The DOLL Group finds itself in an excellent position going into 2020: the 2019 business year saw the company's success continuing with incoming orders amounting to EUR 110 million. In comparison with 2018, DOLL Fahrzeugbau GmbH was able to increase its incoming orders by 34 percent and sales by 32 percent. These sales and order volumes are the highest ever recorded in the history of the company, which is based in Oppenau in the Black Forest.
And with the busy order books, there is every reason to be positive about the future: compared to the previous year, the volume of orders on hand at the start of the year rose again by 46 percent. The continuous growth experienced in recent years validates the strategy of the DOLL management board, led by Markus Ehl and Renato Ramella.
Healthy Growth in All Business Units
“Alongside the clear alignment of the business units, we have been concentrating on a targeted model policy – even if that meant moving away from certain products or markets. We are now reaping the rewards of this continuity,” says Ehl. All business units are contributing equally to the overall growth rate. In the field of public authority business, for example, DOLL has been awarded large orders from various NATO partners. The company has developed a reputation as a high-quality supplier of medium-duty to heavy-duty semi-trailers in this field.
In the field of civilian heavy haulage, DOLL has established an increasingly strong position in the medium-duty range and is concentrating on the premium segment with tailored customer solutions. At the same time, demand for timber transport remained at a consistently high level in 2019. DOLL was therefore able to further expand its market leadership in the core markets of Germany, Switzerland and Eastern Europe. With the entire product portfolio, comprising superstructures, trailers and steered and non-steered semi-trailers, this resulted in considerable growth in this business unit.
DOLL had an excellent year in the field of airport equipment, virtually doubling its sales compared to 2018. Alongside major customer Do & Co, DOLL was able to expand existing partnerships and win new contracts. The LSG Group recently reaffirmed its long-standing partnership with DOLL with a new framework agreement covering the next few years. In addition, it also honored DOLL with its “Europe Supplier Award”. Ramella, who accepted the award, is delighted with the accolade: “It means a lot to us. It shows that, as well as supplying premium products on a competitive basis, we understand the importance of working together with our customers to maximize the benefit for them.”
Focusing on Innovation and Development
Backed by the positive momentum from 2019, the company is now focusing on extensive reworking of the product lines. The first of these redesigned vehicles, the LOGO 14 H – a semi-trailer aimed specifically at the Czech market – was unveiled at DOLL's timber gathering at the end of October 2019. Further reworking will take place over the course of 2020 in the fields of heavy haulage and timber transport. Alongside the low-bed series and the German equivalent of the LOGO 14 H, this will also include various versions of the tried-and-tested short timber trailers. DOLL will be presenting a cross-section of the current portfolio, as well as some of the latest innovations and developments, at the KWF Tagung trade fair in July and at IAA Commercial Vehicles in Hanover.
