When lives are at stake, every second counts. Firefighters and civil protection teams must be able to rely unconditionally on their equipment. For more than 160 years, Magirus has stood for technology that fire and rescue services can rely on at any time. This commitment has defined the company since its foundation and continues to guide key decisions throughout the comprehensive transformation process in 2025.
Focus on Core Priorities: Productivity Tripled in 2025With its ambitious transformation programme, Magirus responded to changing market conditions and customer expectations, concentrating on efficiency, productivity, growth and internationalisation.
Harry Oortwijn, COO of the heritage company, can already report strong progress: “This year, we deliberately focused on what truly matters. Quality, delivery reliability and stable output are our top priorities. This clarity of focus enabled us to triple our productivity and deliver significantly faster. Such reliability is what customers expect from Magirus – but we are not finished yet. Over the next 18 months, we will further enhance the quality of our products and services.”
Compared with the previous year, the company achieved a noticeable reduction in delivery times in 2025. The increase in operational performance is reflected in more stable output and improved delivery reliability. The order backlog also developed positively over the course of the year and increased significantly. The strongest growth was recorded in the turntable ladder segment, where order intake doubled year-on-year.
Realigning Sales for Greater Customer Proximity A key element of the transformation plan is the realignment of the sales organisation. With a clear focus on more direct customer engagement, Magirus aims to strengthen its proximity to end users and leverage market insights even more systematically. Direct interaction enables Magirus to identify emerging requirements and operational needs at an early stage. This supports more accurate capacity planning and faster response times. At the same time, the new structure provides the foundation for even closer customer support throughout the entire project lifecycle.
Both the significant increase in the order backlog and the newly established process and organisational structures represent important steps in securing the company’s financial stability.
Additional Growth Through Targeted Strategic Expansion
The acquisition of Austrian specialist vehicle manufacturer Achleitner in 2025 marked an important step in expanding capabilities and unlocking additional growth potential. The objective of this strategic acquisition is to offer customers an even broader range of mission‑critical vehicles. Combining Magirus’ leading fire and civil protection technology with Achleitner’s expertise in highly off‑road‑capable vehicles creates additional capabilities and advantages, particularly for operations in difficult terrain or complex security environments. The joint product portfolios focus on robust, specialised vehicles for civil protection as well as for governmental security and disaster‑response tasks.
“The expansion of our product portfolio through the acquisition of Achleitner, the stabilisation of our processes and the introduction of a platform‑based organisation focused on project execution ensure Magirus’ operational excellence in the long term,” summarises Fatmir Veselaj, CEO of Magirus. “In this way, Magirus will continue to make a significant contribution to the advancement and future of firefighting and emergency‑response technology.”
Against this backdrop, Magirus is also evaluating further targeted acquisitions of specialised vehicle manufacturers, workshops or distribution partners to further enhance quality and delivery speed.
Taking Responsibility – With a Clear View Ahead
As the year draws to a close, Magirus looks ahead with confidence. The decisions taken in 2025 have strengthened the company both structurally and operationally, forming a robust foundation for future development.
“We have positioned Magirus financially and structurally to achieve sustainable growth in a challenging market environment. The past months have demonstrated how crucial clear governance, well‑defined interfaces and consistent project management are for successful transformation and carve‑out processes,” explains Mathias Scholz, CFO of Magirus. With the measures implemented, the company aims to further strengthen its competitiveness and secure its long‑term position in the global market.
“At Magirus, we see ourselves not only as a manufacturer of vehicles and equipment but as a reliable and responsible partner for protection and emergency‑response technology – for the public as well as for those who take responsibility in the field every day,” says Magirus CEO Fatmir Veselaj. “Our commitment remains unchanged: we design and build technology that emergency and rescue services and affected individuals can rely on when it matters most. We embrace this responsibility every day – with the utmost care, clear priorities and the ambition to provide our customers and emergency responders with the highest possible quality.”
