How HMF continues to stay ahead of industry trends
As HMF Group (HMF) approaches its 80th anniversary in 2024 there’s no hint of slowing down, with development and innovation remaining central pillars to the company’s strategies. The company is investing heavily in new technologies to help achieve these goals. It is doing so off the back of a successful 2023 which saw a 24 per cent increase in operating profit. As with any great success story it has not come without its challenges. Just two years earlier in 2021, the company’s production facilities in Galen, Denmark, burned down. Exemplifying the resilience that is necessary to achieve great success, HMF is constructing its new Customer Experience Centre at this site. This represents a significant investment and strategic initiative to enhance proximity between customer-oriented employees and customer centric processes as the firm continues to grow.
From humble beginnings in an auto repair shop, financed by the sale of founder Arne Bundgaard Jensen’s Nimbus motorcycle, over 75 years of continuous
development has ensured that HMF has remained ahead of the curve, adapting to new technologies and the changing demands of the market. The company has come a long way from the agricultural trailers it produced in the late 1940s. Now it is a world leader in producing truck-mounted loader cranes. Operating across 40 different countries with subsidiaries in Denmark, Germany, Norway, and the UK, HMF Group is cementing its reputation and position as one of the industry leaders.
The company has an impressive offering with various types of cranes ranging from three to 95 tonne-metres, including knuckle boom, telescopic, and recycling cranes among others. Innovation has played an important role in the development of this catalogue of products, which can be adapted to the customer’s specific needs. Having one of the best lift-to-weight ratios in the industry means the build-in length of the crane is reduced as much as possible allowing for a larger platform body and more optimised vehicle payload. The safety of its equipment is a point of pride for HMF. More than 25 years ago, it was the first company in the industry to develop an intelligent electronic vehicle stability system (EVS) for loader cranes. HMF’s EVS system remains one of the safest systems for crane vehicle stability.
Investing in innovation
As the company utilises its increased profits to continue to prepare for the future, it’s investing significant amounts into automation and robotic welding. These investments place the firm well to overcome challenges such as the shortage of skilled welders in Denmark while ensuring that the highest possible safety standards are maintained throughout the whole production process.
In positioning the business for the future, HMF is also exploring the opportunities and possibilities of transitioning to electric-powered cranes. This represents a significant shift towards sustainability, and efficiency. Not only will it be better for the environment and help the company as well as its customers reach their sustainability goals, but it will also lower operating costs.
The company is closely monitoring the intriguing possibilities of integrating artificial intelligence into manufacturing and operational processes. This could revolutionise the way cranes are produced, operated, and managed. By harnessing the power of data analytics and machine learning, new levels of productivity, reliability, and operational intelligence could be unveiled.
This investment in the latest manufacturing technologies is possible thanks to the increase in profits that have been driven by streamlining production processes and finding efficiencies across the board as well as developing and expanding the service side of the business domestically and internationally. This reflects HMF’s ability to adapt to market fluctuations, maintain operational resilience and pursue strategic initiatives aimed at driving efficiency and profitability.
This continued growth has been essential in being able to cater to the growing demand for HMF products and services across the globe. Among the biggest markets are Europe, the US, the UK, and Australia. Successfully providing for clients worldwide has required the development of a large network of partners comprising of services, sales, and body building partners in locations from South Africa to Finland, and from New Zealand to Argentina.
Ahead of the curve
Reflecting on how the company has remained so successful over its history and continues to grow, CEO of HMF Group, Mikkel Winther Andersen, highlights three key factors: a focus on quality and innovation, a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, and a customer centric approach. “By staying ahead of industry trends, adapting to technological advancements, and delivering reliable solutions, we have maintained a strong reputation. We owe a great deal to our dedicated and skilled employees. We are privileged to have some of the greatest, most ambitious employees imaginable.”
From recognising the need for truck equipment right after the Second World War to realising the possibilities AI can unlock in the present and future, HMF has remained successful over its long history by being adaptable to the needs of the market. It has remained at the forefront of innovation and continues to do so as it undergoes a transition towards intelligent production, operation, and servicing systems. Embracing technological developments and staying ahead of industry trends, as well as training and retaining a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, have meant that the company has been positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities as they emerge. Chasing efficiencies and streamlining operational and manufacturing processes enable the kind of innovation that has kept HMF in its position as one of the global leaders within the industry.
After almost 80 years, the business is continuing to innovate and grow as it expands across the globe into new markets and territories. Looking to the future, Mikkel ‘doesn’t rely on hope’, he is confident and believes in the company’s solid and strong foundation. It boasts products of the highest quality and is an organisation with exceptional capabilities.
By staying focused on continuous improvement and innovation through listening to customers’ needs, and by investing in its people and technology, he is confident HMF Group will achieve sustained growth and success and contribute positively to the industry’s future.