HAKI – An exciting year ahead

With its origins dating back to 1910, when blacksmith Anders Olsson rented a smithy in Sibbhult in Sweden, over the past 110 years HAKI has gradually evolved its operation and its offering. Today it is building further on its reputation for designing, developing and supplying safe, fast and ergonomic temporary access and modular scaffolding solutions. As part of this process the company is pushing ahead with exciting plans for 2020, as David Probert, International Sales Director, recently outlined to Construction Industry News.

“We have major plans for this year, including some new products we’ll be bringing to market,” explains Mr Probert, who looks after the sales and marketing for the group worldwide. “We recently relaunched our cladding system and are modifying or amending virtually all of our product range as we speak. Some of this information is still firmly under wraps but suffice to say we have a number of really exciting developments that will become evident later in the year.

“Our owners are very forward thinking and are looking to acquire other businesses that fit our approach. We are also aiming to expand our business presence in the UK, ranging from how we cover oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf through to major projects such as Hinkley Point, Thames Tideway and HS2. At the same time, we are committed to supporting our smaller customers and providing them with solutions to their needs.

“We have a great deal planned for the next 12 months including a substantial amount of marketing activity. The utilisation of artificial intelligence will be particularly important in terms of how we align marketing and sales so that we can better support our customers. We are also really excited about our new digital offer, as we’re particularly proactive on BIM, which we envisage will become increasingly vital in all areas of the marketplace.”

It is this appetite for continual improvement, coupled with the fact it has never forgotten its origins, that has enabled HAKI to thrive down the years. “We have stayed true to our roots and the values instilled in the company from the very beginning,” adds Mr Probert. “This is extremely important to the business, as we remain committed to building long term relationships with our employees, the communities in which we operate, our customers, our stakeholders and our suppliers. This philosophy has always served us well and continues to do so in our ongoing relationships.

“For instance, we have recently been working with Ramboll, the Danish global construction consultants, on a digitalisation survey that will provide the feedback on which we will develop our global strategy moving forward. It’s all about gaining knowledge and working with other businesses, even competitors in some cases, to get a clearer picture of the wider industry and gain a greater understanding of the challenges we all face collectively.”

In terms of where it’s focusing its energies at the moment, thanks to the effort it puts into developing its offering and the value proposition it can provide, HAKI is currently seeing opportunities in a wide variety of areas. “We’re all about being a trusted partner for our customers so that we can provide them with tailored solutions that fully meet their requirements. We can therefore work with everyone from a scaffolding contractor through to an industrial services contractor or a design company; appreciating that their needs are different while at the same time understanding that safety is of the utmost importance to them all. Ultimately it’s all about providing the highest levels of safety in the workplace so that everyone goes home each night to their families in one piece. This is where we excel.”

With further improvements to its product range offering to be rolled out in the coming months, it is clear that HAKI’s customers in the UK and elsewhere can look forward to building further on their relationship with the company as it celebrates its 110th year of operation.