New leadership for Liebherr-France

Christophe Sanchez has been appointed Managing Director of Liebherr-France SAS, effective 1 November, replacing his predecessor Martin Schickel, who is retiring after more than 44 years with the company.

Christophe Sanchez (right) has been appointed Managing Director of Liebherr-France SAS. He replaces Martin Schickel (left) who is retiring after more than 44 years with the company.

Sanchez was previously General Director of Liebherr-Location (Liebherr Rentals) France SAS, having taken over the role from Schickel in June 2020.

He joined Liebherr-France SAS in 2002 as Export Manager for Italy, Spain and North America. In 2007, he became sales manager for the industrial and electric excavators produced at the Colmar site in northeastern France. 

From 2012 to 2020, Sanchez was General Director of Liebherr EMtec Italia SpA, which is responsible for sales and after-sales service of Liebherr construction machinery on the Italian market.

His appointment comes as Liebherr-France SAS totalled a “record” 2,000 machines produced this year, with a production plan for 2,150 machines next year.

Based in Colmar, Alsace, northeastern France, Liebherr-France SAS factory comprises a built-up area of 148,000 m² .

It produces a range of crawler excavator models, from the R 914 Compact to the R 980 SME, for use in earthworks and quarries.

The crawler excavators with an operating weight of 14 to 100 tonnes are equipped with Liebherr engines with an output of 90 to 420 kW.

The factory also produces electric excavators and special equipment for demolition, material handling, bridge or tunnel applications.

Outgoing Managing Director Martin Schickel has been with Liebherr since 1977, where he was initially employed in quality assurance at Liebherr-France SAS in Colmar. In 1988, he joined the sales department, which he headed from 1995.

In 2001, he was appointed Deputy General Manager of Liebherr-Location France SAS, based in Niederhergheim (France), with responsibility for construction equipment rental in France. He has been the General Director of the same company since 2006.

In this role, he was also responsible for Liebherr Rental Partners in Germany since 2010 and for Liebherr Rental Limited U.K. since 2012. On 1 June 2015, he took over the commercial management of Liebherr-France SAS.

The Liebherr Group is a family owned business comprising more than 140 companies on all continents. In 2020, it generated a total consolidated turnover of over €10.3 billion.