Ernst van Hek returns with Austrian sales company

Former Alimak Hek and Hek Manufacturing executive Ernst van Hek has established a new company called Van Hek & Partner to sell a variety of powered access machines in Austria and eastern Europe.

Mr van Hek and his business partner René Stich will sell Power Tower, MEC and ATN platforms as well as Jekko mini cranes. The company started trading this month and is based in Tyrol, Vomperbach, Austria.

Mr Stich, who will be the company's sales manager, is a former Tyrolit employee who has experience in selling a variety of equipment and consumer goods.

Mr van Hek left Alimak Hek in April 2009 and said at the time that he was looking at establishing a trading business.

"We are proud that we could win these experienced partners for our project, because each one offers innovative and reliable solutions, which are not yet represented in the local market", said Mr van Hek.

"We see great potential in the market between Austria and in neighboring countries. Therefore we will have a very strong focus on setting up a dealer network in some Eastern European countries and are looking for cooperation partners in this area."

In addition to selling new machines, Van Hek & Partner will offer used equipment, with a pool of several hundred machines. It will also stock a "large assortment" of spare parts for all major brands.

Mr Stich said the product range made it a "complete supplier" in the region; "Jekko mini cranes offer some unique advantages over the devices of the established manufacturers. ATN was developed by an experienced French rental company so this machine meets 100% of the needs of the rental industry.

"In the field of low level access, we are generally the first and only provider in this country and with Power Tower we can offer the probably best devices for this segment. The reliable equipment of MEC rounds out our portfolio and makes us a complete supplier, and in particular with the MEC TITAN we can offer a new platform solution which is was not yet available in Austria and neighboring countries".

Van Hek & Partner will offer lease financing in cooperation with Raiffeisen Leasing GmbH, while equipment servicing will be managed by a number of independent companies.