The range of industrial trucks on offer seems very diverse to us. Why should users be interested in Hubtex equipment - what are the particular benefits?
Within the logistics chain, every user has their own individual needs. We always design our equipment to meet these requirements - and this is exactly what our customers all over the world appreciate about us. Hubtex vehicles are specially designed for handling long, bulky and heavy loads. The following applies: when series-produced forklifts reach their limits, our industrial trucks come into play. Above all, our quality in this area, reliability and, at the end of the day, TCO considerations play an important role here. We are constantly developing our vehicles with innovative features. These include our patented multi-way steering system. We aim to continue expanding our technological leadership in the future. We want to "create something unique" every day.

Where exactly do you produce - and how high is your vertical range of manufacture?
Exclusively at our site in Fulda (Hesse). We are very proud of our workforce of now 400 employees and are also aware of our social responsibility towards the region and Germany as a production and technology location. Our vertical range of manufacture is therefore very high.

A product example from Fulda: the Hubtex DQX four-way stacker. (Photo: Hubtex)

In which sectors are you mainly active?
As a rule, our vehicles are developed, designed and built to customer specifications. That's why our devices are used in so many industries and sectors. Every day, Hubtex consultants develop solutions for a wide range of applications: These include, for example, the picking of heavy wooden panels, the construction of aircraft or even the handling of cheese in the Netherlands. We see our role as a service provider that optimizes the internal supply chain for its customers by transporting difficult and bulky goods.

You reported an increase in turnover for 2017. What is the reason for this growth?
We have been growing for several years now. Our new FluX, MaxX and DQX vehicles, which we added to our standard portfolio in 2016, are naturally contributing to this success. In addition, we are experiencing a high level of market interest, particularly for special appliances.

What are the current trends in device development?
The automation of order picking processes and the associated networking of vehicles are playing an increasingly important role. Overall, we therefore see that the boundaries between standard vehicles and specially developed special vehicles are becoming increasingly blurred with the Internet of Things as a driver of the Industry 4.0 movement. We are supporting the development towards networked production in a special way with our intelligently equipped vehicles. Another development trend on the market is the expansion of energy efficiency with electric vehicles. We expanded our portfolio some time ago and have since been offering our entire vehicle fleet with high-performance 48 V and 80 V lithium-ion batteries. Our principle for all developments and trends is always to advise customers individually on the most economical and efficient solution.

Will we also be seeing you at Cemat in Hanover?
No, we have decided not to take part in Cemat this year. The trend at Cemat in recent years, the consolidation with the Hannover Messe and the timing of the trade fair - these are all factors that are not ideal for us and have therefore led to this decision.

How do you see your market position in five years' time?
Thanks to the cooperation with Dimos Maschinenbau, we see Fulda as a technology location in the field of electric multidirectional forklifts and special vehicles. We would be delighted if we could expand our global activities as a result. This cooperation will secure our long-term competitiveness and at the same time create new development capacities. In this way, we want to further increase our technological lead. Due to the ever faster pace of change in logistics processes, this will also involve further expanding our specialized expertise in the areas of autonomous vehicles and automated logistics.

The jury of the handling award 2017 awarded your Flux vehicle third place. What effect did this award have on your employees?
Joyfully motivating! It was both praise and thanks to the team for their innovative spirit. With the development and construction of our universal talent Flux, we have once again proven our company motto: "We create the unique".

Mr. Finger, thank you very much for the interview!

The core business of HUBTEX Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG in Fulda is the manufacture of custom-built industrial trucks, sideloaders and special equipment for heavy and bulky goods. Founded in 1981, the company currently employs 400 people and reported a turnover of around 65 million euros for the past financial year. The management team includes Jürgen Keller, Managing Director of Development, Production and Service, Marco Goldbach, Managing Director of Human Resources, Finance and IT, and Hans-Joachim Finger, Managing Director of Sales and Purchasing.