Going up HMF Group

GOING UP

One of the world’s leading manufacturers of loaders, Denmark’s HMF Group A/S, is dedicated to providing ‘the power to lift’ to customers with heavy demands. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to CEO Ove Trankjaer to find out more.

IN the three years since Industry Europe last spoke to HMF Group A/S (HMF), the world economic crisis has had a wide-reaching impact, and continues to do so. HMF’s CEO Mr Ove Trankjaer is pleased to point out, however, that ‘there is always a demand for lifting’, so thankfully the company has been able to get through the crisis largely unscathed.

Mr Trankjaer said, “We know that 2008–2009 wasn’t really a good time for anyone in particular, but the markets picked up in 2010 and we are now back to our pre-crisis levels. Even though we certainly felt some impact due to customers having tightened budgets and projects being pulled or delayed, we are proud to have continued to achieve good results throughout this difficult time. Our business is at the same level as in 2011 and we expect 2012 to show a small growth.”

Well aware that the market is still fluctuating on an almost day-to-day basis, the fact that HMF has a broad geographical client base and a reputation for reliable, solid products will help achieve this growth. Furthermore, its two-pronged strategy of aggressive product development and a stringent focus on reaching new markets will take this small growth to a more impressive level in the coming years.

A 65-year-old Danish company that started out as a bicycle repair shop, HMF has steadily grown to become a leading global player in the manufacture and supply of heavy loading vehicles. Exporting to more than 50 countries worldwide, HMF is well-known for its innovative solutions and hard-wearing products.

Sharing the power

Specifically producing cranes and vehicles for customers with heavy demands, HMF products all come with the company’s promise of ‘the power to lift’. Essentially the mission statement that underpins the whole organisation, this highlights its long-term, on-going focus on high safety, high quality and total reliability.

Mr Trankjaer continued, “It is a very important statement for us. ‘The power to lift’ is visible across our marketing, our website and our products. We passionately believe that we are providing a service to our customers and they need to be able to trust us 100 per cent. It means that we are giving them the power to lift and that they can trust in us and our products.”

The aggressive product development plans at HMF are already underway, with two new product ranges launched in 2011. The new T-Boom cranes have been specially designed for motorway breakdown applications. Compact and lightweight, the T-Boom is available in seven different models. HMF has also created 12 models in the Knuckle range. These cranes are also small and compact and have been designed for smaller building and construction applications.

Mr Trankjaer added, “As you can see from our new product ranges, we are totally in tune with the continuing trend for small, lightweight loaders that are more economical and ecologically responsible to build, yet perform just as well. Compact vehicles are perfectly suited to urban applications too, which makes them ideal for the booming construction sectors in emerging markets’ city centres.”

In order to reach new markets, HMF has made a conscious decision to focus on countries with booming economies in order to balance out the more challenging European markets. It is in the process of establishing a new distribution centre in Brazil to meet the needs of the South American market, and is also developing active locations in China and India. HMF sells the same products worldwide, with Mr Trankjaer clear that all markets have the same desire for high-quality loading equipment, especially as safety and reliability in loaders is universal.

Investing and expanding

This expansion into new markets will see HMF grow considerably over the coming years. The company does not currently intend to make acquisitions in order to grow, but rather to continue to expand its product range and ensure that it is meeting the needs of each territory. Ongoing investment in R&D of new products is imperative to this strategy, and Mr Trankjaer appreciates that this goes hand in hand with investment in equipment and employees.

He continued, “Every year we introduce new products to our existing ranges, always following feedback from clients or a close understanding of market trends. We have also recently invested in new welding robots and equipment for modern assembly, making our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities the best they can possibly be. Our 430-strong workforce receive a great deal of training to ensure that they can maximise the potential of the equipment, and we are also committed to staying one step ahead of the safety demands of our industry.”

With HMF performing well in the building material supplier, machine handling, ‘grab’ and energy supply sectors worldwide, its plans for continued growth look set to be achieved. With its guaranteed ‘stability on the truck’ mobility monitoring coming as standard on all its loaders and an evergrowing portfolio of customer applicationfocused products, HMF’s ‘power to lift’ will keep reaching new heights. n