Visiting with the sledge hammer: a tour of Benelux

Unknown makes unloved, as the saying goes. Even Henk Saes, director and owner of Saes International BV from Weert, finds that this proverb is a truism. Because whoever says Saes, says "the best demolition hammers in the Benelux". This is what has made the company famous in the GWW.

Still, something wrings Henk Saes' eye. Of course he is grateful for the fact that so many companies have found their way to Weert, precisely because of Epiroc's SB and HB series. However, the fact that Saes International also excels in the middle segment is something that many companies overlook. Time to do something about it, Henk and his team thought.

Dare to make an honest calculation

"The reason why our attachments for medium-sized machine carriers are less well known is perfectly clear to me. This is mainly due to misconceptions prevailing in our sector. People know us primarily for the smallest and heaviest attachments and understand that these come at a price. Our middle segment is ignored because of prejudice. People automatically assume that we are too expensive," says Henk. "However, therein lies the crux. Only when one thinks in the short term, one may conclude that one pays more for the middle segment with us. Those who dare to calculate and have a long-term vision, however, will have to admit that investing in quality equipment only makes money at the bottom line."

Testing the MB1700 on your own project soon? No problem.

Henk gives a clear example: "We still regularly see the KRUPP demolition hammers from Essen that were launched 30 years ago for maintenance. They still work just fine, after 30 years! So while we provide service on a demolition hammer that has long been written off financially, but technically can still be used for many years, we see that demolition hammers from cheaper brands are completely used up after just a few years of use and disappear into the scrap heap or cannot be repaired because there are no spare parts left. Did you then enjoy the price advantage you enjoyed when you bought? I thought not."

Attachments on tour

If Moses doesn't come to the mountain, then the mountain will come to Moses, Henk reflected. "We put on the bold shoes and will be visiting companies in the near future with a flatbed truck full of attachments for the medium-sized machine carrier. There we will install the demolition hammer for the customer on his machine and then he may test it completely free of charge on one of his projects. There is no better comparison to make than in practice. We are so convinced of the better quality of our brands that we are happy to make this effort."

Which hammers will Saes International BV be using? Henk: "We are going on the road with Epiroc (formerly Atlas Copco), namely the MB750, the MB1000, the MB1200, the MB1500 and the MB1650. With these we can give a good insight into what we have to offer for the middle segment." And if the customer is convinced? "Then he can leave the tested hammer attached to the machine and we offer him a fair trade-in price for his old demolition hammer. A win-win situation for both," Henk concludes.