A trusted brand Hajdu

a trustEd brand

Once known as a washing machine brand in Hungary, the Hajdu name today is well recognised across Europe for its high quality and environmentally friendly household goods. Thanks to large investments and a consistent focus on innovation, the company is now going full steam ahead, as Edina Beale reports.

Hajdu began to manufacture household goods in 1957 and maintained this traditional line while also branching out into new activities during the 1990s. Since the beginning, meeting customer needs while keeping step with current trends were the highest priorities. Hajdu also recognised the need early on for constant development, and its latest investment project is another dynamic effort to maintain its market-leading position. Numerous product launches

As part of a two-year development project, the Hajdu group has recently invested 400 million HUF into improving the technological capabilities, production capacity and internal logistic capacities of Hajdu Ipari Zrt. This extensive investment will enable the firm to launch seven new products; two of these are already present on the market while the other five will be introduced to the market throughout 2017.

The new products include new varieties of hot water tanks, such as the MINI, CUBE, FLAT and SMILEY, and a new puffer hot water tank with high volumetric capacity and a single room heat recovery recuperator.

In order to meet new market demands, Hajdu has further developed its range of indirect heater tanks and solar hot water tanks with the launch of two brand new product types: the boiler heated AQ IND and the solar heated AQ STA. Its puffer tank family range offered for heating systems is now being extended with the addition of 1500-litre and 2000-litre versions.

Furthermore, Hajdu has also taken a step forward in heat pump technology; the company has developed an air-water heat pump hot water tank (200–300 litres) that meets the EU’s strictest COP requirements, and has begun to manufacture special heat storage tanks for a large German manufacturer’s heat pump systems.

Hajdu is now also present in the European hot water tank market, particularly in France and Belgium, where its hot water storage tanks are in high demand. Within the segment of condensation gas boilers, the HGK SMART wall mounted appliance is implemented with the most advanced condensation technologies; these sit high above EU requirements for this type of technology when it comes to environmental efficiency.

Accelerated automotive division

Meanwhile, Hajdu Autotechnika Industrial Zrt, the diversified manufacturing operation of the Hajdu group, is spending 4.3 billion HUF between 2015 and 2017 to increase its competitiveness and modernise its technology base. This development project, which is due to be completed by August 2017, involves the construction of a new

4500m2 production hall, the implementation of three press machines – including two NEFF hydraulic presses and one SCHULER servo press – and the refurbishing of its tool making factory.

“As a result of this development, we expect to double our turnover within 5–7 years,” says CEO Mrs Dedéné Novotni Anna. “This will be achieved by maintaining our existing partners while extending our customer base in the sheet processing and tool making segments in the automotive and other sectors. We intend to develop our technological capabilities with new investments in laser cutting, welding and assembly lines.”

In the past two years, the group’s third division, Hajdu Infrastructure Zrt, has invested 450 million HUF to increase energy efficiency and improve staff working conditions; this included the modernisation of its lighting facilities and the renewal of its electric system as well as the reconstruction of its industrial water cooling system.

expected increase

“While continuing to extend the variety in our existing product lines, we also plan to enter a new market segment with the introduction of a single room heat recovery ventilation system product,” reveals Mrs Novotni. “We hope that the spending power will continue to become stronger in the domestic and foreign markets; the number of property developments and housing renovations are increasing so we can expect more demand. However, it is not just the increase in demand but also the increased customer needs for better quality and the increase in energy awareness that we have to consider when it comes to innovative product development.

“Hajdu products are among the best in Hungary from the point of view of environmental protection and energy saving. Our current and future aim is to meet these requirements to a higher and higher standard, for example by minimising heat waste through better insulation or increasing heat efficiency through technological solutions including smart control or recuperators,” continues Mrs Novotni. “Besides market requirements, the EU expects Hungary to reduce CO2 emissions, increase energy efficiency and increase its renewable energy shares. The government’s Home Warmth Programme was set up to support this goal and we hope that our products will be supported by this programme this year.”