which 
was refined as part of the work involved in transferring financial services activities to a separate segment. The key 
performance indicator used to manage the FS segment is earnings before tax (EBT).  

The underlying business management model into which FS has been integrated views FS as an internal finance 
partner that operates as the interface between the brand segments and external finance providers or the capital 
markets.  LMH,  STILL  and  FS  are  therefore  reported  as  independent  operating  subgroups,  and  transactions 
between these segments are presented in the same way as business conducted on an arm's-length basis. The 
regular  (interest)  margin  income  that  FS  generates  from  its  business  activities  reflects  prevailing  market  condi-
tions. Surpluses from leasing that exceed this interest rate are reflected in the producer margin within the operat-
ing profit generated by the LMH and STILL brand segments. 

Segment  reports  are  generally  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  same  accounting  policies  as  the  consolidated 
financial statements, as described in note [ 7 ]. Contrary to these policies, however, the LMH and STILL brands' 
intersegment sales to FS are always treated as revenue for the brand segments. 

Assets  and/or  liabilities  associated  with  the  long-term  leasing  business  are  assigned  to  the  FS  segment.  The 
expenses in the FS segment's income statement therefore reflect, in particular, depreciation/amortisation on the 
assets, interest expense relating to the funding of these assets as well as operating expenses. These expenses 
are  offset  under  income  by  the  finance  instalments  paid  by  the  customer  (lease  payments  excluding  service 
portion). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 73 of 81 

Whereas  the  main  feature  of  long-term  leasing  business  is  the  provision  of  a  financial  service  for  the  external 
lessee, the focus in short-term leasing is on the service function. External customers are offered flexible arrange-
ments involving rental trucks from a rental pool – including associated services – for short-term use. Unlike the 
situation  in  long-term  leasing,  financial  performance  in  the  short-term  business  is  largely  dependent  on  the 
achieved  level  of  utilisation  of  the  rental  fleet, management  of  which lies  entirely  within  the  responsibility  of  the 
brand segments. Given this structure, the assets associated with the short-term business remain on the balance 
sheets  of  the  brand  segments  and  the  related  income  and  expenses  remain  on  the  brand  segments'  income 
statements.  

In an indirect leasing arrangement ('sale with risk'), which forms part of the long-term leasing business, the other-
wise typical financing function of the FS segment as a lender for the leasing transaction no longer applies. As a 
result  of  the  sale  of  the  leased  asset  to  the  external finance  provider  in such  transactions,  the  brand  segments 
view  the  transactions  in  the  same  way  as  a  sale  to  an  end-user.  Consequently,  these  transactions  and  all  the 
revenue that they generate are recognised in the LMH and STILL brand segments. 
The breakdown of segment information for 2011 and 2010 is as follows: 

 Segment Report - Voluntary Additional Information

LMH

STILL

FS

Other

Consolidation/
Reconciliation

Total

€ thousand

2011

Revenue from external customers
Intersegment revenue
Total revenue

2,601,587 1,461,968
204,836
2,853,514 1,666,804

251,927

264,896
214,864
479,760

39,944
183,365
223,309

Earnings before taxes

246,450

-30,586 

6,160

-191,729 

Financial income
Financial expense
= Financial result

EBIT

+ Non-recurring items
+ KION acquisition items

29,380
-40,651 
-11,271 

5,804
-31,302 
-25,498 

45,360
-41,901 
3,459

32,371
-267,529 
-235,158 

257,721

-5,088 

2,701

-4,830 
26,468

97,308
7,960

− 
− 

43,429

23,005
1,537

= Adjusted EBIT

279,359

100,180

2,701

67,971

./. Other financial result
./. Equity result

1,027
5,533

375
1,557

− 
− 

83,885
− 

Management Reported EBIT

272,799

98,248

2,701

-15,914 

4,425,263 1,983,278
1,495,301 1,064,798

840,005
708,616
798,845 5,043,405

-89,180 

-85,603 

-39,251 
35,674
-3,577 

−  4,368,395
− 
-854,992 
-854,992  4,368,3950
-58,885 0
73,664
-345,709 
-272,045 0
213,1600
115,483
35,9650
364,6080
1,886
7,0900
355,6320
-1,890,876  6,066,286
-1,848,476  6,553,873

-83,401 
− 

-85,603 

-2,202 

− 
− 

31,898
75,952
167,602

4,647
43,270
95,111

− 
− 
71,020

− 
13,783
16,319

− 
− 
-21,060 

36,545
133,005
328,992

Segment assets
Segment liabilities
Carrying amount of
equity investments
Capital expenditures*
Depreciation**

* Excluding leased assets
** Including leased assets

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 74 of 81 

 Segment Report - Voluntary Additional Information

LMH

STILL

FS

Other

Consolidation/
Reconciliation

Total

€ thousand

2010

Revenue from external customers
Intersegment revenue
Total revenue

2,042,427 1,256,836
151,742
2,247,295 1,408,578

204,868

225,716
127,874
353,590

9,495
150,373
159,868

Earnings before taxes

66,886

-46,823 

6,230

-258,567 

Financial income
Financial expense
= Financial result

EBIT

+ Non-recurring items
+ KION acquisition items

26,209
-43,485 
-17,276 

3,878
-29,483 
-25,605 

43,657
-39,588 
4,069

47,378
-271,400 
-224,022 

84,162

-21,218 

2,161

-34,545 

26,922
25,712

36,794
2,763

− 
− 

11,979
556

= Adjusted EBIT

136,796

18,339

2,161

-22,010 

./. Other financial result
./. Equity result

1,197
3,838

558
-269 

− 
− 

-3,305 
− 

Management Reported EBIT

131,761

18,050

2,161

-18,705 

4,086,051 1,951,953
968,884
1,404,059

774,824
632,090
733,594 4,700,799

854

4,076

-32,773 
29,551
-3,222 

−  3,534,474
-634,857 
− 
-634,857  3,534,4740
-231,420 0
88,349
-354,405 
-266,056 0
34,6360
75,695
29,0310
139,3620
1,660
3,5690
134,1330
-1,685,979  5,758,939
-1,648,475  6,158,861

3,210
− 

4,076

− 
− 

866

33,433
70,477
176,363

4,408
34,150
99,196

− 
− 
64,175

− 
18,835
16,956

− 
− 
-18,096 

37,841
123,462
338,594

Segment assets
Segment liabilities
Carrying amount of
equity investments
Capital expenditures*
Depreciation**

* Excluding leased assets
** Including leased assets

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 75 of 81 

[ 37 ]  Employees 

The  KION  Group  employed  an  average  of  20,797  people  in  the  reporting  year  (2010:  19,764).  The  number  of 
employees (including part-time employees expressed as a proportion of full-time equivalents) is broken down by 
region as follows: 

Employees (average)

Germany
France
UK
Italy
Rest of Europe
Asia
Rest of world

Total employees

2011

2010

8,145
3,196
1,423
1,030
3,194
2,816
993

7,785
3,172
1,467
1,044
3,073
2,319
904

20,797

19,764

The first-time consolidations of Cailotto Carrelli S.p.A., Verona, Italy, and Linde Sterling Ltd., Basingstoke, United 
Kingdom, increased the number of employees by 46 and 282, respectively. In addition, a total of 131 employees 
were  taken  on  from  Voltas  Limited  in  India and  147  members  of staff  were  acquired  from  Russia-based  dealer 
Liftec.  

[ 38 ]  Related party disclosures 

In  addition  to  the  subsidiaries  included  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  the  KION  Group  has  direct  or 
indirect business relationships with a number of unconsolidated subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates in the 
course of its ordinary business activities. Transactions with these companies are conducted on an arm's length 
basis. The related companies that are controlled by the KION Group or that are able to exercise significant influ-
ence over the KION Group are included in the list of shareholdings in the annex to these notes and in the follow-
ing table: 

Related parties

Superlift Holding S.à r.l., Luxembourg
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., New York, USA
Goldman, Sachs & Co., New York, USA
Superlift Funding S.à r.l., Luxembourg

Parent company
Entity with significant influence 
Entity with significant influence
Affiliated company

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 76 of 81 

Superlift Funding S.à r.l., Luxembourg 

Under a supplementary loan agreement dated 23 September 2009, investment funds advised by Kohlberg Kravis 
Roberts & Co. L.P. ('KKR') and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners extended the SFA to include an additional loan 
of €100,000 thousand to be paid via Superlift Fundi ng S.à r.l., Luxembourg. The purpose of the supplementary 
loan  was  to  further strengthen  the operational and  strategic  options  for  the  KION  Group.  Both  the loan  amount 
and the associated interest are repayable as a bullet payment on maturity (payment in kind, 'PIK'). 

Shareholder loan agreement 

On 27 December 2006, KION Holding 1 GmbH (then Neggio Holding 1 GmbH) entered into a shareholder loan 
agreement with Superlift Holding S.à r.l., Luxembourg, for €500,000 thousand of principal. The maturit y date for 
the loan is 31 December 2021. Both the unsecured loan principal and the associated interest are repayable as a 
bullet payment on maturity (payment in kind, 'PIK'). Since 1 September 2007, the loan has been subject to inter-
est  at  a  rate  of  5.5  per  cent  per  annum.  The  carrying  amount  of  the  loan  including  accrued  interest  was 
€643,132 thousand as at 31 December 2011 (31 Decemb er 2010: €615,250 thousand). 

Advisory agreement 

On  8  May 2007,  KION  Group  GmbH,  Kohlberg,  Kravis  Roberts  &  Co.  L.P.  ('KKR')  and  Goldman,  Sachs  &  Co. 
entered into an advisory agreement under the terms of which KKR and Goldman Sachs are to perform advisory 
services for the KION Group. These advisory services relate, in particular, to financial and strategic issues. The 
 and 
annual advisory fee payable to KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. is €4,624 thousand (2010: €4,609 thousand)
it has been recognised as an expense.  

As at the reporting date, the receivables due from related parties were as follows: 

Receivables from related parties 

€ thousand

Non-consolidated subsidiaries 
Associates
Joint ventures
Other related parties

Total receivables from related parties

As at the reporting date, liabilities to related parties were as follows: 

Liabilities to related parties 

€ thousand

Non-consolidated subsidiaries 
Associates
Joint ventures
Other related parties

Total liabilities to related parties

2011

2010

4,403
17,262
2,964
4,825

29,454

7,059
22,249
2,880
7,545

39,733

2011

2010

4,188
39,955
4,719
769,255

818,117

3,771
41,537
3,490
730,686

779,484

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 77 of 81 

[ 39 ]  KION management partnership plan ('MPP') 

Arrangements for managers to invest in the Company have been in place since 2007. These arrangements are 
governed by the 'Shareholders' and co-investment agreement on the implementation of the management partner-
ship plan  for  the  KION  Group'  (the  co-invest  agreement) dated  14 June 2007, entered  into  by  Superlift  Holding 
S.à r.l., KION Holding 1 GmbH and KION Management Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG. The managers who have 
joined the management partnership plan are also parties to the co-invest agreement.  

KION  Management Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG holds an equity interest of 14.61 per cent in KION Holding 1 
GmbH. In total, the Executive Board holds an interest of €3,400 thousand in the limited partner capita l of KION 
Management  Beteiligungs  GmbH  &  Co.  KG,  which  equates  to an  indirect interest  of 3.31  per cent  in the share 
capital of KION Holding 1 GmbH. In addition to the KION Group's Executive Board, around 300 executives around 
the  world  have  purchased shares  in  KION  Management  Beteiligungs  GmbH  &  Co.  KG.  The  shares  are sold at 
their  fair  value  and  shareholdings  are  divided  into  virtual  'A',  'B',  and  'C'  shares.  Different  terms  and  conditions 
concerning  payment  of  the  purchase  price  and  rights  to  purchase  attach  to  these  virtual  shares.  The  purchase 
price  for  'A'  shares  became  payable  when  participants  joined  the  programme,  while  KION  Management  Be-
teiligungs GmbH granted participants interest-bearing loans for the purchase price of the 'B' and 'C' shares. The 
vesting  conditions  and  resulting  purchase  rights  for  'B'  shares  accrue  to  participants  in  equal,  annual  tranches 
over a period of five years. By contrast, managers become eligible to purchase 'C' shares if the targets for reve-
nue, EBITA and operating cash flow set in the business plan are achieved over a five-year period or predefined 
target returns are achieved if the Group is sold or there is a change of control. 

In  2010,  the  performance-related  vesting  conditions  for  the  'C'  shares  relating  to  the  2009–2012  bonus  period 
were  adjusted  to  take  into  account  the  revised  long-term  KION  business  plan,  which  is  in  turn  based  on  the 
amended  loan  terms  in  the  supplementary  agreement  to  the  SFA  dated  23  September  2009.  The  change  in 
vesting  conditions  affects  a  total  of  1,034  shares  with  an  expected  exercise  price  of  €16  thousand  eac h.  The 
agreement had one year remaining as at 31 December 2011. The total fair value of this adjustment was € 1,044 
thousand.  The  fair  value  of  the  individual  purchase  rights  amounted  to  €1  thousand.  The  number  of  purc hase 
options  outstanding  as  at  the  reporting  date  remained  unchanged  at  1,034,  of  which  584  (31  December  2010: 
292) were exercisable. 

The  fair  value  of  the  new  vesting  conditions  was  calculated  using  the  Black-Scholes  model  based  on  a  share 
price of €11 thousand. The risk-free interest rate  on the reference date for the calculation was 1.6 per cent. The 
expected holding period for the options is three years. The expected volatility is 32 per cent and it was calculated 
by taking the implied volatility of a peer group. Expected dividends were not taken into account.     

Expenses of €295 thousand were incurred by the mana gement partnership plan in 2011 (2010: €590 thousan d).  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 78 of 81 

[ 40 ]  Remuneration of key management 

Executive Board 

Gordon Riske, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is responsible, among other things, for the strategic management 
of the Group, communications, governance and compliance, and the Group's Asian business.  

Harald  Pinger,  Chief  Financial  Officer  (CFO),  is  responsible,  among  other  things,  for  finance  including  financial 
services, IT activities, business development, mergers & acquisitions, and the Americas region.  

Otmar  Hauck  (member  of  the  Executive  Board  of  KION  GROUP  GmbH,  Wiesbaden),  Chief  Operating  Officer 
(COO),  is  responsible  for  quality  and  central  operations  (operational  excellence/production  control),  purchasing, 
logistics, health & safety and environmental issues in the Group.  

Klaus Hofer has been a member of the Executive Board since 1 October 2011 and, as Chief Human Resources 
Officer (CHRO), is responsible for human resources, legal affairs and internal audit, which previously formed part 
of the CFO's responsibilities. 

The remuneration paid to the Executive Board comprises a fixed salary and non-cash benefits, pension entitle-
ments and performance-related components. The variable performance-related components are paid each year 
on the basis of the Group's performance. The pension entitlements consist of retirement, invalidity and surviving 
dependants' benefits.  

The total remuneration paid to the members of the Executive Board in 2011 amounted to €5,209 thousand  (2010: 
 thou-
€5,049 thousand). This consisted of short-term remu neration amounting to €4,755 thousand (2010: €4,550
sand),  post-employment  benefits  totalling  €386 thou sand  (2010:  €366 thousand)  and  share-based  payments   of 
€68 thousand (2010: €133 thousand). The current ser
vice cost resulting from pension provisions for the Executive 
Board  is  reported  under  the  retirement  benefit  obligation.  No  loans or  advances  were  made  to members  of  the 
Executive Board in 2011 (2010: loans and advances totalling €151 thousand).  

The  total  remuneration  paid  to  former  members  of  the  Executive  Board  in  2011  amounted  to  €162 thousand  
(2010:  €0).  Provisions  for  pension  obligations  to  f ormer  members  of  the  Executive  Board  or  their  surviving  de-
pendants amounting to €2,819 thousand (2010: €2,953

 thousand) were recognised in accordance with IAS 19. 

Supervisory Board 

The total remuneration paid to the members of the Supervisory Board for the performance of their duties at the 
). 
parent  company  and  subsidiaries  in  2011  amounted  to  €1,071 thousand  including  VAT  (2010:  €822 thousand
There were no loans or advances to members of the Supervisory Board in 2011. Furthermore, the members of 
the Supervisory Board did not receive any remuneration or benefits for services provided as individuals, such as 
consulting or brokerage activities. 

In  addition  to  their  remuneration  as  members  of  the  Supervisory  Board,  the  employee  representatives  also  re-
ceive  remuneration  as  employees  of  the  KION  Group  that is  unrelated  to  their  work  on  the  Supervisory  Board. 
Remuneration  paid  to  employee  representatives  for  their  work  as  employees  totalled  €514  thousand  in  20 11 
(2010: €539 thousand). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 79 of 81 

[ 41 ]  Members of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board  

Executive Board 

Gordon Riske 
CEO 

Klaus Hofer 
(since 1 October 2011) 
CHRO 

Harald Pinger 
CFO 

Supervisory Board 

Dr John Feldmann 
(Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 28 September 2011) 
Member of the Supervisory Board and member of the Presiding Committee of the Supervisory Board of Bilfinger 
Berger SE, Mannheim 

Manfred Wennemer 
(Chairman of the Supervisory Board until 28 June 2011) 
Former Chief Executive Officer, Continental AG, Hannover 

Joachim Hartig1 
Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board 
Chairman of the Plant I & II Works Council, Linde Material Handling GmbH, Aschaffenburg 

Dr Alexander Dibelius 
Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs AG, Frankfurt am Main 

Denis Heljic1 
Deputy Chairman of the Works Council of STILL GmbH, Dortmund plant 
Service Technician at STILL, Dortmund plant 

Dr Martin Hintze 
Managing Director of Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, London 

Johannes P. Huth 
(Chairman of the Supervisory Board from 29 June to 28 September 2011) 
Member of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., New York 

Thilo Kämmerer1 
Trade Union Secretary on the Executive Board of IG Metall, Frankfurt am Main 

Dr Roland Köstler1 
Head of Business Law at Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 80 of 81 

Peter Kolb1 
Head of Facility Management, Linde Material Handling GmbH, Aschaffenburg 

Kay Pietsch1 
Chairman of the KION Group Works Council and Chairman of the Works Council of STILL GmbH, Hamburg 

Silke Scheiber 
Director of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., New York 

Dr Michael Süß 
Member of the Managing Board and CEO of the Energy Sector of Siemens AG, Munich 

Philip Wack 
(from 29 June to 27 September 2011) 
Associate of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., New York 

1 Employee representatives 

[ 42 ]  Auditors' fees 

The  fees  recognised  as  an  expense  and  paid  to  the  auditors  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements  in  2011 
  the  audit  of  the  financial  statements,  €892  thousa nd 
amounted  to  €970  thousand  (2010:  €800  thousand)  for
ncy 
(2010:  €88  thousand)  for  other  assurance  services, 
services and €63 thousand (2010: €20 thousand) for  other services. 

€206  thousand  (2010:  €32  thousand)  for  tax  consulta

[ 43 ]  Events after the reporting date 

In the period after the end of the 2011 financial year up to 15 March 2012 there were no events or developments 
that would have led to a material change in the recognition or measurement of the individual assets and liabilities 
as at 31 December 2011 or that it would be necessary to disclose. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011 

Page 81 of 81 

[ 44 ] 

Information on preparation and approval 

The Executive Board of KION Holding 1 GmbH prepared the consolidated financial statements on 15 March 2012 
and  approved  them  for  forwarding to  the  Supervisory  Board.  The  Supervisory  Board  has the  task  of examining 
and deciding whether to approve the consolidated financial statements.    

Wiesbaden, 15 March 2012 

The Executive Board 

Gordon Riske 

Klaus Hofer 

Harald Pinger 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

List of shareholdings for the year ended 31 December 2011 

List of shareholdings as of 31 December 2011
according to section 313 para. 2 No. 1-4 Commercial Code (HGB)

No.

Name

Registered office

Country

Parent 
company

Holding 
in (%)

Equity, 
Local 
GAAP, 
TEUR

Earnings,
Local GAAP, 

TEUR Note

1 KION Holding 1 GmbH

Wiesbaden

Germany

200,816

-29,174

Annex to the notes 

Consolidated affiliated companies

Domestic

2 BlackForxx GmbH

3 Eisenwerk Weilbach GmbH

4

Fahrzeugbau GmbH Geisa

5 KION GROUP GmbH

6 KION Holding 2 GmbH

7 KION Information Management Services GmbH

8 KION Warehouse Systems GmbH

9 Klaus Pahlke GmbH & Co. Fördertechnik KG

10

11

12

13

14

Linde Material Handling GmbH

LMH Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG

LMH Immobilien Holding GmbH & Co. KG

LMH Immobilien Holding Verwaltungs-GmbH

LMH Immobilien Verwaltungs-GmbH

Stuhr

Wiesbaden

Geisa

Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden

Reutlingen

Haan

Aschaffenburg

Aschaffenburg

Aschaffenburg

Aschaffenburg

Aschaffenburg

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

15 OM Deutschland GmbH

Neuhausen a.d. Fildern Germany

16 Schrader Industriefahrzeuge GmbH & Co. KG

17 STILL GmbH

18 URBAN-TRANSPORTE GmbH

Foreign

19

Linde Material Handling Pty. Ltd.

20 STILL N.V.
21 KION South America Fabricação de Equipamentos para 

Armazenagem Ltda.

22

Linde (China) Forklift Truck Corporation Ltd.

23 KION Baoli (Jiangsu) Forklift Co., Ltd.

24 STILL DANMARK A/S

25 BARTHELEMY MANUTENTION SAS

26 Bastide Manutention SAS

27 Bretagne Manutention S.A.

28

29

FENWICK-LINDE S.A.R.L.

LOIRE OCEAN MANUTENTION SAS

30 Manuchar S.A.

31 OM PIMESPO FRANCE S.A.S.

32 SAS Société Angoumoisine de Manutention - SAMA

33 MANUSOM SAS

34 SM Rental SAS

35 STILL SAS

36 KION France SERVICES SAS

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

Lansing Linde Severnside Ltd.

Linde Castle Ltd.

Linde Heavy Truck Division Ltd.

Linde Holdings Ltd.

Linde Hydraulics Ltd.

Linde Jewsbury’s Ltd.

Linde Sterling Ltd.

Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd.

Linde Material Handling East Ltd.

Linde Material Handling Scotland Ltd.

Linde Material Handling South East Ltd.

Linde Severnside Ltd.

49 OM PIMESPO (UK) Ltd.

50 STILL Materials Handling Ltd.

51 Superlift UK Ltd.

52

53

Trifik Services Ltd.

Linde Material Handling Hong Kong Ltd.

54 KION ASIA (HONG KONG) Ltd.

55 Voltas Material Handling Private Limited

56

Linde Material Handling (Ireland) Ltd.

57 COMMERCIALE CARRELLI S.r.l.

58

Linde Material Handling Italia S.p.A.

59 Cailotto Carrelli S.p.A.

60 OM Carrelli Elevatori S.p.A.

61 STILL ITALIA S.p.A.

62 KION Rental Services S.p.A. (formerly: STILL NOLO S.r.l.)

63

Linde Vilicari Hrvatska d.o.o.

Essen

Hamburg

Unterschleißheim

Huntingwood

Wijnegem
Rio de Janeiro

Xiamen

Jiangjiang

Kolding

Vitrolles

Toulouse

Pacé

Elancourt

St. Herblain

Gond Pontouvre

Mitry Mory

Champniers

Rivery

Germany

Germany

Germany

Australia

Belgium
Brazil

China

China

Denmark

France

France

France

France

France

France

France

France

France

Roissy Charles de Gaulle France

Marne la Vallée

Elancourt

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Abingdon

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Leyland

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Kwai Chung

Kwai Chung

Mumbai

Walkinstown

Lainate

Buguggiate

Verona

Lainate

Lainate

Milan

Samobor

France

France

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

Hong-Kong

Hong-Kong

India

Ireland

Italy

Italy

Italy

Italy

Italy

Italy

Croatia

17

10

17

6

1

5

17

10

5

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

10 & 12

99.64%

10

10

10

60

10

10

10

94.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

10

100.00%

17 & 65
17

100.00%
100.00%

10

54

17

28

28

28

100.00%

97.34%

100.00%

90.41%

100.00%

54.27%

757

288

7,329

276,413

848,331

129

22,670

9,675

281,522

29,982

180

27

28

-1,165

2,322

206,250

3,181

39,380

7,262
22,790

110,241

26,932

4,470

3,186

2,097

7,389

36 & 10

100.00%

181,470

28

28

60

35

35

28

36

10

48

88.98%

80.00%

100.00%

100.00%

50.13%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

40 & 108

100.00%

44

51

44

40

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

40 & 129

100.00%

40

100.00%

40 & 52

100.00%

44

44

44

60

51

10

40

10

10

78

40

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

66.00%

100.00%

61 & 62

100.00%

10

58

100.00%

100.00%

10 & 61

100.00%

17

61

10

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

4,305

3,576

-257

13,688

482

1,129

-7,573

110,417

4,687

6,191

57,216

237,053

6,071

6,864

7,307

58,646

-1,410

6,608

2,703

7,073

-198

9,441

53,936

0

2,426

28,571

1,900

5,836

531

16,537

1,647

67,408

8,895

1,127

168

0 [B]

0 [A]

0 [B]

-56,235

0 [F]

0 [E]

0 [B]

1,715

-61,438

1,013

67

1

1

-211

1,700

0 [A]

0 [A]

3,076

1,848
5,328

35,163

-2,114

38

1,150

429

3,821

29,405

1,361

1,774

31

925

195

516

-29,396

88

0 [R]

1,470

-19,866

2,225

-21

2,649

651

8,931

2,345

1,348

1,159

1,143

1,120

-1,033

-14,036

0

457

-313

1,048 [3]

-140

-119

-271

-541 [3]

-23,481 [1]

-150

79

20

 
 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

List of shareholdings for the year ended 31 December 2011 

No.

Name

Registered office

Country

Annex to the notes 

Parent 
company

Holding 
in (%)

Equity, 
Local 
GAAP, 
TEUR

Earnings,
Local GAAP, 

TEUR Note

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Hendrik Ido Ambacht

Netherlands

Consolidated affiliated companies

Foreign

64 KION Finance S.A.

65 STILL Intern Transport B.V.

66

Linde Fördertechnik GmbH

67 STILL Ges.m.b.H.

68 AUSTRO OM PIMESPO Fördertechnik GmbH

69

Linde Material Handling Polska Sp. z o.o.

70 STILL POLSKA Spólka z o.o.

71 OOO "STILL Forklifttrucks"

72 OOO "Linde Material Handling Rus"

73 STILL MOTOSTIVUITOARE S.R.L.

74

Linde Material Handling AB

75 STILL Sverige AB

76

Linde Lansing Fördertechnik AG

77 STILL AG

78

79

Linde Material Handling Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.

Linde Material Handling Slovenska republika s.r.o.

80 STILL SR, spol. s r.o.

81

82

83

84

85

Linde Vilicar d.o.o.

IBER-MICAR S.L.

Islavista Spain S.A.U.

Linde Holding de Inversiones, SRL

Linde Material Handling Ibérica, S.A.U.

86 STILL, S.A.

87

88

89

Linde Material Handling (Pty) Ltd.

Linde Material Handling Ceská republika s r.o.

Linde Pohony s r.o.

90 STILL CR spol. s r.o.
91

Linde Magyarország Anyagmozgatási Kft. (formerly: Linde 
Fördertechnik Ungarn GmbH)

92 STILL Kft.

93

94

Linde Hydraulics Corporation

Linde Material Handling North America Corporation

Non-consolidated affiliated companies

Domestic

95 KION Financial Services GmbH

96 Klaus Pahlke Betriebsführungs-GmbH

97 PAGEMA Miet- und Gebrauchtstapler GmbH

98

proplan Transport- und Lagersysteme GmbH

99 Schrader Industriefahrzeuge Verwaltung GmbH

100 STILL Financial Services GmbH

Foreign

101

Lansing Bagnall (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.

102 Urban Transporte spol. s.r.o.

103 Baoli Material Handling Ceská republika s r.o.

104 SCI Champ Lagarde

Linz

Wiener Neudorf

Linz

Warschau

Gadki

Moskau

Moskau

Giurgiu County

Örebro

Stockamöllan

Dietlikon

Otelfingen

Singapore

Trencin

Nitra

Celje

Gava

Barcelona

Pallejá

Pallejá

Barcelona

Linbro Park

Prag

Ceský Krumlov

Prag
Dunaharaszti

Környe

Canfield

Summerville

Wiesbaden

Haan

Haan

Aschaffenburg

Essen

Hamburg

Huntingwood

Moravany / Brna

Teplice

Elancourt

105

FENWICK FINANCIAL SERVICES SAS (formerly: OTHEA SAS)

Elancourt

106 STILL Location Services SAS

107 URBAN LOGISTIQUE SAS

108 Castle Lift Trucks Ltd.

109 Claymore Fork Truck Services Ltd.

110

111

Fork Truck Rentals Ltd.

Fork Truck Training Ltd.

112 HFT Lift Trucks (South West) Ltd.

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

Lansing Bagnall Ltd.

Lansing Linde Castle Ltd.

Lansing Linde Creighton Ltd.

Lansing Linde Jewsbury’s Ltd.

Lansing Linde Ltd.

Lansing Linde Scotland Ltd.

Lansing Linde South East Ltd.

Lansing Linde Sterling Ltd.

Lansing Linde Trifik Ltd.

Leader Lift Trucks Ltd.

Linde Trifik Limited

124 M.D.A. (GB) Ltd.

125 Regentruck Ltd.

126 Severnside Mechanical Handling Group Ltd.

Marne la Vallée

Elancourt

Newton Aycliffe

East Kilbride

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

East Kilbride

Basingstoke

Liverpool

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

127 Stephensons Lift Trucks Ltd.

Newton Aycliffe

Austria

Austria

Austria

Poland

Poland

Russia

Russia

Romania

Sweden

Sweden

Switzerland

Switzerland

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Spain

Spain

Spain

Spain

South Africa

Czech Republic

Czech Republic

Czech Republic
Hungary

Hungary

United States

United States

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Australia

Czech Republic

Czech Republic

France

France

France

France

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

-

-

17

100.00%

10 & 68

100.00%

17

60

10

17

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

10 & 17

100.00%

10 & 3

100.00%

10 & 17

100.00%

10

17

10

17

10

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

10 & 88

100.00%

17 & 90

100.00%

10

10

10

83

84

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

83 & 60

100.00%

10

100.00%

10 & 17

100.00%

10

100.00%

10 & 17
10

100.00%
100.00%

17

10

10

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

10

10

9

1

10

95

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

44 & 10

100.00%

18

88

28

36

36

18

40

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

122

100.00%

44

44

48

44

44

44

44

44

44

44

44

44

40

45

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

44 et al.

94.33%

44

48

38

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

29

12,479

9,211

4,553

9,875

12,511

9,554

1,224

-

-549

30,350

2,015

12,030

7,189

20,571

2,052

1,775

1,353

2,559

19,877

30,999

1,462

12,322

18,845

8,407

31,956

4,726
1,300

1,310

8,047

-4,554

50

46

62

573

68

24

-2,143

1,353

-

103

0

-

1,018

1,210

0

347

0

-5

0

0

1

0

117

155

0

0

0

62

0

198

1

2,032

68

-2 [3], [4]

3,168

775

849

-383

3,769

1,202

90

- [3]

-42

6,542

-414

3,711

2,907

593

225

441

3 [1]

-21 [1]

-2,961

40 [1]

3,054

-4,003

865

2,167

7,216

401
429

36

1,388

-1,838

0 [3], [A]

1 [1]

0 [1], [L]

0 [F]

4 [1]

0 [3], [C]

0 [1]

369 [1]

- [3]

0 [1]

-3 [1]

- [3]

273 [1]

481 [2]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1]

32 [1]

0 [1], [R]

0 [1], [R]

3 [1]

 
 
 
 
KION Holding 1 GmbH                             

List of shareholdings for the year ended 31 December 2011 

No.

Name

Registered office

Country

Non-consolidated affiliated companies

Foreign

128 Urban Logistics (UK) Ltd.

129 Sterling Mechanical Handling Ltd.

130

Lancashire (Fork Truck) Services Ltd.

131 KION FINANCIAL SERVICES Ltd.

132 D.B.S. Brand Factors Ltd.

Basingstoke

Heswall

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

Basingstoke

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

U.K.

133 Stephensons Enterprise Fork Trucks Ltd.

134 Handling & Storage Equipment (Ireland) Ltd.

St. Helens, Merseyside U.K.

Walkinstown

Ireland

Lainate

Monza

Lainate

Almaty

Belgrad - Zemun

Belgrad

Ljubljana

Barcelona

Kyiv

Hagelstadt

Hamburg

Wiesbaden

Blankenhain

Kerpen-Sindorf

Bremen

Italy

Italy

Italy

Serbia

Serbia

Slovenia

Spain

Ukraine

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Santiago de Chile

Basingstoke

Lima

Chile

U.K.

Peru

135 Carest SRL

136 Milano Carrelli Elevatori S.r.l.

137 URBAN LOGISTIKA S.R.L.

138

139

TOO "Linde Material Handling Kazakhstan"

Linde Viljuskari d.o.o.

140 STILL viljuškari d.o.o.

141 STILL VILICAR d.o.o.

142 KION Rental Services S.A.U.

143

TOV "Linde Material Handling Ukraine"

Associates (equity investments)

Domestic

144 Beutlhauser-Bassewitz GmbH & Co. KG

145 Hans Joachim Jetschke Industriefahrzeuge (GmbH & Co.) KG

146

Linde Leasing GmbH

147 MV Fördertechnik GmbH

148 Pelzer Fördertechnik GmbH

149 Willenbrock Fördertechnik Holding GmbH

Foreign

150

151

152

Linde High Lift Chile S.A.

Linde Creighton Ltd.

Linde High Lift Peru S.A.C.

Joint Ventures (equity investments)

Domestic

153 Eisengießerei Dinklage GmbH

Foreign

154

JULI Motorenwerk s.r.o.

Associates (accounted at cost)

Domestic

155 Carl Beutlhauser Verwaltungs GmbH

156

JETSCHKE GmbH

Annex to the notes 

Parent 
company

Holding 
in (%)

Equity, 
Local 
GAAP, 
TEUR

Earnings,
Local GAAP, 

TEUR Note

18

40

43

51

43

43

56

60

60

18

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

100.00%

66

100.00%

141

100.00%

17

83

100.00%

100.00%

10 & 3

100.00%

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

40

25.00%

21.00%

45.00%

25.00%

24.96%

23.00%

45.00%

49.00%

150

45.00%

95

-

0

-

0

0

0

11

21

42

-

86

99

-1,087

-

-

5,894

4,940

29,118

1,026

15,654

10,138

12,653

5,117

200

180 [2]

- [3]

0 [1], [R]

- [3]

0 [2], [R]

0 [2], [R]

0 [1], [R]

-1 [1], [R]

-9 [1], [R]

-1 [1], [R]

- [3]

15

-173 [1]

-91

- [3]

- [3]

1,527 [1]

2,840 [1]

2,021 [1]

115 [1]

-375 [1]

2,138 [1]

1,353

1,311 [1]

77

Kazakhstan

10 & 3

100.00%

Dinklage

Germany

17

50.00%

3,986

496 [1]

Moravany

Czech Republic

10 & 17

50.00%

21,812

4,975 [1]

Hagelstadt

Hamburg

157 Supralift Beteiligungs- und Kommunikationsgesellschaft mbH

Hofheim am Taunus

158 Supralift GmbH & Co. KG

Hofheim am Taunus

159

Trainingscenter für Sicherheit und Transport GmbH

160 Willenbrock Arbeitsbühnen GmbH & Co. KG

161 Willenbrock Fördertechnik Beteiligungs-GmbH 

162 Willenbrock Fördertechnik Beteiligungs-GmbH

163 Willenbrock Fördertechnik GmbH & Co. KG

164 Willenbrock Fördertechnik GmbH & Co. KG 

Foreign

165 WHO Real Estate OÜ

166

Labrosse Equipement S.A.

167 Normandie Manutention S.A.

168 Chadwick Materials Handling Ltd.

169 McLEMAN FORK LIFT SERVICES LTD.

170 EUROPA CARRELLI S.R.L.

171 WHO Real Estate UAB

172 Nordtruck AB

173 Carretillas Elevadoras Sudeste S.A.

174 CAYSA MANUTENCION S.L.

175 Motorové závody JULI CZ s r.o.

[1] Financial figures as of 31 December 2010

[2] Last provided financial statement

[3] New during 2011

Bremen

Bremen

Bremen

Hannover

Hannover

Bremen

Tallinn

Saint Peray

Le Grand Quevilly

Corsham

Basingstoke

Bastia Umbra

Vilnius

Örnsköldsvik

Murcia

Valladolid

Moravany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Germany

Estonia

France

France

U.K.

U.K.

Italy

Lithuania

Sweden

Spain

Spain

Czech Republic

144

25.00%

10

10

10

149

149

149

149

149

149

22.00%

50.00%

50.00%

23.00%

23.00%

23.00%

23.00%

23.00%

23.00%

149

23.00%

28

28

44

151

61

149

74

85

34.00%

34.00%

48.00%

49.00%

40.00%

23.00%

25.00%

38.53%

85 & 173

46.71%

10

50.00%

33

67

19

797

25

18

29

37

3,600

2,400

2

4,548

13,614

1,257

1,355

562

-6

632

3,626

162

7

2 [2]

5 [2]

1

39

0 [1], [D]

-252 [1]

-4 [1]

2 [1]

1,250 [1]

1,011 [1]

0 [1]

1,105 [2]

3,148 [2]

15 [1]

115 [1]

-14 [2]

-3 [1]

291 [2]

392 [1]

50 [1]

0 [2]

[4] Consolidated as required by IAS 27 in conjunction with SIC-12 (''Consolidation - special purpose entities'')

[A] Profit and loss transfer agreement with Linde Material Handling GmbH

[B] Profit and loss transfer agreement with STILL GmbH

[L] In liquidation

[R] Dormant company

[C] Profit and loss transfer agreement with KION Financial Services GmbH

[D] Profit and loss transfer agreement with Willenbrock Fördertechnik Holding GmbH

[E] Profit and loss transfer agreement with KION GROUP GmbH

[F] Profit and loss transfer agreement with KION Holding 1 GmbH

 
 
 
 
 
The  following  auditor’s  report  (Bestätigungsvermerk)  has  been  issued  in  accordance  with  §  322  German 

Commercial  Code  (Handelsgesetzbuch)  in  German  language  on  the  German  version  of  the  consolidated 

financial statements of KION Holding 1 GmbH as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 and the 

group management report. The group management report is not included in this Offering Circular. 

Independent Auditors’ Report 

We  have  audited  the  consolidated  financial  statements  prepared  by  the  KION  Holding  1  GmbH, 
Wiesbaden,  –  comprising  the  consolidated  income  statement,  the  consolidated  statement  of 
comprehensive income, the consolidated statement of financial position, the consolidated statement of 
cash flows, the consolidated statement of changes in equity and the notes to the consolidated financial 
statements – and the group management report for the business year from January 1 to December 31, 
2011.  The  preparation  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  the  group  management  report  in 
accordance  with  IFRS,  as  adopted  by  the  European Union  (EU), and  the  additional  requirements  of 
German  commercial  law  pursuant  to  § 315a  Abs. 1  HGB  („German  Commercial  Code“)  are  the 
responsibility of the parent Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the 
consolidated financial statements and on the group management report based on our audit. 

We conducted our audit of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with § 317 HGB and 
German generally accepted standards for the audit of financial statements promulgated by the Institut 
der  Wirtschaftsprüfer.  Those  standards  require  that  we  plan  and  perform  the  audit  such  that 
misstatements materially affecting the presentation of the net assets, financial position and results of 
operations  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  the  applicable  financial 
reporting  framework  and  in  the  group  management  report  are  detected  with  reasonable  assurance. 
Knowledge  of  the  business  activities  and  the  economic  and  legal  environment  of  the  group  and 
expectations  as  to  possible  misstatements  are  taken  into  account  in  the  determination  of  audit 
procedures.  The  effectiveness  of  the  accounting-related  internal  control  system  and  the  evidence 
supporting the disclosures in the consolidated financial statements and the group management report 
are examined primarily on a test basis within the framework of the audit. The audit includes assessing 
the annual financial statements of those entities included in consolidation, the determination of entities 
to  be  included  in  consolidation,  the  accounting  and  consolidation  principles  used  and  significant 
estimates  made  by  management,  as  well  as  evaluating  the  overall  presentation  of  the  consolidated 
financial  statements  and  the  group  management  report.  We  believe  that  our  audit  provides  a 
reasonable basis for our opinion. 

 
 
 
 
 
Our audit has not led to any reservations. 

In our opinion, based on the findings of our audit, the consolidated financial statements of the KION 
Holding 1 GmbH, Wiesbaden, comply with IFRS, as adopted by the EU, the additional requirements 
of German commercial law pursuant to § 315a Abs. 1 HGB and give a true and fair view of the net 
assets, financial position and results of operations of the group in accordance with these requirements. 
The group management report is consistent with the consolidated financial statements and as a whole 
provides a  suitable  view  of  the  group’s position  and suitably  presents the  opportunities  and  risks  of 
future development. 

Frankfurt am Main, March 15, 2012 

Deloitte & Touche GmbH 
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft 

Signed: (Kompenhans) 
 Wirtschaftsprüfer 
[German Public Auditor]  [German Public Auditor] 

Signed: (J. Löffler) 
Wirtschaftsprüfer