Engcon Nordic
Engcon Nordic specialises in the production, manufacture and sale of tiltrotators and accessories for excavators
Tilt to last
Engcon Nordic specialises in the production, manufacture and sale of tiltrotators and accessories for excavators
Engcon is a Swedish company, and is the leading manufacturer of tiltrotators on the global market. The fast growing company’s concept for success is flexibility and high quality products combined with high quality service and fast, secure delivery of tiltrotators with accessories.
Founded in 1990 by Stig and Ulf Engstrom, the company’s fresh approach and innovative solutions sent shockwaves through the industry. However, the road towards creating a global product was marked by setbacks, but determined to succeed Engcon delivered its first tiltrotator, the EC10, in 1993. The industry soon discovered just what tiltrotators were capable of and over the years that followed, the company grew rapidly to become one of Sweden’s fastest growing enterprises.
“We delivered almost 4000 tiltrotators in 2006, which was a fantastic achievement,” explains Sten Stromgren, Engcon Nordic’s marketing director. “We were founded over 17 years ago and in the early years, the company led a fairly humble existence. We never gave up our commitment to manufacturing high quality tiltrotators and today we are a company full of potential. Indeed, we have an opportunity to grow throughout Europe, which is an ambitious goal, but one we are confident we can achieve.”
He continues: “Engcon is a real success story. We have an outstanding product and combine this with excellent customer service, flexibility and customised solutions. We are currently targeting growth in all our sectors, but our philosophy has always been to do so market by market. The Nordic tiltrotator market is fairly evolved when compared to other sectors, but we can still grow here. Obviously our main focus is now Germany & UK where we have opened the companies Engcon UK and Engcon Gmbh and are looking to establish ourselves.”
Almost all excavators and backhoes loaders under 30 tonnes in Scandinavia are equipped with tiltrotators, which come in various models depending on the base
machine’s weight class. Engcon also offers a wide range of implement hitches and other accessories adapted to the customers’ requirements.
A tiltrotator can be described as a wrist connecting the excavator to the bucket. An integrated control system allows unlimited rotation and tilting of up to 40 degrees in two directions. A hydraulic implement hitch comes as standard and allows buckets and other implements to be changed quickly and simply straight from the operator cab.
“We are able to cater for almost all requirements,” adds Sten. “It is a given in Scandinavia that all excavators under 30 tonnes are equipped with tiltrotators nowadays, so we have to retain the necessary flexibility to cope with this. Flexibility
has been vital to our success. We are willing to listen to our customers and are open-minded about the types of projects we will take on. We have a lot of enquiries for bespoke products and we differ from the competition in this respect. I’m not suggesting we will do anything and everything, but we will never say no without looking at it.”
Engcon has exhibited at many major European fairs over the years. According to Sten, direct contact with end customers has always been, and continues to be, vital to the company’s success: “We initially had to market our message, but today we have a strong network of dealers in and outside the Nordic countries who largely take care of the company’s marketing needs,” he says. “When Engcon’s growth took off in 1998, a lot of work had gone on to build our brand, for instance through presence at fairs, such as Bauma. Such fairs have always been a key part of our marketing strategy, and will continue to be in the future.”
As Sten commented, Engcon Nordic AB aims to be a leader in the marketing, sale and manufacture of tiltrotators and accessories for excavators. However, the company wishes to do so in a controlled manner: “We always take one step at a time in a calculated manner and look to become the leader in all of our markets when it comes to tiltrotators and accessories for excavators,” he explains. “We have no desire to take over the world, and I think this approach has helped to create a very strong company. We are always calculated and take our time. This has been our strategy since the start and we believe this is one of the many secrets to our success. We lay a steady but strong foundation and then grow from that base to become market leaders.”
A focus on establishing needs and then developing a viable solution has really worked for Engcon. “We have achieved tremendous success and this approach has played a part in that,” concludes Sten. “We also have something we call the ‘Engcon spirit’, which is equally important. We employ around 150 people across the group, but have retained our Engcon family spirit. Everyone works to the same goals, we have focus and we are very open-minded. Our employees are involved in decision-making and we invite them to get involved and ask questions. As a result our people feel part of the company and get real satisfaction as the business grows. What’s more, because the staff feel part of the company, their commitment is stronger.”