Fire Department Supplier

Wildfires Are “Fueling” Rosenbauer’s Business

Rosenbauer, headquartered in Leonding (Upper Austria), is a supplier of firefighting equipment.(Bild: Rosenbauer International)

“We’ve already delivered more wildfire vehicles this year than in previous years,” says Robert Ottel, CEO of firefighting equipment supplier Rosenbauer in Leonding (Upper Austria). The company increased both revenue and profit in the first half of the year.

There have already been 331 wildfires in Austria this year. By comparison, there were “only” 196 in all of last year, according to the database of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. This has had an impact all the way down to the factories of the Leonding-based firefighting equipment manufacturer Rosenbauer. “We’re continuing to evolve to meet these new challenges,” says CEO Robert Ottel. That’s because fire trucks for wildfires have to be built differently—they’re more off-road capable, smaller, and more maneuverable. “With wildfires, there are no hydrants on site, so it’s all about transporting water,” Ottel says, citing another example.

And so the climate crisis is also “fueling” the Leonding-based group’s business: “We’ve already delivered more wildfire vehicles this year than in previous years,” says the CEO. However, the current wildfires across Europe would not immediately lead to an order, but “I expect that a discussion will begin in the aftermath,” says Ottel.

More Revenue, More Profit
Rosenbauer generates nearly eight out of every ten euros with its fire trucks. The group’s revenue rose by a total of 3.5 percent to 625.9 million euros in the first half of 2026. The main drivers of growth were the higher number of vehicle deliveries and increased business in preventive fire protection. And after a loss of 18.7 million euros in the same period of the previous year, the net income for the period turned positive, rising to 3.3 million euros. The trend is expected to continue: Rosenbauer anticipates revenue growth of around ten percent for the full year 2026. “Our order intake exceeds revenue. This means that growth in the near future is secured,” says Ottel. According to the half-year report, the order backlog as of June 30 stood at 2.43 billion euros.

Delivery Problems and Software Migration
In addition to the increasing number of wildfires, the CEO addresses another development: In conflicts such as those in Ukraine or Iran, Ottel notes, a “large number of relatively inexpensive drones” are now being deployed. These are increasingly targeting “soft targets” such as logistics centers or industrial facilities—which in turn create additional demand for firefighting resources. In the Near and Middle East, Ottel notes, such products were “quickly sourced and purchased” locally following the outbreak of war.

However, the Leonding-based company is also facing challenges: The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has reduced operating profit by around eight million euros due to supply problems, compounded by losses resulting from the company’s internal SAP software migration.

Overall, Rosenbauer added 371 employees in the first half of the year, with 140 of these positions in Austria. The group now employs slightly more than 5,000 people. CEO Ottel sees further growth potential primarily in regions where firefighting equipment is being upgraded on a large scale, such as India.