Aluminium door and window hinges for strong connections
Velbert, the city in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, is known industrially as the center of the production of locks and fittings. Since 1936, the company Haps GmbH + Co. KG - a loyal Hydro customer for decades - has also been located there.
"Technology in aluminium" is written under the Haps logo. That sounds like a clear commitment and a commitment to aluminium. It is, because Haps actually uses aluminium exclusively for its products. "Because aluminium is easy to process and shape, it doesn't rust, because of the lightness of the material and strong connections can be made with it," knows Silke Hüsgen-Kupke. She is responsible for purchasing in the medium-sized family business.
Versatile fittings
Haps purchases extruded aluminium profiles from Hydro. These are then mechanically processed in the company's own plant and, if necessary, anodized or coated externally. This results in high-quality products that are not only sold to the building hardware trade. The respective manufacturers also like to use Haps fittings in vehicle construction, shipbuilding, medical technology, and in the sanitary sector.
‘Collaboration' at its best
The family business, which employs about 50 people, is mainly supplied from Uphusen and Rackwitz, but for decades it has also been supplied from the English plant in Tibshelf. But then came the Brexit and Haps feared delivery difficulties for the profiles from England because of the more complex customs formalities. "We recognized the concern of our long-standing customer and without further ado contacted our colleagues in the UK to see to what extent it would be possible to relocate production to Germany - closer to the customer's plant. The understanding was great. Without hesitation, they forwarded the drawings so that we were able to set up the tools and production in Rackwitz in a very short time," explains Erik Röling, who looks after Haps as key account manager. Already at the beginning of the year, the first profiles were delivered in the usual quality. For Erik Röling, this was a prime example of a perfectly functioning cooperation: "The cooperation with our colleagues in England was exemplary. As a result, we were able to satisfy our customer and keep the order in the Hydro family."
"Not a single complaint"
Thanks to this action, Hydro also confirmed its good reputation with the customer. Silke Hüsgen-Kupke comments: "The cooperation with Hydro and Mr. Röling is very good. If something goes wrong or deadlines have to be pushed forward, Hydro is very flexible. They do what they can. And the quality is right. We haven't had a single complaint in the last few years."
