HEGLA UK CELEBRATES 15 YEARS …AND REMAINS AT THE FOREFRONT OF GLASS CUTTING TECHNOLOGY

, Glass & Glazing

In September 2017, HEGLA UK celebrated a milestone anniversary.  The simple philosophy of providing the right solution for each and every customer has led to great success for the company, whose management team seized an opportunity 15 years ago to set up a whole owned subsidiary to cover the UK and Ireland, which has established the company as a market leader.

HEGLA’S legacy is based on the formula of providing the glass industry with consistent engineering quality and expert advice that provides a viable return on investment, and quickly.

Giving customers the ideal solution to meet their glass processing needs in relation to cutting, handling and storage solutions, has been a priority since its launch and proved that the company gives tangible benefits with viable profit margins.

For Steve Goble, Managing Director, HEGLA UK, advice costs nothing and a factory visit can reap large financial benefits for processors, particularly if there is a technical solution on the production floor that can be adapted effectively, which customers may not necessarily have spotted.

Steve comments, “No-one wins every order and there have been turbulent times which we’ve overcome, and perhaps more importantly we’ve helped our customers to overcome.   Economic conditions affect business of course; however, we are here to provide solutions.  In simple terms we tailor to our customers needs and hopefully they reap the benefits.”

The brand-name has been well established for over 40 years, however its growth in the UK since 2002 can probably be described as a bold but very successful challenge.

The success story Steve attributes, on many levels, to HEGLA UK customers and the relationships that have been built over the last 15 years.

Equally, the technical advantages of the entire Hegla range stem from many years machinery development, with meticulous attention to detail also a huge part of the company’s success.

Steve continues, “Simply understanding the market and accommodating individual customer needs creates a trust.  By their very nature, cutting tables affect the flow of production and the space around them.  

There are always outside influences to consider when evaluating a production floor, such as height, length and width, which all contribute to the physicality of the finished installation.  Generally, though, what the customer wants, the customer gets if technically achievable.”

Successful Innovation  

Through product innovation, ongoing research and market development, HEGLA UK has changed the way companies think about their glass processing needs. With automated glass cutting systems, now at its core, this has enabled customers to benefit from maximum quality and faster turnarounds.

Being specialists in cutting and handling solutions for float, patterned and laminated glass, leading UK processors have quickly grasped the advantages of the range and with the introduction of soft coat edge deletion on cutting tables in the 90’s this further boosted output.  

All systems are tailored/manufactured individually and specifically to meet customer requirements, from the company’s global headquarters and production facility in Beverungen, with two further production factories in Kretzschau and Satteldorf.  The range can even be painted in customers own corporate colours, if so desired.

For Steve Goble, taking the engineering excellence from nowhere in the UK to somewhere, with all steps in between having been learning curves, he takes great pride in the commitment of the UK team and working hard to make customers happy.

As the reputation for excellence has grown so has the portfolio with diversification into fully automated loading, unloading for up and downstream manufacturers, x, y and z break out systems, sorting systems and more recently unique handling and storage solutions, as well as laser technology.

With a range that is classed by customers as being ‘heavily engineered for longevity’ and a service support that ensures customers can meet demands, the HEGLA brand has grown into a market leading product, and this is reflected by the customer base.

Essentially the market has recognized HEGLA for its innovation, reliability, flexibility and quality guarantees all of which are difficult to match in the industry today.  Steve Goble believes that the product range has grown from customer led challenges that have been resolved and consequently, in-house manufacturing has played a key part in the company’s development and still does.

Steve comments, “Flexibility is vital.  If a customer asks a question we have to answer it.  Being highly skilled engineers we have the ability to adapt products and this in turn helps to create new machines that meet new demands.  

We are specialist manufacturers not people who assemble products that are bought in.  The ability to develop systems flexibly has made an even greater success of the company and its range.”

Leading By Example

These unique qualities offered by HEGLA give customers great reassurance with the team remaining in complete control of manufacturing, building each and every piece of equipment in-house to the highest standards.  

Across the industry HEGLA’s proficiency in automation and dedication to market needs has evolved into a leading global presence.

The unique aspects of fast, in-house, tailored design incorporating bespoke factory layouts, combined with HEGLA’s commitment to quality care, benefits all sized customers.  Many products within the range that are popular today, have been created from individual customer discussions with the machinery modified to cater for each one’s individual glass processing needs.  

Working with world renowned glass suppliers and modifying machinery accordingly to cater for specific types of glass which are becoming more diverse each year, has also helped to reinforce HEGLA’s prominent corporate position. In the UK for example, leading glass processors including Clayton Glass, Custom Glass, Anglian, Diamond Glass Dublin and many others, have installed HEGLA equipment which has enabled them to streamline production and further improve their own market position by increasing output and diversifying their portfolios considerably.

On larger projects all installation specifications are carefully verified by skilled German engineers to ensure that the smallest detail has been evaluated and checked. This guarantees that glass can be brought onto the production floor in the most effective method and will reassure customers that the entire automated procedure works.

Steve Goble, Managing Director at Hegla UK comments, “In the UK’s fifteen year history we have brought many, customer led innovations to the market.  Currently, laminate is creating a stir, with legislation dictating that processors move towards its manufacture.  These have extended the range to suit the demands and production needs of customers.”

Looking to the future, Steve Goble is optimistic irrespective of any complications that Brexit may bring with it.

He comments, “It costs the market far more to import finished products from the EU and we know now that there has been an acceptance that Brexit will happen.  Customers appreciate the package as a whole that is available to them, not just the machinery but the skills, experience and support that they get which are guaranteed.  Going the extra mile for customers is not going to stop because of a political decision.”

HEGLA found a fundamental core arena with cutting and handling and it has remained focused to ensure that quality was never compromised. As a specialist manufacturer, the capabilities of the engineers has resulted in HEGLA leading the field for many years.  

Steve concludes, “The entire team dedicated and focused on staying ahead in the market , as such we will continue to take a progressive approach to the industry as it changes.  

No-one ever truly knows what the future holds, as there is always something just around the corner.  However, there’s considerably more happy HEGLA customers than unhappy ones and I am a firm believer in a simple truth …let people form their opinion on the results achieved.”

For more information on the HEGLA glass machinery range please call Steve Goble or Paul Gibbs on 01908 261933.

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