The United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland all appear in the top 10 countries by number of air passengers, and Paris, London and Frankfurt are among the most frequented airports globally. In such a rich and dynamic market, European airport operators need the right tools to maintain their runways.
For the suppliers of airport maintenance equipment, Europe is a unique market which comes with its own challenges.
Approaching Europe
“Europe is small compared to the US, but it has a lot of different countries, lots of cultures and lots of languages,” says Gerd Heinrich, director of Middle East & Europe sales at leading equipment manufacturer Hog Technologies. Navigating these differences, including varying regulations, demands flexibility from equipment suppliers.
At the same time, operators today are facing an uncertain future, making the decision to invest in equipment even more important. This raises an additional barrier for US companies like Hog Technologies in a market where many countries traditionally prefer to deal locally.
Despite the challenges, Hog Technologies has the courage of its convictions – and this courage comes from knowing it offers the best equipment on the market. Its champion products for airports, the water blasting all-rounder Stripe Hog and high-speed surface cleaning Surface Hog, offer unparalleled speed and safety of operations, as well as simultaneous vacuum recovery.
Leading with quality
Hog Technologies’ technical prowess and commitment to excel is enabling it to thrive in this highly competitive but highly rewarding environment.
“We know that machines from competitors can do rubber removal and paint markings,” Heinrich explains. “The difference is how fast and efficiently they can do it, the consumption of wear parts and spare parts, gasoline and tyres, how long it takes to repair if it breaks down.”
Hog equipment is designed to beat the competition in each of these areas. Not only this, but no other supplier offers such a wide variety of different machines. This is a huge advantage for airports seeking the right fit for their operations, Heinrich says: “When an airport needs a certain size or run time, we usually have it.”
The secret to achieving an outstanding provision for customers is straightforward, says Heinrich. “The simple answer is to listen to what the client wants and react to that,” he says. Hog Technologies actively participates in forums like the General Assembly of the German Association of Airport Suppliers, as a way to tap into trends and customer demands.
The first airport to recognise the enormous value and market-leading capabilities of the Stripe Hog was Prague Airport, which purchased a machine in 2019.
“Our goal is to convince more airports to own a Stripe Hog, if there is an advantage for them,” Heinrich emphasises. “It’s a matter of calculation, and we help them work it out.”
International peace of mind
For its international customers, Hog offers outstanding service from its headquarters in the Czech Republic and Dubai. International customers receive all the same support that domestic customers do, including the promise that 98% of spare parts orders are shipped the same day and 24/7 technical support is provided within 10 minutes.
In Europe, Hog plans to continue to improve its offering.
“We will enhance the services we can offer from our European headquarters. We already do after-sales and send out spare parts, but we will offer demonstrations, and we plan to start production in the Czech Republic,” says Heinrich.
To find out more about Hog Technologies, download the whitepaper below
