Beckhoff’s product range covers industrial PCs, I/O and fieldbus components, drive technology, automation software, control cabinet-free automation, and hardware for machine vision. | Source: Beckhoff Automation
Beckhoff Automation this month reported sales of €1.17 billion in the 2024 financial year, which is equivalent to around $1.33 billion. This was a sharp decline of 33% compared with the company’s 2023 annual result of €1.75 billion.
The Verl, Germany-based industrial automation provider said it expected this decline in sales after a boom from 2021 to 2023. During those years, Beckhoff saw 80% cumulative growth. A significant market correction followed this trend in 2024.
“This is my sixth crisis in 45 years of business, and almost all of them have followed a very similar pattern,” stated Hans Beckhoff, owner and managing director of Beckhoff Automation. “You can be sure that there will be a recovery, but you have to tackle the crisis head-on and see it as an opportunity for innovation and optimization!”
Industrial robot sales in the U.S. were slow last year, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Similarly, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) warned in January 2025 that Germany’s robotics industry had “lost competitiveness.”
Beckhoff said its technological achievements include the PC-based control technology concept, the bus terminal, and the ultra-fast EtherCAT communication system that’s now an international standard. They also include the XTS and XPlanar product-transport systems and the MX-System as a pluggable system for control cabinet-free automation.
Beckhoff expands U.S. presence
In September 2024, Beckhoff opened a new regional office in the greater Atlanta area. It said this new facility will boost its sales, support, and training capabilities.
The company currently has a presence in more than 75 countries via its subsidiaries, representative offices, and distributors. With U.S. headquarters in Savage, Minn., Beckhoff plans to make targeted investments in its local market presence. It also plans to strengthen its global position in growth markets and sustainable future markets, such as the energy supply sector.
Beckhoff said it already supplies intelligent automation and measurement technology for energy distribution, transfer, and storage. It enables all energy flows to be recorded and energy systems to be controlled.
The company acknowledged that geopolitical uncertainty is posing additional challenges this year. However, incoming orders are currently showing signs of recovery, it claimed.
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R&D, global reach could boost future sales
Looking ahead, Beckhoff said it believes it has already bottomed out. The family-run technology company plans to continue focusing on continuous innovation and high-tech engineering in order to lay the foundation for future growth.
“Our customers’ warehouses are slowly emptying, and we expect them to have used up their extra stocks by the first quarter of 2025, at the latest,” predicted Hans Beckhoff.
The company is planning new product launches for software and PC-based control technology. Its research and development capabilities are boosted by its 5,300 employees worldwide, including about 2,000 engineers. In addition, Beckhoff invests €80 million ($90.9 million U.S.) per year in R&D.
“We are intent on further expanding our position as a global automation technology company,” added Hans Beckhoff. “We remain dedicated to our mission of evolving our portfolio with strong developments every year and introducing revolutionary new technology every five to seven years.”
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