Haas Europe Success Outstrips CECIMO Forecasts
Haas Automation Europe is reporting an impressive 30 percent growth in European machine tool sales in the first two quarters of 2014, in comparison with the same period last year. This is in stark contrast to the two percent growth predicted for 2014 by CECIMO, a European organization that brings together 15 national associations of machine tool builders, and covers 98 percent of the total machine tool production in Europe.
During CECIMO’s annual general assembly, which took place in Prague on June 24, the organization’s economic committee confirmed that, while European machine tool production increased to €22.8 billion from €22.7 billion last year, growth prospects remain modest in Europe. CECIMO therefore states that the outlook for considerable gains in 2014 remains low.
An increase in machine tool consumption of two percent in 2013 leads CECIMO to conclude: “companies are finally upgrading their production facilities.”
It’s clear that manufacturers in Europe “shop around” for their machine tools, far beyond national boundaries. “The 30 percent European growth enjoyed by Haas in the first two quarters of 2014 is little short of remarkable,” says Mr. Jens Thing, Haas Automation Europe managing director.
“We would like to thank our customers for their confidence in Haas Automation and in our 37 Haas Factory Outlets in Europe,” he says. “Our customers appreciate how the Haas product and support are meeting their exact needs in terms of value, capability, and reliability, even when they have the choice of machines built by strong, domestic suppliers.
CECIMO’s imports declined five percent to €8 billion last year, so the organization concludes that “the companies investing in machine tools mostly used their domestic suppliers.” And yet, Haas Automation has witnessed strong growth in France, Spain, Italy, southern Germany, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Denmark.
“We are well on target to reach our goal of having 20 percent more sales this year than in 2013,” adds Mr. Thing, “so we will beat all economic estimates. The reason is because Haas Automation combines rigorous, reliable, tried-and-tested, pragmatic technology with quick spare parts delivery, low maintenance costs, and competitive financing solutions. This is providing our customers with far lower long-term costs, and is helping many of them stay competitive. That is our priority as a partner.”
Haas Automation Europe is strategically located in Brussels, Belgium, to provide customers throughout Europe with the best sales, applications, and service support in the industry, via a multilingual team of factory-trained and Haas-certified support personnel. To facilitate quick delivery throughout Europe, Haas maintains a 3000-square-meter warehouse and spare parts facility in Brussels, with additional machines warehoused in Antwerp, ready to ship.
The Haas Automation Europe distribution system is based on the highly successful Haas Factory Outlet (HFO) concept – a network of locally owned distributors dedicated exclusively to the sales, service, and support of Haas products. Every HFO fields a service department staffed with factory-trained personnel, and houses an extensive inventory of service spares. Technicians are dispatched locally in Haas service vehicles fully stocked with the parts and tools needed to successfully repair machines the first time – more than 90 percent of the time.
Building on its position of strength in the European market, Haas will maintain a high profile for the remainder of 2014. The company will be present at several exhibitions, including AMB in Stuttgart, Germany (September 16 – 20), and BIMU in Milan, Italy (September 30 – October 4).
