Interview to Andreas Him Noir, proprietary partner of HiTec
To start with, do us a brief review of the history of HiTec
HiTec Was cream 20 years ago. We founded it Guillermo Conde and I, in Mexico, specialising us in the sale of machines CNC. In 1996 we initiate our relation with Haas. Since we have grown of way continued. The past year were one of the best distributors in the international field, and if we remit us to the last reports of sales of this year, HiTec Mexico posits like distributor number 1 of Haas in the world. At present we are 200 employees.
How it initiates the adventure to open in Spain?
Two years ago Haas asked us if it would interest us occupy us of this market. After realising the pertinent analyses, conclude that the crisis can be also an opportunity to work of distinct way to what the market is accustomed, and work of active way all the regions of Spain. Like this, have commercial in the Basque Country, Catalonia, Madrid, Andalucia, Valencia, Saragossa…, covering practically all the country.
In Spain today exist two Factory Outlet as they are the one of Barcelona and the one of Vitoria. Have foreseen an expansion to other zones?
Is likely that in 2013 open a centre in Madrid and will go seeing if there are possibilities to open some another. But what himself want to improve of important way are the centres of learning HTEC, the schools instrumented with Haas, small showroom of the signature situated to the long and width of the country, there where perhaps the market does not justify a Factory Outlet. The HTEC serves so that the University can form students in this technology but, at the same time, exerts functions of showroom.
The true is that the presence of HTEC is very important in all Europe, to exception of Spain, where there is not any.
In fact, Haas is one of the big manufacturers of machine-tool in the world but this position has not moved to Spain, where have not attained to implant of the everything. Why it thinks that it has occurred this in the past?
Think that committed an error in Spain: have too many very small distributors, without the necessary resources to expand staff and improve his penetration in the market. When they offered us do us charge of this market, pose us another infrastructure and organisation. The model had to be distinct and the result is that, to date, and taking into account that we open in April, carry already the double of sales of what attained the year happened in all Spain. The true is that we have found the correct formula and are beginning to work.
Have besides available until 1 million of euros in spare parts, between the centres of Barcelona and Vitoria, and in the vans of technical service, what supposes an important investment by part of Haas and that will allow us attend quickly any demand of service. This forms part also of the philosophy of Haas and is that the one who invests in a machine-tool wants to be productive and not expecting to that it arrive a spare from where was. So the idea of a Haas Factory Outlet is, precisely, this. Have vans with spare parts so that in 90% of the exits of the technical services, the problem remain resolved in this same visit. This way to work is philosophy Haas to world-wide level.
It is this his first experience out of Mexico?
Yes, for us is the first time that will work out of Mexico. It does time posed us if had interest in Brazil, but in that then HiTec was not prepared to start with an adventure in the country carioca. But it liked us Spain. It is all a challenge and in spite of that the vision of the country is not precisely good, in economic terms, many of our customers follow with work. Although the problem that have mostly is the fault of financials; they do not have money to invest and can not access to banking credit. And this is the big advantage that can offer Haas.
The service of financials of Haas applies in all the cases or only for special operations?
In any case. It is a fundamental part by which accept to come to Spain. If there was not a plan of financials behind is possible that had not accepted to commission us of this project.
His landing in Spain produces perhaps in one of the worst moments of the industry. Have a strategy under the sleeve?
The concept of the HFO has wanted to imitate in a lot of cases but is very complicated, because the philosophy of Haas regarding the deal with his customers and his distributor is very distinct, peculiar, and do not know other companies that him asemejen in this sense. The customer is the most important: if it is happy goes you to go back to buy; an angry customer, can suppose a bad advertising.
This achieves with transparency: the list of prices is in Internet. All buy to the same price, there are not differences. On the other hand, the prices of the spare parts are of the more basses of the market and the technical professionals are certified by the factory.
To all this has to add the advantage to have an important stock of spare parts and the quality in the service. In sum: quality, price, service and financials.
Want to stand out besides that when it funds a machine, the only guarantee is the same machine.
An American concept…
Very American. The customer has to present the documentation that accredit that it can pay the monthly receipts, at all more, and, in the case of not being able to face up them, carry us of turn the machine. This allows us react to the demand of the customers and know, quickly, if it will be able to cover the work and have the machine requested. For this ours commercial go instrumented with tabletas Ipad in which they can prepare the offer while they are with the customer and send him an archive in this same moment with all the technical characteristics and the economic conditions, of financials, etc.
Another novelty of this Haas Factory Outlet is a room of gifted learning with 8 simulators where our customers, without cost any for them, can learn to handle the controls of the machines. They form in programming and operation of the machines, what allows to our customers send to a course to new employees that require of specific learning. Our aim is to offer value added to the experience Haas.
It commented us that to date of today carry invoiceed the double that the previous year. Have some forecast for the closing of this year?
Have the aim to arrive to the 70-80 machines, enciphers that we want to duplicate the next year, trust this.
Haas Has an extensive variety of machines and models. According to his experience and knowledge of the Spanish market, which of them thinks that can have better acceptance in these moments?
Are selling big machines and many of them are, surprisingly, of the line VM, directed to the sector of moulds. By sectors, the aeronautical sector component manufacturing sector component manufacturing industry is still working very well, automotive sector also, and exist some niches of markets very active, very related to the export. Because the majority of our current customers are working for external markets, although it also is true that exist a lot of small workshops that work for Spanish companies, which to his time yes work for the outside. We are speaking of a world globalizado.
The main problem of the industry in Spain at present is the fault of money, what paralyses the market.
Haas Bets by machines without more provision that the necessary for a mecanizador standard. It does not compete in high technology neither solutions to measure. It is an advantage to the hour to go in in the Spanish market?
Yes, especially because our offer is in the line of what sues from the small workshop until a big company. The business of Haas is in the production of a big volume of machines, no in the production of special or unitary machines. Haas Situates in the massive market of manufacture of machines, where is very competitive, in spite of manufacturing in EE UU, surely one of the most expensive places to manufacture, and without need to use pertinent components of emergent countries.
But the big difference of the company is his concept of service and to listen to the customer. It is very interesting the marketing of Haas: when to the gentleman Haas occurs him a new type of machine, realise a prototype and present it in a fair to value the reaction of the customer. Of this depends if it continues with the development or no. Thus, they exist a lot of machines that annually present in format prototype but that finally do not see the light in the market. It is a very dynamic process that has done that Haas have more than 80 models of different machines, practically of series.
Like this, for Haas the fairs have an important value
Is where present the prototypes, where the customer can see and touch the machines. In the last edition of the BIEMH could see how all the machines of Haas were working, showing his capacity.
Precisely after his go through the BIEMH and after the numerous travel realised to Spain, how would define the situation of the Spanish market? It is as it expected or it surprised ?
The true is that I surprised me because it is better of what thought. It thought that the market would be much more complicated but have found me with interesting projects. And to all the providers of tools with which have spoken goes them well. Obviously it is very likely that do not have the same margins that before, but in volume follow selling what supposes that, in general, his customers have work. It is a very interesting indicator.
On the other hand, knew of the north fortress of Spain but has surprised me the strong industrial activity of Catalonia.
Committed with the customer
Haas is a company that will reach in 2012 a turnover of 1.000 M$ and are speaking of a company that belongs to Gene Haas and that no cotiza in stock exchange. And in this moment, the greater interest of his owner, is to develop machines of greater quality, more robust and reliable. In this works his technical department, to attain an upper quality, what attain measuring constantly the errors that have produced 60-90 days after the put of the machine. A task in which they participate all the distributors, elaborating reports on the services realised to the machines. This information analyses in the company, to evaluate the problems that can arrive to have his machines. Also the units with which work in his factory of California serve them like example to analyse which elements require improvements to elevate the reliability of said machines. This obsession by the quality translates in the bonos economic that deliver between the employees in function of the quality of the machines. If the chart of the curve of quality is in the levels accepted by the company, or even, better, deliver bonos between his workers. An incentive that can arrive to be the double of the floor.
This need to the hour to collect information on the situation of the machines supposes, by part of the commercial departments and of the own distributors, like HiTec, keep a constant contact with his customers. “This is another of the points for of Haas —adds Him Noir— like distributor inform each month to Haas on the services realised. This information remits to a company encuestadora that chooses at random diverse customers to ask them about 5-6 subjects to measure the degree of satisfaction of the customer in relation with the distributor. Said information serves to Haas to improve his attention all over the world. The company is in California, but is very near of the customer without mattering of which country treat ”.
His available strategy that so well has worked in Mexico, will work also in Spain?
The true is that the Mexican market now is very seemed to the Spanish. The banks here do not give credit to the companies, and in Mexico from 1996 that fund the purchase of machinery. In 2012 I calculate that we will sell more than 600 machines Haas in Mexico, of which on 90% will be funded by the North American signature.
And the Mexican customer, looks for technology or moves more by price?
In general, no only in Mexico or Spain but all over the world, our customers have a strong pressesure regarding the need to reduce costs, so the price is a factor many times determinante. Obviously, they have to fulfil with the technical specifications and the necessary requests, but the price is important. On the other hand, what himself have detected is that the machines sold in Spain are less instrumented that the sold in Germany, for example, or other European countries. It seems more to Mexico, with a more basic equipment.
Have by in front an important task of positioning, with a lot of competition of high technological level…
The companies today have a challenge by in front and is how do the same component but of way more economic. So they will have to look for machines less sophisticated and rediseñar components to be able to them realise in processes of lower cost.
To finalise, thinks that his experience of sales in Mexico goes them to result useful in Spain? It goes to be an alike process?
The true is that it will be very similar and are moving many of the positive experiences that have had in Mexico, as it is the subject of the financials, that in Mexico were the conejillo of Indians out of EE UU. Another section will be also the service, with the totally instrumented vans, that differentiate us of the competition. We want to occupy us of everything and that the customer only concern of rentabilizar the machines.
