Jungheinrich is strengthening its position in Australia and New Zealand, with a clear focus on long-term strategy, capability development and differentiated material handling solutions.
Jungheinrich is sharpening its focus in the Australian market, aligning its local approach with its global Strategy 2030+ framework as it looks to expand its presence and capability across the region.
From local supplier to integrated material handling partner
Over the past decade, the business has evolved from a local equipment supplier into a broader material handling partner, supported by a growing operational footprint across Australia and New Zealand.
Axel Knigge, Managing Director, Jungheinrich Australia & New Zealand, says this shift reflects a move towards delivering more complete, outcome-driven solutions.
“Our journey in Australia and New Zealand has been about moving from presence to impact,” Axel says.
That transition has seen Jungheinrich expand its offering beyond forklifts to a more integrated model, combining material handling equipment, automation, racking, software and energy systems into a single ecosystem.
This systems-based approach is becoming increasingly relevant as warehouse operations face rising complexity. Across sectors such as eCommerce, 3PL and food & beverage, operators are balancing throughput demands, labour constraints, safety requirements and cost pressures, while also responding to growing expectations around sustainability and efficiency.
Rather than addressing these challenges through standalone equipment upgrades, Jungheinrich is positioning its offering around how the entire warehouse functions, from storage and transport through to energy and data.
“We’ve also expanded from supplying equipment to enabling performance through lifecycle support, fleet insight and integrated warehouse solutions,” Axel says.
Strategy 2030+ shapes local direction
At a strategic level, this direction is underpinned by Strategy 2030+, which sets out Jungheinrich’s plan for sustained global growth, expanded automation capability and a broader product portfolio. The company is targeting revenue of AUD $16.7 billion and an EBIT return on sales of 10 per cent by 2030, supported by expansion in North America and Asia-Pacific, alongside continued investment in automation, software and product development.
Australia is expected to be a key priority in this framework, particularly as global trends such as electrification, digitalisation and automation translate quickly into operational decisions locally.
“Under Strategy 2030+, Australia plays a clear and increasingly important role,” Axel says.
Australia driving the rapid development of integrated solutions
The Australian market is defined by large-scale, complex operations and highly diverse operating conditions. It is a market that demands the rapid development and deployment of efficient, integrated material handling solutions. According to Jungheinrich, success in this environment depends on reliability, flexibility, and the ability to deliver measurable outcomes across a wide range of applications. Automation is key area of focus, with Australian operators increasingly seeking scalable, practical solutions that deliver immediate operational value.
Automation adoption shifts to scalable, staged deployments
Rather than large, one-off investments, many businesses are adopting a staged approach, starting with targeted use cases before expanding as operational confidence grows. This includes applications such as high-frequency transport tasks, defined workflows and environments where safety and repeatability are critical.
Jungheinrich’s approach to automation centres on integration, bringing together equipment, mobile robots, racking systems and software into a connected solution that can scale over time.
“Automation is a key pillar of our Australian business strategy because it helps customers build operations that are safer, more resilient and more predictable,” Axel says.
Energy systems move beyond batteries alone
Alongside automation, energy is emerging as a critical component of warehouse performance, particularly as businesses shift away from internal combustion and lead-acid systems. Jungheinrich has been an early mover in lithium-ion technology, but its focus has evolved beyond the battery itself to a broader energy systems approach.
“What truly sets Jungheinrich apart is how we design and manage energy as an integrated solution,” Axel says.
Rather than treating energy as an add-on, the company designs fleet and site operations around availability, safety and efficiency, aligning charging strategies with operational requirements and supporting customers through the transition to electric fleets.
This approach is delivering immediate benefits in uptime and operational simplicity, particularly in high-utilisation environments where opportunity charging can reduce downtime and eliminate battery change processes.
At the same time, customers are increasingly evaluating energy decisions through the lens of total cost of ownership and lifecycle value, rather than upfront capital cost.
This shift is being driven in part by sustainability expectations, with more organisations seeking practical pathways to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency across their operations.
Local expertise underpins delivery and trust
Alongside its technology and systems capability, Jungheinrich continues to position its team as a core differentiator in the Australian market. The company emphasises the importance of local expertise, supported by global capability, across engineering, project delivery and aftersales service.
“The Australian market is demanding and diverse,” Axel says. “Customers are increasingly looking for partners and solutions they can truly rely on.”
This has shaped how Jungheinrich engages with customers, with a focus on understanding site-specific requirements and delivering solutions that can perform in real-world conditions.
“Success in this environment comes from listening closely to the application and the customer’s real challenges, rather than leading with assumptions,” Axel says. “Service and parts support are not after-sales activities, but fundamental to trust and long-term performance,”
This emphasis on people is reflected in Jungheinrich’s broader talent strategy, as the company continues to build capability across the Asia-Pacific region. Jungheinrich is also investing in its local workforce as part of its Strategy 2030+ growth plans, with a focus on strengthening engineering, automation and service capabilities to support long-term expansion. The company’s people strategy centres on capability development and retention, recognising that consistent delivery in complex environments depends on a skilled and stable workforce.
Expanding the portfolio to support diverse customer needs
In parallel, Jungheinrich is expanding its product portfolio to better address increasing segmentation across segments of the market. This includes the introduction of AntOn, a value-focused offering designed to complement Jungheinrich’s premium solutions and give customers greater flexibility to align match equipment and solutions with to specific applications, duty cycles and stages of business growth.
“AntOn addresses a clear market need – customers seeking for reliable, dependable material handling performance with a strong value proposition,” Axel says. “Depending on operational priorities, that may mean a cost-efficient, robust track for straightforward applications, or a fleet designed to deliver the highest productivity when assessed from a total cost of ownership perspective.”
This dual-brand approach reflects broader segmentation across the market, where some operators are investing in automation and integration, while others are prioritising cost efficiency and operational simplicity.
Jungheinrich’s strategy is to support both ends of this spectrum, providing a range of solutions from value-driven equipment through to integrated, automated systems.
CeMAT Australia 2026: engaging the market face to face
As part of its continued engagement with the local market, Jungheinrich will be present at CeMAT Australia 2026, where it will showcase its portfolio across both premium and value segments, whilst serving as the event’s exclusive forklift sponsor.
“Visitors will see our broad portfolio presented across two dedicated booths, and our team looks forward to supporting businesses as they plan their next stage of growth,” Axel says.
The exhibition provides an opportunity for the company to engage directly with customers and demonstrate how its solutions translate into operational outcomes.
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