Germany's Ziehl-Abegg Realizes Major Milestones

Ziehl-Abegg, a leading global provider of technology including electric elevator motors, recently announced major revenue and technology milestones for 2025: exceeding EUR1 billion (US$1.9 billion) in revenue for the first time in the company’s 116-year history and becoming the first company worldwide to develop an electric synchronous elevator machine without magnets made from rare earths. CEO Joachim Ley observed achieving record revenue came under tremendous pressure from exchange rates, tariffs and geopolitical uncertainties, “representing the performance, commitment and cohesion of our teams around the world.” Growth was due in large part, Ley said, to strength in China and the U.S., where Ziehl-Abegg built a EUR100-million (US$119-million) plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2024. The rare earth-free elevator machine, meanwhile, maintains the same high performance and boasts an identical installation size as the previous model. The innovative design, Ley said, “strengthens [Ziehl-Abegg’s] technical independence and ensures stable long-term production, regardless of geopolitical risks or export restrictions.”