Having integrated HTC and Pullman Ermator a few years earlier, Husqvarna Construction continued to expand its surface preparation portfolio by incorporating major player Blastrac. Stijn Verherstraeten, senior vice president Concrete Surfaces & Floors, Rocco van Vliet, regional marketing director and John van Baardewijk, regional product market manager Surface Preparation, elaborated on the integration and rebranding process to PDi’s Andrei Bushmarin in a video interview.      

Sustainable growth

The brand Husqvarna was established in 1869 as a firearms maker, and is one of the oldest brands in the world today. Its business priorities have been evolving over the centuries, and currently they lie in construction, landscaping and gardening. In the construction game, Husqvarna is a true trailblazer and a market challenger, with its annual revenues reaching some €713M. For many years, Husqvarna Construction’s primary focus was machines and services for concrete sawing and drilling, remote demolition and diamond tools for the construction and stone industry. Husqvarna, having succeeded in becoming a household name in the industry and in the 2010s’, decided to diversify into surface preparation, keeping pursuit of this goal with unwavering commitment ever since.

Next level of surface preparation solutions

Acquiring HTC and Pullman Ermator gave Husqvarna Construction a big leg up in the grinding and polishing business, but the product range remained far from complete. Scraping, scarifying, shaving and concrete and steel shot blasting - those alternative surface preparation techniques complementary to grinding - were missing from the offering. So it was little wonder that Blastrac, a seasoned manufacturer of high end machinery for challenging surface preparation tasks, soon came into Husqvarna’s sights. The announcement of the acquisition was made in November 2020, with the deal being finalised by the end of the year. Once fierce but respectful rivals, Husqvarna Construction and Blastrac became a team.

Serving customers as one team

Commenting on the acquisition, SVP for Concrete Surfaces & Floors Stijn Verherstraeten said that many factors were in play when Husqvarna made the decision to acquire Blastrac. Apart from its engineering prowess and highly skilled dedicated sales force, the company has a strong market presence throughout Europe and North America. A very well developed direct sales network to customers will further strengthen Husqvarna Construction’s leading position in surface preparation.

The integration of the Blastrac team and business into Husqvarna Construction began almost immediately in January 2021. Despite the complexity of the task, the integration is largely complete. John van Baardewijk, a long time Blastrac employee and now product market manager Surface Preparation at Husqvarna Construction, said he is absolutely happy with the new business opportunities it created for both Husqvarna and Blastrac customers. As a total solutions provider and partner, with local presence all over the world, Husqvarna Construction now has a solution for any surface preparation job customers need help with.

When asked about the brand consolidation, regional marketing director Rocco van Vliet explained that this is done in two phases. Already in June this year, Husqvarna Construction introduced a fully integrated range of grinders, scrapers, scarifiers and shavers in all key markets. The second stage slated for early 2023, will see concrete and steel shot blasters as well as heavy duty ride on machines coming out bearing the Husqvarna logo. Steel shot blasting goes broader than just construction and is a cost effective, efficient and sustainable solution for paint removal and surface remediation in applications such as windmills, ship decks and petrochemical storage vessels.

A plethora of news at bauma

Even though the two years of the pandemic proved that it was possible to keep the business afloat and sales on the up while staying home, live personal interaction with customers at trade shows is difficult to replace altogether. Stijn Verherstraeten points out that bauma, the world’s biggest construction show, is the perfect stage for Husqvarna Construction to flaunt its latest innovations.

Along with its extended surface preparation offering, Husqvarna Construction will unveil a veritable host of its latest developments in Munich. For customers who prefer to operate with the mobility of cordless equipment and zero emissions in use, the ‘Pace’ battery system is expanding. Adding to the award winning ‘K 1 Pace’ power cutter, a powerful 'Pacecore' drill motor and 'Pacedust' extractor are now being introduced. The Pace battery core drill is intended for heavy duty drilling applications and the Pace battery dust extractor can be perfectly paired with other battery or corded light construction equipment. Also new in the battery range is a rebar tying machine.

The latest ride on grinder BMG 1500, with a working width of 1,500mm, is a powerhouse of a machine designed for large scale grinding projects. The grinder has an ergonomic design and is easy to operate using joysticks, push buttons and a touchscreen. The grinder’s other features include an integrated dust collection system, an automatic pulse filter cleaning system, a Longopac bagging system and a pre-separator.

Another highlight of Husqvarna Construction’s booth at bauma will be the recently launched range of versatile ‘H-class’ dust extractors. Compatible with grinders, power cutters, drill motors and other light construction equipment, all five new models are designed to contribute to a healthier working environment while increasing productivity. The extractors feature the new ‘e-flow’ technology that enables consistently high performance. A redesigned filter cleaning mechanism ensures simple and effective cleaning. A cost efficient Longopac bagging system, in combination with the long service life of the filter, contributes to low cost of ownership.

Also on display in Munich there will be four new demolition robots: the DXR 145, the DXR 275, the DXR 305 and the DXR 315. “Our DXR range is ideal for challenging working environments, removing the need for operators to work in unsafe spaces and delivering speed and efficiency,” said Stijn Verherstraeten. All four models offer up to 20% more power. A brand new remote control unit guarantees high precision operation and enables an improved overview of the machine’s operational status. The control unit’s remote capabilities of up to 300m keep the operator well away from any potential risks.

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