Investing in the future

In this issue alone we bring news of: Danish truck-mounted crane manufacturer HMF Group's new customer experience centre in Galten, Denmark (p20); Netherlands-headquartered lifting manufacturer Hyva opening Hyva Italy in the heart of Carpi, Modena province (p20); UK tower crane firm Falcon Cranes' revamped training yard (p36), a EUR 10 million stateof- the-art education and training centre at Palfinger's Lengau production site in Austria (p40), a new Palfinger sales and service centre in Sweden (p16), and Fassi Gru' impressive new technology hub (p18). The general point is clear: investing in the both your own staff and your customers' requirements helps businesses future-proof themselves.

Another aspect, related to this, is the importance of location. The HMF Group's new customer experience centre, for example, is located on its former production facility which was lost to a fire in 2021. It really is a 'Phoenix from the flames' story and you can imagine how strong the emotional investment HMF has in the new site must be.

Then there's Hyva's new branch, located in Carpi, Italy. "Carpi's location is advantageous in several ways,” explains Gian Marco Fulgeri, country manager for Italy and sales manager at the new branch. “We are situated in a significant logistics hub with excellent service and transport access, ensuring prompt response to all customer needs. Additionally, our proximity to Reggio Emilia, home to another Hyva subsidiary, enables us to build valuable strategic partnerships."

Then there's Palfinger, which says its Lengau location, the site of its new education and training centre, is of particular significance as it's there that the very first Palfinger apprentices’ workshop opened 30 years ago. Again, the emotional and symbolic connection must be strong. Plus, there's its new sales and service centre in Jordbro, Sweden which is strategically located to serve the Stockholm region.

Fassi's new technology hub looks incredible. At first the company wanted the new hub to be located at its Albino headquarters; the continual and growth of the various departments there, however, hindered its creation.

Fassi found, however, that the opportunity to build on a green-field site provided it with a blank canvas. “The possibility of being able to design without constraints but with the sole aim of creating a real innovation hub was the gateway to everything,” said Rossano Ceresoli, R&D director at Fassi.

So it seems, even in this increasingly digital world, physical location still has a large impact on many aspects of business – encompassing everything from mindset to language to the practicalities of daily business.