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GROUND CONTROL THE MAGAZINE OF HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV THE NEXT GENERATION ZAXIS HAS ARRIVED! ISSUE 3 WINTER 2006 WWW.HCME.COM
GROUNDCONTROLTHE MAGAZINE OF HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV
THE NEXT GENERATIONZAXIS HAS ARRIVED!
ISSUE 3 WINTER 2006 WWW.HCME.COM
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GROUNDCONTROLTHE MAGAZINE OF HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV
CONTENTS04 MORI'S MISSIONHCME's new President and Managing Director reveals all
06 NEWSReliable solutions from Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV across Europe
08 ON THE BALLAnother match-winning football performance from Hitachi
09 IT'S SHOWTIME AT INTERMAT 2006Book your free show tickets and join Hitachi in Paris this April
10 RELIABILITY IN AN UNRELIABLE WORLDTwo Italian job sites facing up to the challenges of the environment
GROUND BREAKING NEWSAll you need to know on the new Zaxis-3 excavators and latest ZW wheeled loaders
15 BIG PLANS FOR MINI-ZAXISHCME's original manufacturing plant is still going strong and looking to the future
18 THE HIGH AND MIGHTYSpain's largest mining company puts a fleet of huge EX5500s to the test
22 CALLING IN THE EXPERTSKiesel makes its mark in the highly competitive German marketplace
26 DEALER LISTINGWho to call and visit about Hitachi construction machinery in your country
Ground Control is published two times a year and is circulated among 75.000 readers. Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV, Siciliëweg 5, 1045 AT Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Telephone: +31-(0)20 44 76 700,Fax: +31-(0)20 33 44 045,E-mail: [email protected]: www.hcme.comEditors: Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV:
Raymond Hendriks, Sander GesinkCoordination: Somacon, www.somacon.nlDesign: RBP, www.rbp-ltd.co.ukPhotography: Glenn Blackburn, ImagenTranslation: Yamagata Europe, www.yamagata-europe.comPrinting: Roto Smeets GrafiServices, www.rsgrafiservices.nlCirculation: DHL Global Mail, www.dhl-globalmail.nlCopyright: Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV 2005, all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with the written permission of the publisher. While everyeffort is made to ensure the accuracy of information published in Ground Control, HitachiConstruction Machinery (Europe) NV can accept no responsibility for inaccuracies or omissions.
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ISSUE 3, WINTER 2006
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INTERVIEW
MORI’S MISSIONHITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV HAS A NEW LEADER FOLLOWING THE APPOINTMENT OF MIKE MORITO THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT & MANAGING DIRECTOR EARLIER THIS YEAR. GROUND CONTROL IS GIVEN AN EXCLUSIVEINTERVIEW WITH MR MORI FOR AN INSIGHT INTO THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPANY
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When a company is expanding, it is vital for someone to be ultimately responsiblefor the overall operation. It is also important to have a charismatic senior manager
who can lead from the top. HCME’s new President & Managing Director delivers on both counts.
When one meets Mr Mori for the first time, his engaging personality and sense ofhumour filter into the room. He has a positive approach to his work, but also knows howto relax away from the pressures of the office environment.
A keen golfer, Mr Mori’s talent over 18 holes may be evidenced by a recent hole-in-one. And that wasn’t his first! Away from the golf course, he enjoys spending time withhis wife and the quiet life surrounding their apartment in Amsterdam.
The HCME appointment is Mr Mori’s first tour of duty in Europe. He has travelledextensively, which explains his strong command of the English language. His previousrole for Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) was in Singapore with responsibility forthe Asian Pacific market and he has also enjoyed stints in Malaysia, Taiwan, USA and Australia.
This broad base of experience has already proved useful for his first assignment inEurope. In addition, he was well-briefed about HCME’s business operations before hisarrival in The Netherlands.
“I had already heard many good things about the start-up situation in Europe,”enthuses Mr Mori. “Fortunately, HCME had managed to secure a strong dealer networkin 2003. This was their immediate priority and has led to a successful first three years.”
That success has enabled Hitachi to reach a similar position to the one it held duringits partnership with Fiat. The market share of Hitachi is already set to surpass the peaklevel achieved previously by Fiat-Hitachi.
“The foundation of HCME has also coincided with a period of activity in the Europeanmarket,” he continues. “We have seen demand increase over the past two years and it isgenerally a better environment for business. This is a fortunate position to be in and I feelpositive about the future.”
Mr Mori is guiding HCME through the final stages of HCM’s four-year business plan.This was introduced in 2003 and the signs are that the targets for turnover and profit willbe met.
“Our strong position means that we can already focus on the next four-year plan. Thiswill bring us up to the end of 2010. While this has not been officially decided, I’d like tothink that HCME can double its turnover in the next five years.
“This is achievable, but we must move forward at a steady rate. Everybody from thecustomers, through to the Hitachi dealers and ultimately HCME, are interested in thesame thing… developing mutually beneficial business opportunities. To reach a growthof 20% per annum won’t be easy, but perhaps we can help each other.”
HCME has recently revealed plans to extend its factory and build a second productionplant alongside the existing facility. The factory in Japan has been struggling to meetglobal demand for its Zaxis excavators, and with European sales being forecast to doubleby 2010, the reasoning behind this decision becomes evident.
“It is clear that the potential for the European market is good and therefore HCME mustdo more to meet local demand. While some of our plans remain confidential at this stage,it’s not a secret that we are going to launch some new product lines.”
Mr Mori is also keen to stress the importance of market share in Europe. Hitachi iscurrently third (in a group which also contains CNH and Volvo) behind Caterpillar andKomatsu. This is despite the fact that HCME has been concentrating on the productionand sales of mid-sized and large excavators, with the latest wheeled loaders, dump trucksand mini-excavators to follow.
“Our aim is to firmly establish Hitachi in third place and close the gap on Komatsu,”admits Mr Mori. “To do this, we must make a significant change. Increasing market shareis important, but we must also add to the product range. This is also important to theEuropean dealer network. Some of them have to sell other products because they justcan’t survive with Hitachi alone.
“The size of our organisation is also important. A bigger operation has the opportunityto generate more profit. This in turn gives us greater options for spending the surplus,including investment in research and development or further expansion. This is thethought process behind my strategy, so I’d like to see HCME continue to grow.”
The next generation of Hitachi Zaxis excavators has been launched (see insert). Thefuture also looks bright for Hitachi’s mini-excavator range (see P.15). The new excavator
models have already been universally acclaimed by the dealer network and the construction press, so what part does Mr Mori think that they will play in the overall strategy?
“I am confident that the new Zaxis range will be well-received by the end-users. Withstrict EU regulations on emissions and noise, the challenge has never been greater tomanufacture technologically advanced excavators. Thankfully, our reputation forreliability and performance is good, and with more new models on the way, this will only increase.
“The confidence of Hitachi in its new products is reflected by our new 2010 campaign.This means that we are aiming for a 20% market share in excavators and 10% in otherproduct categories by the year 2010. I believe that this is achievable if Hitachi dealers canhandle the full line of new products. This is how the bigger operation will lead to greaterprofitability and help us to become a major player.”
Much of Mr Mori’s plan depends on the end-users as well as the dealers. Fortunately,Hitachi customers can also rely on a strong commitment from HCME.
“Our customers can expect the highest level of product support. Even if the productperforms well, the customer will be disappointed if the after-sales service is poor.
“The punctual supply of spare parts is also a critical factor. HCME has invested in anew European parts distribution centre in Oosterhout and this is already paying dividends.There are more items in greater quantities, all under the control of a computer-controlledautomated system.”
This will also have a knock-on effect with Hitachi dealers. The aim throughout thewhole logistical process will be to monitor demand for the best selling individual itemsand minimise dead stock. It has obviously taken some time to reach this level of servicewith production in Amsterdam only starting three years ago, but Mr Mori knows whereHCME’s priorities lie.
“We have increased our obligation to customers in this area,” he explains. “Our firstpriority is to support them, so we will even take a component from the assembly line if itis required elsewhere. It may be an impossible task to make everything perfect from theoutset, but we are slowly working towards out of stock parts being a thing of the past.”
HCME requires a strong and focussed leader to meet its objectives by 2010.Recognising this, Mr Mori has a clear view on his own role within the company.
“People are the key,” he states with simplicity and clarity. “Everything we do is drivenby people. Therefore, my role is to provide a framework for everyone to understand theirindividual responsibilities within the organisation. If they can realise this, then I believethat they will be happy in their work.
“The next step is then to improve the different aspects of the business. A happyworking environment should deliver greater efficiency, shorter production times and soon. If everyone could focus on this ideal, then collectively we can help to make adifference and everyone’s job will be more enjoyable.”
This is Mr Mori’s mission. It has been assembled from his vast experience andknowledge of the construction industry. He is hoping that his colleagues and Hitachidealers will embrace the past and join him on a challenging and rewarding journey intothe future.
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400TH ZAXIS EXCAVATOR SOLD IN FINLANDA notable landmark was achieved by the official distributor of Hitachi constructionmachinery in Finland at this year’s Maxpo construction exhibition. Rotator Oy sold the400th Zaxis excavator in the Scandinavian country to the Toivonen Group.
The Toivonen Group has a fleet of six Hitachi excavators which are utilised inspecialist demolition and waste management projects. The nature of the work ensuresthat it must be completed on time, so the Zaxis machines must perform efficiently andreliably under the toughest of working conditions.
“Like most companies operating in the demolition and recycling sectors, we mustwork to tight deadlines,” said Antero Toivonen, the Managing Director of ToivonenGroup. “I have no doubt that the full range of Zaxis excavators is suitable and capableof matching our requirements.
“Equally, our successful partnership with Hitachi is based upon excellent levels ofservice and the immediate availability of spare parts. The strength of our relationshipwith Rotator is the reason why we continue to invest in new Zaxis excavators.”
The Toivonen Group has operated on waste management techniques in theindustrial district of Tampere since 1995. These activities have continuously expandedto the extent that 80,000 tonnes of waste were processed in 2004.
Over 90% of this material was recycled which helps to alleviate the problem ofdump sites becoming overloaded. This promotes the good practice employed by the Toivonen Group and the positive effect that such companies are having on the environment.
ALL OVER THE WORLD, WE’RE WORKINGTO HELP YOU KEEP WORKING. HERE’S ASUMMARY OF SOME OF THE LATESTSTORIES WHERE HITACHI IS MAKING THEDIFFERENCENEWS
The world’s largest brick manufacturer has added a new Hitachi excavator to its fleetof construction machinery. The Zaxis 460 LC has been purchased by Wienerberger toextract clay for delivery to two of its tile works in Denmark.
The country’s Hitachi dealer HP Entreprenørmaskiner A/S has supplied themachine to play a key role in the excavation process. With the clay lying 25-100cmbelow the ground surface, the 460 LC is expected to shift an impressive 90,000m3 ofclay per annum – more than any other excavator on-site.
Wienerberger’s vision is similar to that of Hitachi: to invest in people and build thevalue of the business around them. This must be represented throughout all of itsbusiness activities – including production – and so that is one of the main reasonswhy Hitachi is Wienerberger’s brand of choice.
The Austrian company was founded in Vienna in 1819 and has traded on the stockexchange since 1869. However, it wasn’t until 1986 that the company underwent atransformation to take a leading position in the global brick market.
During this period, Wienerberger has also become number two in Europe for rooftiles and a leading producer of paving slabs across the Continent. This has beenfacilitated by the rapid growth of the company from having 11 manufacturing plantsin Austria to 230 sites in 24 countries.
A distinctive Toivonen Group Zaxis 350 LC working near Tampere
BUILDING BLOCKS WITH HITACHI
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A Norwegian demolition company has been appointed to remove the upper structure ofthe Ekofisk 2/4 T, which is commonly known as “the tank”. It consists of almost 25,000tonnes of steel and other materials which will be brought ashore by AF Decom AS to itsnew receiving station for marine structures.
The tank is unique in its construction. It was built mostly on-site and then frequentlyadapted to suit the changing requirements of its owners. The entire operation will see98% of the materials being recycled.
AF Decom was the only contractor which proposed to use modified excavators fittedwith hydraulic universal processors and shears. The process will involve cutting down thestructure, loading the scrap onto containers and shipping the material away from the site.
The company’s goal is to optimise the machines’ applications to best effect, so thatthe efficiency and safety targets surrounding the project are met. In addition, AF Decomhas acquired a supply ship which is allowing them to make full use of the logisticalresources at their disposal.
TANK DISMANTLED USINGHITACHI POWER
INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY ON THE NIGHTSHIFTThe nightshift begins at 7.30pm on the track construction project on the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway near Thun in Switzerland. During the hours of darkness, Carlos VanoliAG replaces the railbed with a fresh layer of stone and lays a new section of the track.
The Swiss company has vast experience and knowledge of this specialist area ofconstruction. Founded in 1933, Carlo Vanoli AG is now headed by a third generation ofthe family, Marco Vanoli.
This level of expertise has led to the purchase of a specially adapted Hitachi EG110Rcrawler carrier from Probst Maveg AG. The 17-tonne, 250hp workhorse carries loads ofnew stone to the location on the site where the track is being laid.
The process is aided by the specification of the crawler carrier. The upper structurerotates 180˚ which means that it can travel backwards and forwards along its pre-determined route without having to swivel its tracks around or reverse back to itsstarting position.
The original EG110R has been modified with the fitment of a particle filter, a liftrestrictor for the dump body and a rear view monitor in the cabin. In addition, a dual travel system ensures that the crawler carrier can move along the tracks as well as onthe ground.
“This is not a straightforward process,” explains Marco Vanoli. ”However, the Hitachicrawler carrier helps us to complete the task with comparative ease.
“The 7m3 body gives the operator 25% more capacity than would normally be possiblewith a conventional machine. The EG110R’s low ground pressure also means that it is
well-suited for use on soft ground. Indeed, independent tests have shown that it exerts50% less ground pressure than normal rail traffic!
“The rotating upperstructure is also a big advantage. It delivers enhanced safetybenefits and the ability to change direction without unsettling the freshly laid ballast.”
The Hitachi EG110R works in tandem with the Carlo Vanoli AG team and otherspecialist machinery to ensure that the track is open once again for the first train at5.15am. This track construction project is dependent on trust, just like the selection of themost suitable machinery for the job.
A UK-based excavation company recently secured delivery of two Hitachi Zaxis 850excavators in record time.
HCL Equipment Ltd of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, ordered the machines on 7 July and tookdelivery exactly two months later on 7 September. This was a quick turnaround for two85-tonne machines to be shipped from Japan to the UK.
Supplied by HM Plant – the UK’s sole distributor of Hitachi Construction Machinery –the two bulk excavators will be used for rock removal and restoration projects throughoutthe UK.
“We were incredibly lucky to get the two Zaxis 850s so quickly,” explained HM PlantSales Executive Hayden Murrall. “For such large machines it can usually take up to eightmonths from manufacture to delivery, so two months is an impressive time.”
HCL Equipment’s Site Manager Gordon Gardner added: “We buy Hitachi equipmentbecause we know the product and it is reliable. We have always received excellentservice from HM Plant and Hitachi, and the fulfilment of this order has reinforced that.”
A specially adapted Hitachi EG110R crawler carrier
DOUBLE-QUICK DELIVERY
The project commenced in the summer of 2005 and all materials will be broughtashore before the end of 2007. The land disposal won’t be completed until 2008.
Hitachi’s Norwegian dealer, Nanset Standard AS, has specially equipped six HitachiZaxis excavators with an assortment of tools for this assignment. The transportation ofthe excavators also involved the detailed and documented process of dismantling, liftingand assembling of the machines to the site.
“The tank” will be dismantled at sea by AF Decom AS
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NEWS
ONE-STOP SHOP SOLUTIONGROUND CONTROL REPORTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW SERVICE OFFERED BYHITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV IN CONJUNCTION WITH ZAXISFINANCE. THE ONE-STOP SHOP APPROACH HAS BEEN TAILORED TO MEET THE ALL-INCLUSIVE NEEDS OF HITACHI CUSTOMERS ACROSS EUROPE
It is now a regular occurrence for Hitachi customers to look for a total solution for their construction equipment needs. This focuses ona reasonable, fixed monthly finance rate, which also includes contract hire, insurance and maintenance costs.
This means that the customer only pays for use of the equipment and not the actual asset itself. In addition, the one-stop shopstrategy ensures that everything is taken care of at once.
A recent example in The Netherlands typifies this approach. A company with several depots and a large fleet of machinery informedits suppliers of the necessity for a total finance solution. A maximum breakdown response time of three hours and the guarantee ofreplacement equipment were also stipulated.
While some of its competitors were unable to satisfy these specific requirements, Hitachi was able to provide a solution throughZaxis Finance. The customer now has an operational lease with a full service back-up. The service and financial agreements are linkedwith the maximum number of operational hours per annum being recorded along with an additional fee for each extra hour.
One invoice is issued on a monthly basis for the total amount. This is a simple and convenient approach for the customer. The contractexpires either after the term has ended or the maximum number of hours has been reached.“We are now able to offer a better serviceto certain sectors of the construction industry through Zaxis Finance,” explains Jan de Kock, who is responsible for the Dutch market’sleasing department at HCME.
“A tailor-made solution is now available which contains options for equipment, insurance, maintenance and finance. This is supplied at a reasonable monthly rate and without any economic risks. It appeals to clients of all sizes who operate in today’s pricesensitive marketplace.
“However, the main advantage of this service is the speed with which a client is able to receive a credit decision from Zaxis Finance.The process is carried out via the @oncefinance system which allows us to approve credit applications within a few minutes. This oftenastonishes customers and gives them a positive feeling about the service which we provide.”
Order online at www.hcme.com
EURO 8.50*
*Price valid from 01-02-2006 until 31-07-2006 or as long as stocks last.
including VAT
Hitachi is certainly on the ball with the introduction of two new items of officiallylicensed merchandise. With the countdown to the Champions League final in Parisand the World Cup in Germany well underway, the new Hitachi footballs havecertainly kicked off the construction industry’s preparations in style.
So whether you would like to play soccer in the yard or on-site, these superbfootballs certainly hit the target. The two colour options of white/black andorange/black, complete with the Hitachi logo, are available for EURO 8.50 (normallyEURO 9.95).
Suitable for all ages, the professional Hitachi footballs are already in big demand.Family holidays on the beach and shooting practice in the back garden will never bethe same again!
To purchase these footballs, please visit www.hcme.com and click on the link forHCME SHOP. When you enter the shop, you can find the footballs under PRODUCTGROUPS in the GIFTS & OFFICE section along with a full range of other Hitachimerchandise. To place an order, follow the simple instructions for payment and delivery.
ON THE BALL
HCME’s Jan de Kock
Michel SteijaertAccount Manager Zaxis Finance Netherlands
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2006 has already seen the launch of some exciting new excavators from Hitachi. Thereis also the introduction of the latest series of wheeled loaders and more Zaxis modelsto look forward to in the coming months.
However, there is only one place where you can see all of this under one roof…Intermat 2006. The International Exhibition of Equipment, Machinery and Techniquesfor the Construction and Building Materials Industry will take place from Monday 24until Saturday 29 April at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.
Visitors to Intermat will see the full range of Hitachi Construction Machinery ondisplay. In addition, they will be able to browse through the Hitachi shop and chat tothe experienced team of sales and technical advisors from Hitachi ConstructionMachinery (Europe) NV.
Organisers claim that Intermat will be the global construction event of 2006. More than 200,000 trade visitors are expected to visit the Paris show and view the1,500 exhibits.
Among these will be two Hitachi stands: number 6K050-6N050 in Hall 6 for the fullrange of Hitachi construction equipment; and the Hitachi-Sumitomo SCX range ofcrawler cranes outside the main halls on stand number E6D050.
Don’t miss one of the biggest events of 2006 by ordering your FREE tickets onwww.intermat.fr, the exhibition’s official website. Click on “Order your entrance badgeto the exhibition”. After that select “you have been sent a personal login”. To receiveyour FREE BADGE by post, all you have to do is enter MA INTO633SN into yourpersonal login box and confirm your contact details.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 12pm on Wednesday 19 April andthat only one ticket is available per registration.
Intermat is easily accessible: by RER from the centre of Paris and Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports; by road via the A104 motorway; by train via the nearby TGV station; and aeroplane via nearby Roissy-Charles de Gaulle. Please visit www.ati-abotel.com (password: intermat) or www.intermat.fr for accommodation details.
IT’S SHOWTIME ATINTERMAT 2006
Visit www.intermat.fr for your free tickets!
24-29 April
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CUSTOMER
RELIABILITY IN ANUNRELIABLE WORLDDESPITE FREQUENT WARNINGS, NEWS ITEMS AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, MANYPEOPLE CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE ONSLAUGHT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBALWARMING. GROUND CONTROL VISITED BRUNELLI CONSTRUCTION AND EDILCALCE DIVIOLA OLINDO IN ITALY WHO ARE TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH AND FACING UP TOENVIRONMENTAL DIFFICULTIES. THE INDEPENDENT COMPANIES ARE WORKING INHARMONY TO CONSERVE, RESTORE AND DEVELOP ITALY. THE RESULT IS RELIABILITYIN AN UNRELIABLE WORLD
Climate change and global warming are high on news and political agendas worldwide. Their de-stabilising influenceon the world seems inescapable with a frightening increase in earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and other
natural disasters. Employees at Brunelli Construction have a better understanding of this than many people. One of its current job sites
in the Umbria region of Italy near Assisi was badly affected by an earthquake in September 1997. It has been followedby a number of smaller earthquakes – the last of which occurred in April 1998. The original natural force was powerfulenough to flatten the majority of a local town, Nocera Umbra.
At the time of the earthquake, an operator and an engineer from SCAI were working with an excavator on the secondledge of the large quarry. Falling rocks caused 80,000 Euros of damage to the machinery on the site, but both menescaped unscathed.
At Brunelli they are happy to continue using Hitachi Construction Equipment because they have seen its toughnesstested to the limit.
“It was frightening at the time,” says Tito an engeneer from Scai. “We could not speak for about ten minutes afterthe rocks stopped falling. We were both in shock. Then we realised how lucky we were to have escaped without injury.”
Since the earthquake, the company has had the major job of reversing the devastating effect that the disaster hadon Nocera Umbra in addition to its main activity of extraction. Brunelli Construction has been excavating in the areasince 1973.
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ABOVE: AT THIS QUARRY THE CONSERVATION PLAYS ALMOST AS IMPORTANT A ROLE AS THE EXTRACTION.BELOW: THE STAFF AT BRUNELLI CONSTRUCTION ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE USING HITACHI CONSTRUCTIONEQUIPMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEEN ITS TOUGHNESS TESTED TO THE LIMIT
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A large amount of the materials extracted from the Nocera Umbra quarry are used at the forefront of Italy’s developmentprogramme. This includes renovating and restoring the remains of the historical buildings as well as constructing new properties,roads and railway lines.
With new homes and churches required, among other things, the progress of the reconstruction must be as fast as possible.The speed at which the job is carried out is helped along by the availability of natural materials. Italian building companies arefortunate to be able to extract almost every material from their own country. This ranges from cement to marble and granite.
The Umbria region is particularly affluent in terms of natural resources, so building materials do not need to be syntheticallymanufactured or imported. Brunelli Construction excavates 3,500 m3 of natural product from the Nocera Umbra quarry every day.This is then crushed at a different part of the site before being transported to the relevant construction project.
A full range of Hitachi machinery is used, from mini-excavators to large excavators, from wheeled loaders to a dump truck. Thecompany currently has 28 Hitachi excavators, six wheeled loaders and one dump truck. Due to rapid expansion Mr Brunelli hasalso just ordered at least one new excavator and a new dump truck.
“We have a long-standing relationship of 13 years with SCAI (the Hitachi dealer in Italy) which is important to us as a company,”says Mr Brunelli. “We bought Hitachi machinery because of the strong product support and specialist knowledge that SCAIprovides. However, Hitachi also supplies proven technology.
“SCAI and Hitachi have helped us to grow from a small family business to a large profitable company since our inception.”In addition to the local regeneration that the company is working on, it has also won several lucrative contracts with companies
that work for the Italian government. Over the next few years, these will see Hitachi construction machinery working on someimportant projects.
The first of these is the reconstruction of the famous Via Flaminia in Italy. The original road dates back to 220BC. It was vital inRoman times for connecting the east and west coasts, and the capital city to the rest of the country. Throughout time the road hasbeen adjusted to cope with increasing traffic.
However, the current Italian government favours a strategy of construction and development. It has awarded a contract toBrunelli Construction worth 16million Euros to rebuild the road from Rome to Fano.
These are busy times for Brunelli Construction and, in turn, for Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV in Italy. However,the company is keen to give back as much as it takes away from its country’s natural resources. It invests heavily in constructionand also sells on the materials excavated from the Nocera Umbra quarry to other developers.
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Less than ten minutes drive away is a job site for another construction company,Edilcalce di Viola Olindo. It tells an entirely different story about the region and thecountry. The journey to the site is a peaceful drive through the countryside. It isdifficult to envisage a rugged quarry in the midst of such beautiful rural surroundings.
Orchards of olive trees shroud the entrance to the site. It is only as you drive intothe quarry that you realise a new territory has been found. The land here is much morestable than at Nocera Umbra. In fact, Edilcalce finds it necessary to use explosives inorder to break down the material before extracting it.
However, the lime material found here is not used in construction. It is used withinItaly and exported elsewhere for use within medicines, the chemical industry andpaint. The most unusual thing about this site though is the painstaking lengths thatthe company goes to in order to conserve the area.
Conservation and construction are not terms that are often closely linked. However,at this quarry, the conservation plays almost as important a role as the extraction.Certain walls of the quarry are painted a deep yellow colour and trees are planted.The purpose is to make the job site blend in with its natural surroundings and to makeit invisible from the road, so that it complements the attractive scenery that it nestles within.
In contrast to this though, the 100-year-old site is technologically advanced interms of its production techniques. Once a section of material has been destabilised,it is transported to a large and complex machine where it is crushed and then sorted.One person has more than a dozen television screens to monitor the ongoing work atthe site to operate this machinery remotely.
When the material is ready it is transported away from the site by Hitachi EH 1700dump trucks. All of the Hitachi Construction Machinery used at this site is large. Infact, special roads have been constructed at the quarry to accommodate the size andweight of the machines.
BELOW: MATERIAL IS TRANSPORTED FROM THE SITE ON SPECIAL ROADS WHICH HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED ATTHE QUARRY FOR HITACHI'S EH 1700 DUMP TRUCKS. BELOW LEFT: ONGOING WORK AT THE SITE IS MONITOREDBY MORE THAN A DOZEN TELEVISION SCREENS. BELOW RIGHT: SCAI PRESIDENT MR CESARETTI AND ELISACESARETTI AT SCAI'S HEAD OFFICE
CUSTOMERDuring Ground Control’s visit to the site, an engineer from SCAI’s emergency
assistance division arrived to work on one of the trucks. It was proof of the closeworking relationship that both Brunelli Construction and Edilcalce di Viola Olindoemployees had mentioned when discussing Hitachi’s Italian dealer.
Part of the confidence in the company comes from the fact that the foundingmember of SCAI – father of current president Mr Cesaretti – “made one of the firstever crawler loader in the world”. The rest is from the trust that has been built upthrough long-standing relationships with its customers.
SCAI’s foundations as a small family business, which began just after the WorldWar II, seem distant in the context of the dealer’s current standing. In its 50-yearhistory, the company has dealt with in excess of 20,000 customers.
Its forward-thinking company culture encompasses the combination of humanintelligence and technologically advanced machinery. This has helped it to develop,and since taking the decision to remain as a Hitachi dealer in 2003, the company hasincreased the number of machines for which it provides assistance and service from700 to 2,000.
“We are very fortunate that the current political climate in Italy favoursconstruction,” said SCAI President Mr Cesaretti. “This allows us to sell a high numberof machines. Since being the main Hitachi dealer, we have increased our service areafrom four regions to the whole country. We have been able to do this through a strongdistribution network and the high quality and reliability of Hitachi machinery.”
The customer/dealer relationship seems to work in perfect harmony for the overallbenefit of Italy. The job sites provide a balance of regeneration, development andconservation. This means that although the Italian people are aware that climatechange and other natural disasters cannot be halted, they can rely on the fact thattheir efforts mean that the impact of such factors on the country can be softened.
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Avisit to the smaller of HCME’s two manufacturing plants in The Netherlands reveals a production line running likeclockwork. Even before a tour of the factory floor, a first-time visitor can chart the progress of each new machine, from the
assembly of the undercarriages to the finished products neatly lined up in the stockyard.The assembly line is particularly evident with the gradual addition of the component parts transforming the undercarriage
into a newly created mini-excavator. The impression is that Hitachi has perfected the manufacturing process to a fine art witha systematic and methodical approach.
Before investigating how HCME actually produces its mini-Zaxis models, it is perhaps appropriate to appreciate the historicalsignificance of the Oosterhout plant.
The facility was established in what is now the Special Applications Centre in 1986. At that time, the production team hadto adapt, finish and prepare UE15s and UE30s imported from Japan for distribution into the European market. This process wastransformed over the years with a strategy of evolution.
HCME moved to the current site in 1989 and started assembling EX15, 17, 22, 30 and 35 mini-excavators from scratch in1996. Two years later, the 10,000th machine (an EX16) rolled into the stockyard at Oosterhout. This was a notable achievementfor HCME and a landmark in its history.
The Zaxis range was introduced in 2002 at the same time that HCME’s factory in Amsterdam was being built. The newmodels manufactured in Oosterhout were limited to the ZX16, 18 and 25 until the spring of 2005. The assembly line was thenexpanded to include the ZX30 and 35. These had previously been made in Japan, but the capacity of fixed assets and personnelmade it more cost effective for this process to be carried out by HCME.
Today the factory is producing between six and seven Zaxis mini-excavators per day. The ZX30 and 35 are the most popularmodels and account for 40% of production. HCME outputs around 2,500 machines per annum, with 1,000 of these (EX8,ZX40/50 and ZX30U/35U/40U/50U) imported from Japan.
BIG PLANS FORMINI-ZAXISA 90-MINUTE DRIVE SOUTH-WEST OF HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV’SHEADQUARTERS IN AMSTERDAM LIES THE CITY OF OOSTERHOUT. THE COMPANY’S ROOTSWERE FOUNDED HERE IN THE MID-1980S WITH THE INCEPTION OF A MINI-EXCAVATORFACTORY. TWO DECADES LATER, GROUND CONTROL INVESTIGATES THE PROGRESS THATHAS BEEN MADE DURING THIS TIME
FACTORY NEWS
PRODUCTION MANAGERFRANK STEVENS TAKESGROUND CONTROL ON ATOUR OF HCME’S MINI-EXCAVATOR FACTORY
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The Production Manager is Frank Stevens who joined the company in 1995 and is the perfect guide for a tour of the premises.He is a protégé of Tonny Engels, who set-up the mini-factory and was transferred from Oosterhout in 2002 to manage theassembly line in Amsterdam, and Rob Göbel from whom he took over in 2004. The success of both projects is a tribute to thesemen and the system that they have pioneered.
Like all good systems, the best place to start is the beginning… and in the case of Oosterhout, this is the constructiondepartment. The parts for the side frame, centre frame and blades are sourced from European suppliers and welded togetherby hand.
The undercarriages are assembled on one side of the production line, with the upperstructures on the other. The loosecomponents are manually welded on to the undercarriage and upperstructure, before the welding robots take over. Theseimpressive machines can simultaneously weld component parts onto the left and right-hand sides. This is an automated processwhich means that one undercarriage can be welded while a second unit is being positioned.
The CNC machine centre then positions the holes for the cylinder, swing motor and swing post. The subsequent docking ofthe side frames to the centre frame forms the truck frame and the side beams to the centre frames create the main frame,before further welding completes the process.
The blades, frames, arms and booms are placed into the blasting chamber, where they are bombarded with small steelpellets for removing rust and dirt.
The small parts are cleaned in a wash bay before a thin layer of phosphate is applied. The first coat of white primer paint is added in the spray booth, with the top coat of Hitachi orange giving each component its final, distinctive look after it hasbeen dried.
An electrostatic paint spraying procedure is used by Hitachi to reduce wastage and increase efficiency. The colour (positivecharge) is attracted to the part (negative charge) which increases the efficiency of the process. The colouring cycle (washing,painting and drying) takes one day to complete.
When all of the component parts have been collated for one specific model, the assembly line kicks into action. There are anumber of distinct phases that must be completed before the mini-excavator begins to take shape.
An illustrated reference manual is available for each stage of manufacture with step-by-step instructions for every task andthe relevant parts. In order to comply with quality assurance procedures, the serial numbers from the parts are recorded on aseparate form for each machine. Once the assembly process has been completed, the information from the form is entered onto an e-service database for reference in the unlikely event of a warranty claim.
The first manufacturing stage sees the undercarriage being assembled, complete with the lower rollers, drive motor and gearwheel. The track and blade are then added, before the upperstructure takes shape with the assembly of the motor. After thisstep, the upperstructure and undercarriage are joined and the combined unit is positioned on a conveyor belt.
Moving at a constant speed, the conveyor belt becomes the fulcrum of the assembly line, while the sub-assembly proceduresare carried out alongside. These means that if there is a mechanical failure, the sub-assembly work (preparing the arm,mounting cylinders on the boom etc.) continues without any unnecessary delay.
As the newly created mini-excavator reaches the end of the conveyor belt, it is filled with coolant, oil and diesel so that itcan be started for the first time. With a turn of the ignition key, another Zaxis is born into the world.
ABOVE LEFT: THE PARTSARE BLASTED, CLEANEDAND PRIMED BEFORE THEHITACHI ORANGE PAINTIS ADDED ABOVE RIGHT: THE START OF THE ASSEMBLYLINE SEES THE UNDER-CARRIAGE BEINGASSEMBLED
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If the machine is working smoothly, then it moves on to the finishing process. This is only carried out if there are no apparentproblems, because it is easier for the technician to troubleshoot while the machine is still open.
The cabin (or canopy) and chair are mounted after the mini has been removed from the conveyor belt. And finally, the stickerkits are added to the freshly painted and engineered masterpiece.
However, every new machine still has to pass a rigorous testing procedure. The driver will check all moving parts andelectrical functions of the excavator, as well as the lubrication points.
The final movement of the finished article is into its allocated parking space in the stockyard. The only items added to themachine before it is transported to its new home are the manuals (in the correct language), toolkits and the pin for the bucket.
A production team of 60 (plus 20 office staff) work in a single shift five days a week. They fall under the responsibility of MrKunitoki (General Manager), with the assistance of Rein Pijnenburg (Deputy General Manager), Daan Heeren (ProductionControl Manager) and Frank Stevens.
Frank has seen the most significant changes to the factory over the past ten years. “My aim is to oversee the smooth runningof the production process,” he explains. “Over the years, we have invested in new systems to improve efficiency and enhancethe quality of the finished product.
“Technology has played a big part in this strategy. For example, we changed the method of painting the components to anelectrostatic procedure which has reduced wastage by 15%. We also purchased the CNC centre for the machining and two twinwelding robots.
“A further installation of robotic equipment at the end of 2005 negated the need for the manual welding of the frames andestablished a consistent level of quality. The challenge is always to find more efficient ways of reaching our final target ofmaximum production in the minimum amount of time. These initiatives have all played a big part in shaping the future ofmanufacturing Hitachi mini-excavators.”
Frank’s working life has revolved around the evolution of the production plant at Oosterhout. He speaks with authority aboutlessons that have been learnt in the past and how his team will adapt for the future. The race for quality has no finishing line.
“HCME has obtained the ISO 9001 quality certification. We are also working towards ISO 14001 to comply withenvironmental procedures and OHSAS 18001 for health and safety measures. These awards help us to train new and existingstaff to the required standard, which ultimately results in a better product.”
This attention to detail gives Frank and his team the knowledge and experience to assess the potential growth anddevelopment of Hitachi Zaxis mini-excavators in a highly competitive marketplace.
“In my opinion, we produce mini-excavators of the highest quality. These are tough machines and the design and finish ofthe paintwork are excellent. These qualities have given Hitachi a foothold in the mini-excavator market. The arrival of the newZaxis short tail models have already proved popular, so I believe that these will become the main focus for the futuredevelopment of the Oosterhout plant.”
With this in mind, and HCME’s business plan in place for 2010 (see P.4-5), it would appear that the influence of the smoothrunning factory in Oosterhout will continue to grow in line with demand for the ever-popular Hitachi mini-excavator range.
ABOVE LEFT: THE UPPERSTRUCTURETAKES SHAPE WITH THE ASSEMBLY OF THE MOTORABOVE RIGHT: THE STOCKYARD ATOOSTERHOUT WITH THE FINISHED MINISAWAITING ONWARDTRANSPORTATION
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JOB REPORT
THE HIGH AND MIGHTY
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TOURISM MAY BE SPAIN’S MAJOR INDUSTRY BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY ONE WORTHY OF NOTE. SPAIN’S LARGEST MININGCOMPANY VICTORINO ALONSO IS ONCE AGAIN INCREASING PRODUCTION AND IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THE TARGETSARE MET IT HAS BROUGHT IN SOME SPECTACULAR MACHINERY FROM HITACHI TO GET THE JOB DONE
Mining isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Spain. The southernEuropean country is best known for its highly popular tourist areas. The holiday-
makers are attracted to the coastal resorts by sandy beaches, beautiful sunshine and ofcourse the nightlife. It’s a massive hit with those looking to get away from it all for acouple of weeks. Over 50 million people visited Spain in 2004.
However, head inland away from the beaches to the North West of Spain and it’s themining industry which takes centre stage. The country is rich in natural resourcesincluding iron, copper, lead and uranium, but over half the total mining is for coal and theVictorino Alonso group is the biggest coal mining company in Spain.
In 2004 Victorino Alonso invested heavily in new construction machinery for its coal
mines including five monstrous EX5500 mining excavators. These incredible machines arethe second biggest excavators that Hitachi produces (only exceeded by the EX8000).Serex S.A. is Spain’s exclusive Hitachi dealer for these mining excavators and VictorinoAlonso approached them to supply the equipment.
One of the EX5500s is in Victorino Alonso’s Jarrinas mine 30 minutes north of the townof Ponferrada. On arrival at the massive open cast mine the EX5500 is immediately visibleby the huge arm rising above the ridge. Closer inspection reveals the awesome size of theEX5500. It sits between two large rock faces while huge dump trucks scurry around belowit like insects.
The sheer size of this mining excavator is the most impressive aspect. It is 15 metres
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JOB REPORT
high and alone weighs an immense 518 tonnes (60 tonnes of that being the boomassembly alone). It has two 1350bhp twin turbo diesel engines to move its huge bulkaround the mine at a top speed of 3km/h. The mist after Spain’s first heavy rainfall in sixmonths only seems to emphasise the impressiveness of the EX5500.
The EX5500 is in its natural habitat. A section of the mine has already been blasted.This is a process which involves drilling down into the rock and laying explosive charges.The charges remove the rock to expose the coal face below. In an area where the blastinghas already been done, the EX5500 moves into position to clear the loose rock away.
In the past smaller 250-tonne excavators from another manufacturer did this job.Unsurprisingly, Victorino Alonso has found them to be not as reliable as the huge Hitachimachines. The EX5500 can move more than double the load of the old excavators with its29 m3 bucket.
“We’ve found that the operators are regularly putting nearly 80 tonnes into the dumptruck at a time,” enthuses HJM’s Manager of Product Support Antonio Gonzalez. “It’s notsomething we were expecting. The average is 55 tonnes but they often go above this.”
As well as the obvious increase in work rate, the EX5500 saves Victorino Alonso timeand money in other ways. The EX5500 has the productivity of more than two of thesmaller excavators but only needs one operator. There is also only one set of fuel andmaintenance costs.
“This machine has already completed over 3,500 hours without a single glitch,”explains Antonio. “It’s so reliable. The mine’s own technicians look after the routine
maintenance on a day to day basis and they call us if there’s a problem. So far though,we’ve not had to do any work on this machine.”
Impressive stuff indeed, but what if the unthinkable happened and there was atechnical fault with the excavator? Then the dealer and Hitachi Construction Machinery(Europe) NV (HCME) in Amsterdam would be able to look at the information immediatelyand remotely thanks to the satellite telemetry system.
The space age technology constantly feeds information such as oil and waterpressures back to HCME’s headquarters and the dealer in Toral de los Vados via asatellite. This information can also be downloaded from the machine itself to a PDA bythe engineers. So far though Serex has had no reason to do this.
Victorino Alonso has also found the EX5500 to be even more economical to operatethan Hitachi first estimated. The original prediction of Hitachi was that it would usearound 350 litres of diesel an hour. However, in this application Victorino Alonso hasfound the fuel consumption to only be between 200 and 250 litres an hour. This leads toa considerable saving with this and the three other identical machines working for 20hours a day in two ten-hour shifts.
The Victorino Alonso group bought five of these mining excavators from Serex in 2004.Four are now on location and running perfectly. At the time of Ground Control’s visit toSpain in October 2005, the fifth excavator was still being held at the docks in Barcelonawaiting for delivery due to a haulage strike in the country. Many of Spain’s transportcompanies were protesting against the Spanish government’s fuel taxes.
THE EX5500’S OPERATOR SPENDS TEN HOURS A DAY SITTING IN THE AIR-CONDITIONED CABIN. AT OVER 15METRES HIGH THEY HAVE A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE SURROUNDING AREA WHILE CONTROLLING THE GIANTMACHINE
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LEADING THE WAYSerex S.A. is the exclusive Hitachi dealer for mining excavators and dumptrucks across all of Spain. The Managing Director of the family-run business isVictorino Rodriguez.
Juan Rodriguez, the son of Victorino Rodriguez, runs the other big Hitachidealer in the region, HJM, which focuses on wheeled loaders and excavatorsup to and including the Zaxis 850. Between the two dealerships, they havealmost the entire Hitachi range covered for the 27 provinces in northern Spain.
“In little over two years we have developed our company into the marketleader for excavators in Northern Spain,” HJM’s Managing Director JuanRodriguez tells Ground Control. “I’m extremely proud of the how this companyhas grown and developed. However, I think there is enormous potential forfurther development.”
In 2004 the Victorino Alonso group bought fifty Zaxis 850s, one hundred andthirty Zaxis 350s and two hundred and fifty LX290E-2s from HJM. Serex S.A.supplied the five EX5500s and one hundred and fifty EH1100 dump trucks.
“I believe this makes the Victorino Alonso group the largest Hitachicustomer in the world,” claims Victorino Rodriguez. “Currently we are trying tofinalise deals with other mining companies for EX5500s.”
The Victorino Alonso deal coincided with the further expansion of HJM withthe opening of its fifth depot in Bembibre.
“The expansion of our company will carry on throughout 2006,”Juan Rodriguez continues. “We hope to open another three depots in theregion next year.”
Ferrying a product of this size by road for over 800 kilometres is no mean feat in itself.The machine will be taken on huge trucks to its destination in numerous pieces. Then ateam of engineers will spend two weeks putting it together in a workshop at the mine.For this immense task they will use two cranes (one 150 and one 80-tonne machine), oneengineer and six technicians from Serex, and two engineers direct from Hitachi.
Victorino Alonso has no intention of moving the machines. Once the EX5500 is in themine it will stay there for the rest of its lifespan.
“The EX5500s are the biggest excavators in Europe and we’re very proud that Serexhas supplied them all,” explains Antonio. “Once we have the fifth EX5500 here andconstructed, Victorino Alonso will be in the enviable position of operating the only fiveEX5500s in Europe.”
As the sun eventually breaks through the low cloud it highlights the huge expanses ofstunning bright orange bodywork of the EX5500. At this point there’s a break in theconstant flow of dump trucks, giving the opportunity to take a closer look at the EX5500from onboard.
After climbing the 15 metres of ladders and stairs to the cab the view over the rest ofthe mine can only be described as commanding. Sitting so high above its contemporaries,it’s a view that both Serex and the Victorino Alonso group should be used to by now.
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DEALER
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CALLING IN THE EXPERTSENTERING ANY NEW SALES TERRITORY IS A CHALLENGE. HOWEVER, TRYING TO GAIN REPRESENTATION FOR HITACHI INTHE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE AND ESTABLISHED GERMAN MARKET WOULD HAVE BEEN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT APROFESSIONAL PARTNER. GROUND CONTROL VISITS THE BAIENFURT-BASED COMPANY KIESEL, WHICH HAS RECENTLYBEEN APPOINTED AS THE MAIN HITACHI DISTRIBUTOR FOR GERMANY
There is a saying that if you can do successful business in Germany, then similarrewards are virtually guaranteed throughout Europe. However, this is not the
case in the construction industry. Until recently four manufacturers representedabout 80% of the German market so it would be a hard task for Hitachi to gainmarket share.
Enter Kiesel, a family-owned company that had built its reputation on selling andservicing materials handling systems and new and used construction machinerythat was customised to customers’ requirements. With almost 50 years of buildingsales and service networks and strong partnerships with customers, Kiesel knewthe German market inside out. It saw the potential for the premium Hitachi productrange in Germany, but as a Komatsu dealer, was restricted by trading conditions anda limited sales area.
Meanwhile, Hitachi entered the German market and established a country-widesales network. Company president Toni Kiesel soon realised that the brand couldnever truly grow domestically unless it created a strong image in Germany andrepositioned itself as a premium product.
With a somewhat scattered multi-franchise network of 28 dealers tasked withselling the product, the management at Kiesel believed that there was just no waythat Hitachi could compete with the stiff competition from the other moreestablished manufacturers. So Kiesel’s management made it their mission topresent to Hitachi what could be achieved and what the strategy for the Germanmarket should be.
“I called Hitachi and asked if we could talk,” says Toni. “We then prepared apresentation to Hitachi about how they should consider operating in Germany. Wefirst met in Amsterdam, and as a result of this, we started selling Hitachi machinesin southern Germany in June 2003, which was when we gave up the Komatsufranchise. In December 2004 we met again in Tokyo to present our plan for successin the entire German market.
“By adopting a tried and tested sales and service strategy we were soon selling more machines in the south than the other 28 dealers combined! As a result, Hitachi decided to offer us the chance of becoming their official national dealership.”
Arguably, one could say that this was a gamble. After all, the current dealer
network was not suitable to meet customers’ requirements and neededreorganising. Hitachi also had no track record in Germany and the constructionmarket was shrinking following the boom in the early 1990s that had been fuelledby the reunification of Germany.
So a basic strategy was agreed to establish new German sales regions combinedwith a strong network that would focus entirely on market needs. Top salesmenwere employed with existing personal relationships with key customers. The best possible product support organisation was set up and the business wasexpanded with the promotion of special attachments and applications. Existingbranches were reinforced, and new branches, cooperation partners and companygroups were established.
The strategy appears to be working, according to Managing Director FrankBastuck. “From a completely new start-up, we managed to achieve an impressive8% market share in little over a year in our sales territory,” he explains. “Our nextgoal is 10-12% market share all over Germany. In addition to this, in the very nearfuture we will be able to offer qualified service support from Kiesel right acrossGermany which many customers will appreciate.
“Coincidentally, Fiat-Hitachi’s highest ever market share in Germany was just5%. In our first two years as Hitachi dealer, we have sold over 500 machines in ourarea. Our sales target for 2006 is to sell around 700 machines into the Germanmarket. Hitachi is the market leading excavator in the world and this is also our goalfor Germany.”
But although the construction market was booming in the first five years afterGerman reunification (due to increased initial investment) it has been in declinesince 1995. Most of the infrastructure work has now been completed, but with over10% unemployment and a general lack of investment, there are no signs of animmediate recovery.
However, Germany still remains one of the three largest markets in Europe andToni Kiesel believes that if Hitachi achieves success in Germany, it can truly becomethe biggest player in Europe. Hitachi already holds second position in the Europeancrawler excavator market. The divorce from Fiat was the right decision and manydealers in European countries trusted in the technology of Hitachi and its customer-oriented way of thinking.
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DEALER
Product support is an essential element of the mix and is headed up by Kiesel’snew product support centre in Stockstadt/Rhein. Johannes Lichte is responsible forleading a group of engineers to support all the regional networks. A group of Hitachiservice specialists oversees the training of service technicians and at the momentthere are 200 people working in the parts and service organisation, most of whomhave more than 20 years experience in the market.
“The majority of our customers won’t buy the machine unless there is a strongproduct support network,” confirms Frank. “We rely on the experience of the ownproduct support team of Hitachi based in Holland and we’ve also established ourown team here in Germany in the central location of Stockstadt. Our company hasexperience in all kinds of service matters and what’s important to our customers isthat our extended warranty programmes come from the manufacturer, not a dealer.”
In establishing a continuing presence for Hitachi in the German market, Kiesel’sexperience in used machines has been vital. Hitachi has no track record in Germanyand therefore customers needed to be convinced that Hitachi is there to stay. For acustomer to trade in an old excavator for a new Hitachi, he has to be confident thathe’ll be offered a great price for his machine in several years.
“We’re one of the major players in used sales and over 50% of our usedequipment is bought on the open market,” explains Frank. “Hitachi resale values arehigh and our customers know this. We see ourselves as a service orientatedcompany. We’ve got our own financial services division and even our own salesdepartment for reselling the machines around the world.”
Exemplary customer service and, perhaps more importantly, reacting quickly tocustomer demand is of the utmost importance to the company.
“80 to 90% of our customers’ requests can be met with existing stock,” Frankconfirms. “We pride ourselves on being able to offer individual specifications forcustomers, such as quick coupling systems, hydraulics, attachments and so on. If acustomer has a need, we try and solve it.
“Our approach is not only volume sales but specialising in our customers’ needs.After all, very often a machine is nothing more than a ‘tool carrier’. Or put anotherway, “We don’t sell excavators, we sell solutions.”
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All this from a business that is family-owned, with most members of the Kieselfamily still working for the company. “We pride ourselves on treating all ouremployees as family members too,” says Toni. “95% of our customers are alsofamily or privately-owned businesses. It’s important for them to feel comfortablewith us and to feel that there’s a personal touch involved when we do business.”
Kiesel often takes its customers to see the factories in Amsterdam and also inJapan. The payroll currently numbers 250, but this figure will rise to between 350 and 400 by the end of next year. As part of its future investment in people, the company is also expanding its own in-house three-year apprenticeship training scheme.
The final word goes to Toni, who sums up what he believes is the secret toKiesel’s success. “We like to think of Kiesel as being specialised to the customers’needs, as well as a good partnership,” he says. “After all, the customer doesn’twant any problems so it’s our business to offer them solutions, whether it be withfinance, attachments, or even our understanding of job site requirements.
“Our goal has always been to have these customers as long-term partners andwe’ve been doing this successfully for the past 50 years. We want to make Hitachione of the top thee construction machinery companies in Germany.
“We believe in the future and even if the market is in decline, we’re stillexpanding and investing. It’s no secret that all our profits from the past few yearshave been reinvested back into the company.
“Our company slogan is ‘better handling’ and we pride ourselves in consultingour customers comprehensively and offering them bespoke system solutions. Weare experts in our own market and know what works. Before Kiesel’s involvement,Hitachi could not sell machines over 45 tonnes in Germany. In the last two years,we’ve sold more than 50 of them!”
Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV has successfully specialised in theexcavator and wheeled loader business and that’s exactly what Kiesel has done forthe last 48 years. Big celebrations are planned for the company’s 50th anniversaryin 2008. Who knows how many Hitachi machines the Kiesel group will be selling by then?
ABOUT KIESELIn 1958 Helmut Kiesel established Kiesel construction machinery inWeingarten. He founded a service station with his wife Christa and at firstsold used excavators. Sales of new machines necessitated the move totoday’s factory premises, which provided enough space to tackleinternational markets.
From 1984 onwards, the three sons (Toni, Rainer and Jochen) took overmanagement, opened up new markets and built up an international tradeand service company. Offering one of the most comprehensive range ofHitachi products, Kiesel is Germany’s largest Hitachi dealer and will beresponsible for the entire German market.
Used equipment from Kiesel is highly regarded around the worldbecause of its reliability and quality. The majority of the 700 to 800machines sold every year pass through the company’s workshops, wherethey are checked thoroughly and then professionally repaired and painted.Customer specific refitting also increases the value of the equipment.
New, used and rental equipment are always available from stock, andmaintenance, repairs and supply of spare parts usually occur within 24hours. Kiesel customers have the support of over 120 service vehicles andabout 200 service specialists.
The headquarters in southern Germany and the network of Competence Centres and offices form a tight service network in Germany.By visiting www.kiesel.net interested parties can view more details aboutthe company.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: FRANK BASTUCK, MANAGING DIRECTOR (HITACHI BUSINESS UNIT), TONI KIESEL, PRESIDENT (KIESEL GROUP), AND CARL HEINZ MICHEL, MANAGING DIRECTOR(KOMPETENZCENTER MITTE/STOCKSTADT)
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DEALER LISTINGAFRICA (FRANCOPHONE & MAGHREB)Demimpex-VRP S.A1130 BRUXELLEST: +32 27249067F: +32 27249060
ALBANIASCAI S.p.A. 06080 OSPEDALICCHIO DI BASTIA UMBRA (PG)T: +39 075801501F: +39 0758010142
AUSTRIABaumaschinen Handel GmbH 1140 WIENT: +43 15772288F: +43 15772288-13
BELGIUMFirma Luyckx NV S.A. 2960 BRECHTT: +32 33139551F: +32 33139040
Elsen-Traktor NVCOMPACT LINE3130 BEGIJNENDIJK (BETEKOM)T: +32 16566544F: +32 16566512
BULGARIAZ&M Private Co. BG-1000 SOFIAT: +359 29865855F: +359 29865916
DENMARKH.P. Entreprenørmaskiner A/S DK-4632 BJÆVERSKOVT: +45 56871010F: +45 56871214
ESTONIALaadur OÜ EE-11415 TALLINNT: +372 6053600F: +372 6053601
FINLANDRotator Oy33700 TAMPERET: +358 32874111F: +358 32653760
FRANCEHitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V. France OfficeFR-92441 ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX CEDEXT: +33 158042572F: +33 158042648
ALMAT FR-66700 ARGELES SUR MERT: +33 468811213F: +33 468815666
Atlantique Service Materiel FR-79000 NIORTT: +33 549095915F: +33 549092985
B2M TP FR-06510 CARROST: +33 493082000F: +33 493087462
BTP Service FR-64300 ORTHEZT: +33 559670363F: +33 559672757
BOUDESCOMPACT LINE FR-12100 MILLIAUT: +33 565600695F: +33 565590600
Burckel Matériel de Travaux Publics S.A.FR-67330 OBERMODERNT: +33 388908063F: +33 388908605
COBEMAT FR-35513 CESSON-SEVIGNÉ CÉDEXT: +33 299834444F: +33 299834344
FLANDRES EQUIPEMENT FR-62223 ST LAURENT BLANGYT: +33 321599081F: +33 321730203
LOCASUD S.A.COMPACT LINEFR-81000 ALBIT: +33 563476969F: +33 563476414
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Payen FR-77540 ROZAY EN BRIET: +33 164427474F: +33 164077789
Prodimat SAS FR-21800 CRIMOLOIST: +33 380320480F: +33 380329710
PROWIMATFR-13310 SAINT MARTIN DE CRAUXT: +33 490478190F: +33 490478192
RICHARD Manutention S.A.COMPACT LINEFR-52003 CHAUMONTT: +33 325321980F: +33 325325358
ROUEN MATERIEL T.PFR-76380 DIEPPEDALLE-CROISSETT: +33 232830083F: +33 232831383
SMTL FR-19330 SAINT GERMAIN LES VERGNEST: +33 555293200F: +33 555294222
SOREMATCOMPACT LINEFR-51430 TINQUEUX REIMST: +33 326081206F: +33 326087140
SUD ESPACE TP FR-81800 RABASTENST: +33 563402640F: +33 563402644
TERAMAT FR-69740 GENAST: +33 472794470F: +33 472794479
VSMFR-86130 ST GEORGES LES BAILLARGEAUXT: +33 549625717F: +33 549525741
GERMANYHitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V.German Office60528 FRANKFURT AM MAINT: +49 6967733147F: +49 6967733313
Kiesel GmbH 88255 BAIENFURT/RAVENSBURGT: +49 75150040F: +49 751500460
Niederlassung Baden78187 GEISINGENT: +49 770492830F: +49 7704928360
Niederlassung Baden-West79336 HERBOLZHEIMT: +49 7643937980F: +49 7643937989
Niederlassung Bayrisch Schwaben87700 MEMMINGENT: +49 833183680F: +49 8331836860
Kompetenzcenter Ost06188 LANDSBERG BEI HALLET: +49 346022690F: +49 3460226960
Niederlassung Sachsen01462 DRESDEN-COSSEBAUDET: +49 3514532210F: +49 3514532206
Niederlassung Thüringen99085 ERFURTT: +49 3617100420F: +49 3617100422
Kiesel West GmbHKompetenzcenter West50354 HÜRTH-BERRENRATHT: +49 223339460F: +49 22333946111
Kiesel Nord GmbH Kompetenzcenter Nord21035 HAMBURGT: +49 4073460152F: +49 4073460190
Niederlassung Bremen28279 BREMENT: +49 421626710F: +49 4216267111
Kiesel Mitte GmbH Kompetenzcenter Mitte64589 STOCKSTADT / RH.T: +49 615882300F: +49 61588230177
Servicestelle Würzburg97291 THÜNGERSHEIM
Kompetenzcenter Bayern80939 MÜNCHENT: +49 89323950F: +49 8932395109
Niederlassung FrankenNürnberg i.V.
Kiesel Ungeheuer GmbH76227 KARLSRUHET: +49 721949302F: +49 7219493252
Niederlassung Stuttgart71229 LEONBERGT: +49 7152308230F: +49 7152308240
Niederlassung Mannheim68229 MANNHEIMT: +49 621484840F: +49 6214848435
Kiesel Preissler GmbH & Co. KG31139 HILDESHEIM-SORSUMT: +49 512160030F: +49 5121600321
Niederlassung Bielefeld33689 BIELEFELDT: +49 52057671F: +49 520572263
Niederlassung Osnabrück49084 OSNABRÜCKT: +49 541589393F: +49 541589392
Servicestelle Braunschweig38112 BRAUNSCHWEIGT: +49 531311637F: +49 531316928
Servicestelle Magdeburg39126 MAGDEBURGT: +49 3915051327F: +49 3915051328
Bausetra Potsdamer Baumaschinen- undNutzfahrzeug-Service GmbHCOMPACT LINE14478 POTSDAMT: +49 3318878133F: +49 3318878155
Stoll Baumaschinen GmbH66564 OTTWEILER / FÜRTHT: +49 6858348F: +49 68586102
Weigel-Bautechnik GmbH99444 BLANKENHAINT: +49 3645961864F: +49 3645961879
Baw Baumaschinen Vertrieb GmbHCOMPACT LINE34414 WARBURGT: +49 564176300F: +49 5641763090
Kohrmann Baumaschinen GmbHCOMPACT LINE77815 BÜHL/ BADENT: +49 722398610F: +49 722327835
MVM Baumaschinen VertriebsgesellschaftGmbHCOMPACT LINE56566 NEUWIEDT: +49 263187080F: +49 2631870839
Pressluft Frantz Baumaschinen- undErsatzteilhandels GmbH COMPACT LINE08223 FALKENSTEIN / VOGTLANDT: +49 37456014F: +49 374520954
GREECEAtlas Hellas S.A.GR-104 47 ATHINAT: +30 2103469696F: +30 2103474428
Ergotrak S.A. GR-145 64 KIFISSIAT: +30 2106293400F: +30 2106201845
ICELANDÍshlutir ehfIS-270 MOSFELLSBŒRT: +354 5752400F: +354 5752401
ISRAELN. Feldman & Son Ltd. 26111 HAIFA BAYT: +972 48471229F: +972 48411117
Ground Control 3 EN.qxp 30/1/06 2:07 pm Page 34
GROUND CONTROL 27
DEAL
ERLIS
TINGITALY
SCAI S.p.A. 06080 OSPEDALICCHIO DI BASTIA UMBRA (PG)T: +39 075801501F: +39 0758010142
Bsm S.p.A. 25010 S.ZENO NAVIGLIO (BS)T: +39 0302160028F: +39 030266405
Cemm S.r.L. 40024 CASTEL S. PIETRO TERME (BO)T: +39 051948588F: +39 051941446
Edilmacchine S.r.L. 90044 ZONA IND. LE CARINI (PA)T: +39 0918690430
Comac S.p.A. 39044 EGNA (BZ)T: +39 0471813100F: +39 0471813110
Comai S.p.A. 12040 BRA (CN)T: +39 0172491511F: +39 0172491520
D’Avino S.r.L. 80040 MARIGLIANO (NA)T: +39 0815191377
Di.Ma.I S.r.L. 98040 PACE DEL MELE (ME)T: +39 0909385106
Elle Erre S.r.L. COMPACT LINEASSISI PG
Eurocomes 85050 TITO SCALO (PZ)T: +39 0971485131
Ireneo Carta & Figli S.r.L. 07100 SASSARIT: +39 079260565
Ridolfi Idio & Figli S.r.L. 67051 AVEZZANO (AQ)T: +39 0863413892
Saccomandi S.r.L. 73100 LECCET: +39 0832363462F: +39 0832364164
Saimar 57121 LIVORNOT: +39 0586422214F: +39 0586409660
KAZAKHSTANTurkuaz Machinery 480016 ALMATYT: +7 3272731995F: +7 3272731568
LATVIALaadur Baltic, SIA LV-1002 RIGA-02T: +371 7500176F: +371 7500177
LITHUANIALaadur Baltija, UAB LT-2038 VILNIUST: +370 52159672F: +370 52159674
MACEDONIA CROATIA SLOVENIABOSNIAGOIMPEX SRL34170 GORIZIA (GO)T: +39 048132295F: +39 048131117
MALTASCAI S.p.A. 06080 OSPEDALICCHIO DI BASTIA UMBRA (PG)T: +39 075801501F: +39 0758010142
NETHERLANDSHitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V.Domestic Dealer4903 RH OOSTERHOUTT: +31 162484400F: +31 162457453
Eurosupply Hoogwerksystemen B.V. 4782 PP MOERDIJKT: +31 168329331F: +31 168327730
NORWAYNanset Standard ASN-3271 LARVIKT: +47 33132600F: +47 33114552
POLANDTONA Sp z o.o. 41-940 PIEKARY SLASKIET: +48 322899533F: +48 323873061
PORTUGALMoviter Equipamentos Lda 2403-001 AZÓIA, LEIRIAT: +351 244850240F: +351 244850241
ROMANIAStar West Market Impex S.r.L. 3700 ORADET: +40 259425224F: +40 259425225
RUSSIAHitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V. Russia-CIS Office107005 MOSKVAT: +7 959335133F: +7 959335130
Tech Stroy Contract 125367 MOSKVAT: +7 954247513F: +7 954247514
SERBIA-MONTENEGROIndustrial Equipment Ltd.11040 BEOGRAD (ZEMUN)T: +381 113077086F: +381 113077090
SLOVAKIAVEùZA, s.r.o.SK-040 11 KOùSICET: +421 557898963F: +421 557898961
SOUTH AFRICAHitachi Construction Machinery SouthernAfrica Co. Ltd.1508 DUNSWARTT: +27 118944211F: +27 119181835
SPAINHispano Japonesa de Maquinaria S.L.24410 CAMPONARAYA (LÉON)T: +34 987464046F: +34 987463072
Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V. Iberia Office28002 MADRIDT: +34 917459962F: +34 917457441
Intertrack & Expormac, S.A. 35.119 LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIAGRAN CANARIAT: +34 928756622F: +34 928756956
Moviter Equipamentos Lda. 28022 MADRIDT: +34 913 291 819F: +34 913 292 517
Serex S.A. 24560 TORALDE LOS VADOST: +34 987545805F: +34 987544280
SWEDENDelvator AB SE-241 38 ESLÖVT: +46 41369200F: +46 41369218
SWITZERLANDProbst Maveg AG. CH-3250 LYSST: +41 323870808F: +41 323870802
TUNISIASEIMA SARL1001 TUNIST: +216 71334923F: +216 71330177
Societe de l’air Comprime et du MaterielIndustriel 2035 Ariana TUNIST: +216 71712700F: +216 71715777
TURKEYEnka Pazarlama Ihraca Ithalat A.S. 81700 TUZLA ISTANBULT: +90 2164466464F: +90 2163951340
Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V.Middle East Center - Istanbul Office80300 ZINCIRLIKUYU ISTANBULT: +90 2122753322F: +90 2122731243
UKRAINEEuromash Ltd. 01601 KIEVT: +380 442464088F: +380 442464047
UNITED ARAB EMIRATESHitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V.Middle East CenterLOB15-322 JEBEL ALI FREE ZONE, DUBAIT: +971 48818221F: +971 48818772
UNITED KINGDOMHM Plant Ltd.HEBBURN, TYNE & WEAR NE31 2JZT: +44 1914308400F: +44 1914308500
Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) N.V.UK OfficeBA2 3EW BATHT: +44 1225402302F: +44 1225402301
Ground Control 3 EN.qxp 30/1/06 2:07 pm Page 35
The next generation of Zaxis excavators has arrived. The tough act to follow has just got tougher. The new Hitachi range offers lowerrunning costs for the construction industry. Reduced fuel consumption and operating costs have a huge impact on the bottom line –without compromising on performance. Enhanced durability and ultimate reliability offer higher residual values. The Hitachi Zaxis-3is within your reach. Reliable solutions
REDUCED RUNNING COSTS WITHIN YOUR REACH
Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV, Siciliëweg 5, haven 5112, 1045 AT Amsterdam, The Netherlands, T +31-(0)20 44 76 700, F +31-(0)20 44 76 750, www.hcme.com
Ground Control 3 EN.qxp 30/1/06 2:07 pm Page 36
