Hiab’s Raisio factory is focused on the surface treatment and assembly of hooklifts. The company cooperates closely with FSP in both everyday operations and development. The factory is expecting significant growth, which is why Hiab and FSP are together investing in a new paint shop. Factory director Esa Korolainen discusses the operations and future expectations of the Raisio factory.
– Hiab is part of Cargotec, along with Kalmar and McGregor. Here in Raisio, we have one of Hiab’s numerous factories, says Esa Korolainen, Director of Operations at the factory.
The Raisio factory manufactures Multilift hooklifts.
– Cargotec provides equipment for intelligent cargo handling. Hiab is specialized in on-road load handling. We have several product families, including general cargo lifts and forestry cranes, but here in Raisio we are specialized in hooklifts and skiploaders, Korolainen explains. – We manufacture these products under the Multilift brand.
The Raisio factory is focused on assembly.
– High quality surface treatment is an integral part of assembly. Our process is grounded in the goal to provide customers with a visually high-quality product, Korolainen says.
FSP is responsible for the entire surface treatment process in Raisio.
– In practice, this means that FSP’s process is followed directly by Hiab’s own assembly process, but our production lines are connected, Korolainen describes the operations.
He says that Hiab and FSP cooperate every day in operative actions and tasks related to surface treatment, but they also conduct research into different coating systems and work together to improve the quality of painted products and the durability of coating.
Hiab’s products are used in demanding environments and conditions.
– Our products are constantly subjected to de-icing salt, which poses a tough challenge for the durability of surface treatment. Further challenges are added by the products that are being handled with our equipment, Korolainen says.
FSP IS INTEGRATED IN HIAB’S OPERATIONS
Esa Korolainen says that FSP is currently operating in Hiab’s facilities as an integrated part of the factory’s production process. Cooperation is smooth as both companies have access to the same production management system.
– Our production management systems are shared and FSP follows our production pipelines and actions.
This means that we don’t need any separate order process for surface treatment. FSP is integrated into our internal production management system. FSP ensures that the right surface-treated product is in the right place at the right time, fulfilling the required quality standards.
Korolainen is pleased with the cooperation.
– FSP’s strength is their ability to integrate into the customer’s operational environment, adhering to the special needs of different industries and companies, and adapting their own operations to match them.
JOINT INVESTMENT TO DOUBLE VOLUMES
Hiab runs two surface treatment facilities in Raisio. In one of them, Hiab owns the facility and its equipment but FSP manages the daily operations – an arrangement for several years already. Another surface treatment facility will be completed in spring 2020, where Hiab owns the properties and facilities but FSP owns all the production equipment. This puts FSP in charge of the functionality and maintenance of the equipment.
The joint investment is made with growth in mind.
– We believe that the market is strongly developing, Esa Korolainen says. – We are seeking to double the volume of our Raisio factory in the coming years, and FSP naturally has to keep up by increasing their surface treatment capacity. We have set out to realize the investment together with FSP, which reduces the investment load and balance sheet pressure for both companies.
OPERATIONS GUIDED BY SUSTAINABILITY
Like many other activities, the Raisio factory also has other goals than just increasing volumes.
– Comparing different coating systems, and looking for alternatives that would help us minimize our VOC emissions, is a shared interest with FSP. We have already worked together to reach that goal, Esa Korolainen says.
– Sustainable development is one of the top priorities for Cargotec and Hiab, and we must work hard for it.
Consequently, cooperation with FSP is profound and diverse.
– FSP is a specialist with whom we have completely integrated our operative processes. We also work together on our future objectives and production development actions. For us, FSP is more than a mere surface treatment provider: they are a strategic partner in our business development, Korolainen sums up the relationship.
