Increasingly complex niche products

Getting inspired by know-how

Since 1898, Hilaire Van Der Haeghe has been active as an exclusive importer of technical equipment in various sectors. We have always opted for products with the highest technology and high quality. Within the green sector, the family business has built up almost one hundred years of experience.

The importer/distributor headquartered in Wilrijk (Antwerp) is always looking for the best brands in each product group for agricultural machinery, forklifts and all necessary equipment for park and garden. Hilaire Van Der Haeghe also plays hard on the rental market, which is gaining in importance. Especially for forklifts, more than half are rented long-term to professionals. And to ensure local anchoring, the ambitious family business works with a number of exclusive dealers. The Garden & Park department also has a separate showroom. This way, potential customers can already experience for themselves how certain machines work or can be inspired by the company's know-how.

Demand for electric motors

Tom Nash, sales & marketing manager Garden & Municipal: "Our 125-year-old company is doing particularly well in the green sector with lawnmowers and robots (zero-turn and otherwise), compact tractors (municipal and professional), utility vehicles and implement carriers. What we are also seeing is that there is still increasing demand for electrically powered engines. I should immediately add that the Netherlands is much further ahead in this than Belgium. Here it is mainly the authorities that are playing a pioneering role. The Belgian professional is still kind of waiting to see what happens.

Professionalization of the customer base

Over the years, Hilaire Van Der Haeghe entered into collaborations with top brands such as Iseki, Solo, Amazone, Ambrogio (robotic mowers), Aebi Schmidt (street sweepers, tool carriers...), Köppl (two-wheeled tool carriers), Ferris (lawn mowers), Addax (electric utility vehicles), Alltrec (electric tool carriers) as well as Empas (toxic-free weed control) and the American company Walker (compact zero-turn front mower with integrated collection).

Tom Nash: "What we do is go into the market on an almost daily basis, and through far-reaching research - quality, price, service... - we pick out the best brands in each specific area. In each product group we thus make a selection for our customers and dealers. In this way, both are assured each time that they are working with the cream of the crop. And that is also necessary. Because we see more and more the further professionalization of our customer base. The garden and park specialists know very well what is available on the market. Purchases are therefore increasingly made on the basis of detailed specifications. We also notice that purchasing behavior is evolving from 'simple' product offerings to all-in solutions."

Challenges

"There are a number of challenges facing the future of the industry. Products are becoming more and more complex, and for that you need suitable workers and technicians. So: either hire earlier skilled personnel or make sure you can train them yourself. Rental also comprises an increasing part of the cake, especially with complex niche products. And that makes for a different approach to the future model of companies like ours. You then work best with a maintenance track and correct determinations of the residual value of your machines. City and municipal mowing policies are also changing, not to mention the shifting seasons. We are ready for it," Tom Nash concludes.