Germany-based equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson has announced that in the light of the global Coronavirus crisis, production will be reduced 鈥� with some plants starting their summer holidays early and various short-time work models implemented.

However, the group鈥檚 Chinese location at Pinghu has reopened, with the company saying that 鈥減rocedures regarding procurement, production and sales are increasingly normalising鈥�.

The announcement follows the group鈥檚 2019 annual results earlier in the week, which showed close to a 6% drop in year-on-year profit before interest and tax despite an 11% rise in revenues to a record 鈧�1.9 billion (US$2.05 billion), with Europe accounting for almost three-quarters of all income.

A Wacker Neuson statement on its immediate plans said: 鈥淭he extent of the production cutbacks will then be tailored to the conditions of the markets and the supply chains.

鈥淭he sale of machines and services for the construction and agricultural industries will be sustained, as far as permitted by the local conditions.

鈥淭o date, the Wacker Neuson Group has a high level of inventory of machines and spare parts at its disposal, through which a considerable degree of supply capability is secured.

鈥淣evertheless, there will be partial delays in delivery due to the significant restrictions in logistics chains.鈥�

Wacker Neuson, which has set up a cross-location task force to monitor the Coronavirus, said it will announce further developments in due course.