Transformational change
Veronica Edmunds, business development manager at Haitian - Premier Moulding Machinery, reflects on the changing landscape for moulders in recent – and not-so-recent – times. As we pass the 1st anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine it is natural to look back on a turbulent year for the economy, households and businesses.
Some changes in life are gradual, the newly aching knees, the stronger glasses prescription, the slipping down the leagues of once great teams. We get time to adjust to the new reality of age or fading form and it makes it easier to accept. But the modern world is fast paced, instant access, full connectivity, no time to waste, in your face.
So, when Russian tanks moved on Kiev, we discovered first that it was called Kyiv, and secondly that the World economy was a fragile structure. We needed Ukrainian grain and Russian gas to keep the wheels turning, and our mortgage rates low. Who knew?
When Premier Moulding Machinery (PMM) entered the UK market for injection moulding machines almost 20 years ago, it was a quiet introduction of the Haitian brand. Little was known of Asia’s market leader on these shores, or what advantages they would bring to their customers. PMM were perhaps the perfect vehicle for Haitian, time served plastics engineers, determined to offer the best service to the sector that had nurtured them.
Nowadays the PMM team refer to their quest to add value to their customers as being “Pleasantly disruptive” in a marketplace that had lost sight of the needs of the customer.With unpredictable economic times in our midst, it’s important for businesses to invest in the best availabletechnology to maintain and grow competitive advantage. Whilst the current mood music maybe one of cautionand restraint now is the time to invest to negate the high energy costs and take advantage of low shipping costs.
Case study
Phil Marshall from JC moulding in Wales remembers “When PMM first knocked on our door in 2017, I must confess I didn’t know about Haitian. It’s crazy that we weren’t aware of the World’s biggest supplier of machines, but it’s very easy to miss the world changing when you are so engrossed in your own business. I liked the PMM approach and the different way they said they do business, but I was still sceptical about whether we could afford to buy new machines”.
JC Moulding is a small but fast growing business so as general manager, Marshall is used to fulfilling many roles within the business. “It was genuinely great to have a supplier who brought expert knowledge and insights to us, without wanting to charge us for it”, he added. The energy savings alone from the new Haitian machine were greater than the finance JC Moulding paid on it each month. “We literally had more cash in the bank from day one, and our first new machine”. Phil credits this lightbulb moment with transforming his outlook on the business. “We now have 12 Haitian machines, all saving us money onpower, spares, servicing and scrap. We have been able to reinvest the money in the business and the changes have generated even more work”.
Case study
Andrew Lawrence, MD at Merriott Plastics Group has invested in a new twin platen 750-ton Jupiter machine and Hilectro robot from Haitian International for their ICM Rochester site.Due to an upturn in their business and a desire to ensure the best return on investment, Merriott Group took delivery of a new 750 ton Jupiter machine from Haitian International. This machine extends the current capacity over the Rochester and Crewkerne sites to 46 machines ranging from 25 to 1100 tons, alongside a further 34 Compression machines.
The new machine will predominantly run a new cable junction shell but with the capacity for new work too. The decision was made to join with Haitian by a willingness to look outside of the conventional European suppliers. With many customers reshoring tools and a need to reduce energy costs, a quick return on investment was essential. The Haitian business model of cost-centered spare parts and engineer visits plus the low initial purchase price (all backed by an extensive UK service team) made this an easy decision.