Finnish dealer Rotator hosted a successful two-day customer event in April, welcoming approximately 6,000 visitors to its headquarters in Pirkkala, Tampere. A huge variety of Hitachi Construction Machinery (HCM) models were on display, from the 1.7-tonne ZX17U-6 mini to a 70-tonne ZX690LCH-7 large excavator. Several new ZW-7 wheel loaders were available to view, in addition to larger models of the ZXW-7 wheeled excavator range. A special highlight was a refurbished UH081 excavator from 1983. This symbolised the first model to be delivered to Finland, when Rotator became the authorised dealer for Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV 40 years ago.
The original UH081 was bought by Karkkilan Kaivuu- ja Kuljetus Oy in April 1983. This was one of ten Hitachi excavators delivered by Rotator in its first year as a HCME dealer: a total of nine UH081 models and one UH121 (weighing 26 tonnes). Sales grew strongly from the early years, and by the end of 1986 a total of 76 Hitachi excavators had been delivered to customers in Finland. By June 1998, another significant milestone was reached: 200 Hitachi machines sold.
An 18.5-tonne UH081 excavator at the Mansen Mörinät event in April symbolised the first HCM model sold by Rotator in 1983. It was carefully refurbished over six months and featured the original Rotator logo.
With winter conditions proving particularly challenging in Finland, Rotator’s partnership with HCME has allowed it to supply reliable equipment that can endure the conditions of demanding job sites, including mines – for which Rotator is one of the country's leading machine suppliers. According to Managing Director Janne Wartiovaara: “Our relationship has allowed us to establish a reputation for high levels of performance and reliability.”
The dealer’s market share, as well as HCM’s share in Finland, has only improved since the two companies partnered with one another. Salesman Aarne Halmetoja says: “In the past 40 years, Hitachi has increased its market share significantly in Finland and gained the top position. Our customers are very satisfied with the reliability, fuel economy, ease of use and excellent resale value of their Hitachi equipment.”
Rotator started offering Hitachi equipment rental contracts over ten years ago – a sector that has increased in size and demand ever since. Its HCM rental fleet has proven extremely popular. Pauliina Koponen, Rental Equipment Fleet Manager, explains: “Machines over 20 tonnes are in most demand because they work all year around. As springtime comes, smaller crawlers, especially the ZX85, are in high demand – and so are all the wheeled excavators.”
“Our customers are very satisfied with the reliability, fuel economy, ease of use and excellent resale value of their Hitachi equipment,”
Rotator Salesman Aarne Halmetoja
Other HCM other solutions, such as Global e-Service, have also proven valuable to Rotator over the years. The dealer encourages customers to adopt these applications, and offers warranties and maintenance contracts through HELP (Hitachi Extended Life Program). The company has also invested heavily in after-sales – taking full advantage of Hitachi’s Support Chain programme. A significant proportion of the dealer’s large workforce are employed in the after-sales department, further cementing its priority of first-class customer support.
After-sales Director Jukka Oksanen comments on Rotator’s key values: “Our target is to respond right away to a customer’s request and ideally ensure it is dealt with by the next day at the latest.” According to Marketing Director Janne Salomäki, Rotator and HCME share similar values. “We want to provide the best possible products and services for our customers, and help them in the development of their businesses.” He believes that the people behind both companies, and their customers, are responsible for the decades of successful cooperation between HCME and Rotator. “Reliable machines, the best service, and professional contractors have together helped to build an ever-better Finland – and long may the story continue,” he adds.
Shared values, the people behind both companies, and their customers, have helped to make the partnership between Rotator and HCME even stronger.
Looking to the future, Rotator remains committed to focusing on the customer experience. It also looks forward to continuing its long-lasting partnership with HCME, with the objective of being Finland’s dealer of choice for construction machinery. Managing Director Janne Wartiovaara says: “Rotator is proud to have worked with Hitachi Construction Machinery all these years. Its excavators and service are always top quality. Our future strategy will focus on helping our customers to improve their productivity and safety.”
HCME President Takaharu Ikeda says: “Congratulations to Rotator on its 40th anniversary as our valued partner in Finland. With nine offices, 160 professional employees, more than 40 service vehicles, and an expert sales and after-service organisation, the service it provides to our customers in Finland is always of the highest quality and we look forward to our continued partnership.”
