Despite concerns about prospects for economic growth and the uncertain commercial landscape post-Brexit, for energy management specialist Hoppecke Industrial Batteries it’s business as usual.
Whilst the likes of Airbus, Unilever and BMW have been voicing fears over the impact on their businesses of a ‘no deal’, Hoppecke has signalled its commitment to doing business in the UK by signing a 15-year lease on its assembly and warehouse facility in Staffordshire.
This move comes amid a period of stability that has seen Hoppecke’s UK subsidiary outperform the market across all areas of its business, with total revenue up by more than 36% over the past two years. It also provides clear reassurance both to Hoppecke’s customers and its workforce that the company intends to continue with the unique offering of battery assembly, sales, rental, refurbishment and servicing in the UK for the long term.
Hoppecke’s Regional Managing Director-Northern Europe, Jason Howlett, is upbeat about what the future holds, saying: “Although we have to contend with strong price competition, volatile currency issues and the rising cost of lead, we’re committed to building our business in the UK and are taking proactive steps to position it to meet these challenges.
“Whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, we intend to capitalise on our market reputation, quality product range and dedicated workforce to take full advantage of the growth potential in the UK, particularly in relation to energy storage.”
Despite ongoing pressure on margins in the mature motive power sector, Hoppecke UK is benefiting from the trend towards greater use of electric equipment. Having registered its third year-on-year revenue increase, the business aims to build its market share through continued development of a multi-technology, multi-solution offering for OEMs and end users.
The UK market for special power has improved significantly in the past 12 months due to increased investment in the electrification of railway lines and new rolling stock. 2017/18 turnover in this sector set a new record and thanks to strong relationships with the major OEMs, Hoppecke UK is well-placed to maximise its product offering and technical support capabilities. As Hoppecke continues to secure incremental business in the reserve power arena, its main focus is on creating a project pipeline that will deliver significant enhancements to the UK business.
Hoppecke UK recently retained its ISO9001 accreditation to the new “2015 standards” and is building for the future. Changes to service provision, most notably improvements in response times and a commitment to ‘first time fix’, have already boosted turnover and the company’s investment in a custom-built IT-based planning and reporting tool is set to drive further growth. Meanwhile, in response to employee feedback, Hoppecke UK is to create a new consultative forum to enhance internal communications and improve customer service.
