Interview to Toni Sands, commercial director and of marketing of Hitachi Power Tools Iberian
Unfortunately, we are not very accustomed lately to see inaugurations of new installations in this sector. The economic crisis has retraído a lot the investments in this type of initiatives, but Uds, instead, finish to première his new headquarters of Terrassa. It supposes to swim to contracorriente? It answers this opening to a particular vision that the market already has hit rock bottom?
In reality, this inauguration supposes a new reaffirmation of Hitachi by the Spanish market. And regarding a possible recovery of the sector, have to signal him that, although we do not have of data of objective market that allow us affirm with rotundity that the 2014 goes to be the year of the takeoff, our intuition does us think that if the 2013 was better that the 2012, at all indicates that it can twist this tendency during this year.
In the concrete case of his company, how would describe the situation that crosses at present Hitachi Power Tools Iberian?
After having left backwards the worst years of the crisis, create sincerely that have consolidated our presence in the market. In fact, during the last years have won quota in sectors like the one of the electrical tool or the gardening machinery. All this does us see the future with some optimism.
Which strategies have come employing in these last years for paliar the brusque fall of activity suffered by the construction and the public work?
Until the years 2002 and 2003, had an extreme dependency of the work, centring the greater part of our business in the sale of hammers and of the rest of electrical tools headed to the construction. But knowing the risk that this comported take the decision, before even of the irruption of the crisis, to go going in also in other markets that did not depend so much of this sector, as for example the one of the ironingingmongery generalista and the industry.
Also in the market of the bricolaje or his approach follows being in the professional customer?
No, as well it signals, our approach follows directed to the professional customer and no to the individual. Although it is true that during the last years have gone launching also new products oriented to a first price inside the professional, that is to say professional tools but for light use.
By what comments, one of the strategic lines of the company has been the one of the diversification. In fact, in 2007 they bought Tanaka Kogyo, Co., manufacturer of gardening machinery. Which balance do of these six years of Hitachi in the world of the gardening?
Can not be another that very positive. Taking into account that the market of the gardening is copado by two big companies, the true is that we are doing us also our place. I think that we are doing the things well, growing little by little but of form continued.
For this line of products of gardening employ the same network of distribution that for the electrical tools of construction?
No, are working basically with a new network. We consider that the market of the machinery of gardening is very technical and professional, and that the people that works in him is accustomed to buy the products to skilled providers. In this sense, look for that the same customer that sells our tools of gardening, also give technical service.
They have arisen a lot of synergies between his traditional field of work, the construction, and the sector of the gardening?
Yes, especially in the field of the rentals of machinery, which are diversifying increasingly his parks, giving gone in also to destined equipment to the gardening. Besides, so much in the market of the electrical tool as in the one of the machinery of gardening appreciates the same tendency to go to products to battery. We, in fact, in 2013 have launched a team of professional machinery for garden to battery, that consists of a rucksack of 36 V and that allows to work a complete day of form continued with different tools.
Which type of products include already in his range of gardening?
Have a quite generic range, from motosierras to desbrozadoras, going through blowers, podadoras of height, hedge cutters… Tool for garden directed to the professional customer. Of face to the next season will expand with a new range of manual tools of big quality.
Keeps on being the electrical tool his main source of volume of business, in spite of this successful entrance of Hitachi Power Tools in the gardening?
Yes, of course. The electrical tool represents roughly 80% of our turnover.
Another important measure that does some years took Hitachi Power Tools was the purchase of the company of tools of cut Carat. What objective looked for with this acquisition?
Initially kept the diversity of distribution in Spain through the company Carat Spain, but this changed in 2010 since from this year Hitachi Power Tools Iberian did charge of the distribution directly of all the range Carat in Spain and Portugal. Our aim happens now for expanding our presence in the sale of accessories and of machinery of cutting and of perforación. For the first are already attaining important results, whereas the commercialisation of machinery of cutting and of perforación, equipment that go directed to 100% to the start of construction, is still very unemployed.
Keep the commercial name of Carat in the products or have happened also to designate Hitachi?
Keep Carat like skilled mark. The manufacturer keeps on being operative in Holland.
Which plans of future have for the line of tools of cutting? It considers that when the market backstitch Carat will keep on being a mark of reference?
Yes, are convinced of this. In Centroeuropa, Carat already is a very recognised mark by the professionals and if in Spain is not it so much, is because the crisis took us a bit to contrapié.
Like specialists in electrical tools, which are the technological tendencies that imperan in the sector (more power, greater autonomy of the batteries, lower weight, more reliability, respect by the environingingment, robustness…)?
The immediate future of the electrical tool goes through the battery, looking for products increasingly powerful and that enjoy of a greater time of autonomy. In fact, we finish to launch batteries of 5 amperes that have allowed, in very few years, bend the autonomy of our tools. The future of the batteries is in the lithium since in nickel hardly manufactures already.
One of the fields in which more it is working to improve the autonomy of the batteries is in the one of the mobile telephony. they are carrying These advances also to the industrial field, in fields like the one of the electrical tool?
Although basically the technology for the batteries was the same in both sectors, in the case of the electrical tool need greater capacities and powers.
Have some study on the autonomy that can provide the new batteries?
According to a recent calculation, with our new rucksack of 36 volts a hammer electro-pneumatics to battery could realizar some 2.500 perforaciones of 6,5 of diameter by 40 mm of depth, without need of recarga. With the additional advantages of not having to displace auxiliary equipment (generators) and of not contaminating acoustic neither atmosféricamente.
In spite of these advances in the batteries, follow requiring still the electrical tools bigger the connection to generators/power generators?
Yes, clear. The hammers of high range or of big provision need still work connected to the electrical network or to the instrument generator. I think that still we will take some years in seeing a hammer demoledor of 40 J of power of hammered working with battery. But who knows, this advances by forced marches. When I began in the sector, the atornilladores to battery were of 7,2 V and of this does not do so many years... Well, in reality, it does more than 23.
In his opinion, which advantages offer the electrical tools in front of other alternatives of demolition, cutting and other, as for example the hydraulics tools or the pneumatics tools?
The main advantage resides in the audible factor. The electrical tools are much more silent that the hydraulics or the pneumatics.
It believes Unit then that will happen to the history the classical image of works of canalisation/repair in streets using the compressesor and the pneumatics hammer?
Sincerely, think so. The society goes us to force to go by here, because every time it is more selective and demanding. It does not go to allow levels so high of noise in the streets, forcing to reduce also the broadcasts of gases. In this sense the electrical tools have a lot of livestock with regard to other alternatives.
Hitachi Has been traditionally a mark with a good penetration in the parks for hire of machinery. It keeps this tendency? They think that they can win here a greater presence?
Ours card of visit in the Spanish market constituted it the rentals. Hitachi Power Tools Iberian began to operate in the year 1990 and few years afterwards already were working with very good acceptance in the parks for hire. Today we keep a good presence between these professionals, having expanded even the range of products that purchase us. It does years, these companies practically only rented hammers and amoladoras, whereas now they include all type of tools, included the ones of garden, to battery, etc. For us the rentals keep on being customers importantísimos and will follow going of the hand with them.
From some fields aims to that the first symptoms of recovery of the market of machinery of construction will appreciate in the shopping that do the rentals to renew or expand his fleets. It considers that the rent will go out reinforced of this crisis? They will bet increasingly the constructors for renting machinery and no for having his own fleets?
From does years comes saying that the future goes to go in this steering, that the constructors will prefer to rent before that buy equipment. But with the stop of activity that there has been in these last years do not know how goes to react the market.
They appreciate in the last months a greater interest of purchase of machinery by part of the rentals?
From the month of April of 2013 we yes have noticed, in general, a true increase of activity, but no only by part of the rentals, but also ferreteros, etc.
Inside the fields of work in which they are presents, where think that have a potential elder of development to short and half term?
Think that in the rehabilitation. The electrical tool fits very well in the requests of the rehabilitation and the reform, although it is true that in this type of works employs less volume of products that in the edificación new. The rehabilitador is very demanding, it buys a tool when really it needs it and thinks a lot the purchase of a new team.
Sierra Hitachi for works of gardening and new rucksack of 36 volts.
How it thinks that it goes to evolve the market in the next months? It considers also Unit that are at the end of the tunnel?
My instinct says me that we go to go to better but honestly still do not see the green shoots that aim from some fields.
In what next projects goes to ship Hitachi Power Tools Iberia?
Our aims go through to keep growing, for keeping and for improving if it can , our positions in the market.
