A conversation about markets and strategies, products and technologies in the industrial truck market
Stefan Budweit, COO at Clark Europe GmbH until the end of 2024, took over the position of long-standing CEO Rolf Eiten at the beginning of this year. Jan Kaulfuhs-Berger, editor-in-chief of “Technische Logistik,” met him at Logimat in Stuttgart.
Jan Kaulfuhs-Berger: Stefan Budweit, in our opinion, you have stepped into very big shoes—those of Rolf Eiten, who led Clark successfully for many years.
Stefan Budweit: Well, when a captain leaves a successfully steered ship, the footsteps are always big. But with over 30 years of experience in the forklift truck business, I’m not completely inexperienced.
The “captain” just came across as very Hamburg-like.
I started my career at Jungheinrich headquarters in. Hamburg, then worked in spare parts sales and looked after South America. In the forklift truck business, I was responsible for the Middle East and Asia and helped set up the branch in Singapore. Later, I moved to Toyota in Brussels …
… and at some point, Clark came calling, we assume.
I had a lot of contact with Egon Strehl …
… the Clark boss who died far too young in 2014 …
… and then I was asked if I would prefer to join the Clark family and help build something here. Well, I eventually accepted the offer, took over business development and moved into the position of Sales and Marketing Director. Later, I became COO and now I’m directly succeeding Rolf Eiten as President and CEO. That means I’m responsible for the EMEA region and for global tasks.
So, we’re right in the middle of the global market, where there’s a lot going on. Question: Is it possible to get an overview of the current situation and put it into numbers?
No, you can’t. We are experiencing market declines in many markets, but we are also seeing market growth. These factors are roughly balanced. For example, you can’t say that things are only bad for us in Western Europe. This is certainly true for some areas and some countries, but not for all. And in Eastern Europe, for example, the market is booming. We have growth markets such as Bulgaria and Romania, and Turkey is still very strong. And, of course, the markets in Africa are also growing.
In Africa?
Yes, look at South Africa or French-speaking countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, i.e. the Maghreb states – they are doing very well. South of the Sahara, of course, it is difficult to find dealers and capital.
Let’s move further east and ask: How are you positioned in Asia?
We have the market in Korea, where we have a market share of around 30 percent. There are two other Korean suppliers, Doosan and Hyundai, who share around 60 percent. What remains goes to the “newcomers,” i.e., companies from China, but also Toyota, for example.
Nevertheless, Koreans still buy Korean, right?
That’s right. Looking at other regions, we cover the countries in Southeast Asia through our branch in Singapore. Interestingly, we are not quite as strong in China, but we have a Clark subsidiary in Australia that covers this market.
Production then takes place in Korea and – now – in Vietnam.
Yes, and in China. But the trend is clearly toward expanding our production capacities in Vietnam. We have relocated the area where we used to supply the GTS as a combustion engine from China to customers in North America to Vietnam due to the punitive tariffs imposed by the US government.
Sounds like a major commitment to Asia. But I missed you at Logimat in Bangkok and Mumbai.
Yes, that’s the question: What is a trade fair today? How is it perceived? In Asia in particular, business is mainly conducted online. Purchasing behavior is also online. That’s very different from here, where we say we want that “touch and feel,” we want to go to a trade fair, we want to look at other manufacturers.
Changing the subject: Jungheinrich stopped manufacturing combustion engines a long time ago. What is the role of combustion engines at Clark?
When we look at combustion engine technology today and consider the requirements we have in the various markets, the European market is moving away from combustion engines. We are aware of the European Union’s requirements for becoming climate neutral. And we are seeing this very clearly in the market.
How is Clark responding?
We have recognized the issue and are now launching our two new crossover series, the L25-35 XE and S25-35XE.
What does that mean?
It’s quite simple: we take the typical combustion engine, which is used outdoors, on poor ground, in the rain, and must be built specifically for this purpose, with higher ground clearance. Then we take this chassis and install an electric system to reduce the carbon footprint for the customer.
And does it work?
Yes, we took the combustion engine chassis, installed an electric axle, electric motors and a lithium battery, which also saves us 300 kilograms compared to a lead-acid battery.
So, the combustion engine will disappear?
I don’t think it will disappear completely. Maybe in Europe. We can see from the market figures that combustion engine forklifts are in sharp decline.
But if we look at the market, electric forklifts are also declining.
That’s right. This is, of course, due to the economic situation. But customers are also saying that if we need a machine, it must be electric, but with the advantages of a combustion engine, which can operate both outdoors and in wet environments and has ground clearance. That’s where the market is heading.
Regarding warehouse technology, is Clark also moving towards lithium-ion technology?
If we look at the market in Western and Eastern Europe, around 65 percent of warehouse trucks are now electric. Looking at our product portfolio at Clark in warehouse technology, around 70 percent of the warehouse trucks we sell are vehicles with lithium batteries. However, lead-acid batteries will not disappear. There will always be customers who do not want to use lithium, for example for safety reasons.
We have moved away from crossover vehicles somewhat. What is the next step?
We will be introducing further crossover models this year and next. We will then move on to 4.5 to 8 tons of load capacity, where we will again use combustion engine chassis that are electrically powered by lithium batteries.
Let’s look at Logimat. The importance of this trade fair is undeniable.
It is indeed indispensable, no. It is very well attended. We see it as an opportunity to find new, larger dealer candidates there. Last year, for example, we were able to sign up a large dealer from Romania. The “touch and feel” aspect is much more important here than in Asia, as we discussed earlier.
Let’s go back to the beginning of our conversation. What is changing in the management team, and what is staying the same?
Yes, that’s always a big question. What we need to do at Clark is rejuvenate ourselves. That has been our goal for the last three to four years. We are all veterans; at 57, I’m not the youngest anymore.
So, a gentle generational change?
Well, we need to bring in the next generation. We are doing that globally. We are a family business, with the second generation now at the helm. And the third is ready to take over. Our grandsons, most of whom studied in the US, are now following in their parents’ footsteps, traveling around the world, receiving training from us, and learning the business. When we look to the future of Clark, that is exactly where we want to be.
Good, and what about you personally?
As far as my goals are concerned, we have a direct sales business in Duisburg and the surrounding area. I would like to expand this into a proper branch.
Clark in five years – how do you see it?
I think we are focused on growth, and we are committed to growth. We will work our way up the global rankings.
Stefan Budweit, thank you very much for talking to us!
July 2025 / jak