On course for international growth with Alexander Baumann as new CEO
HUBTEX Maschinenbau GmbH from Fulda, Germany has integrated the U.S. general importer Design Storage & Handling (DSH) fully into its organizational structure. The move establishes the new subsidiary HUBTEX North America, which will now take charge of cultivating the German company’s most important non-European market. Its new CEO Alexander Baumann will head up operations in North and Central America.
Alexander Baumann, Hans-Joachim Finger (Managing Director HUBTEX) and Marco Goldbach (Managing Director HUBTEX) in Fulda.
For over 30 years, DSH sold the HUBTEX Group’s products in the North and Central American markets with considerable success. The lift truck manufacturer HUBTEX has now acquired all shares in the general importer and will be looking after its North American customers under its own name in the future as HUBTEX North America. “We’re still the partner you can trust for transporting long, heavy, and bulky loads,” Alexander Baumann says. “But now we’re expanding this expertise beyond the confines of the steel industry, taking in the building materials trade and the lumber and automotive industries as well – which our products are the perfect fit for. We guarantee users a reliable supply of spare parts, top-quality service, and flawless production processes.” Expanding automated intralogistics solutions in the U.S. and forging new links in the aerospace industry are other areas of focus, Alexander Baumann reveals. The new CEO boasts over 20 years’ experience in industrial truck engineering and picking technology plus extensive technical expertise in HUBTEX’s products.
Rob Alling, the previous Managing Director at DSH, and Alexander Baumann during Fabtech 2023
New California depot to ensure rapid availability
HUBTEX is currently working on a number of projects in the U.S. to open up new areas of the market for multidirectional trucks. “This includes opening a new depot on the west coast of America – in California, to be precise – alongside our existing major branches in Ohio and Virginia,” explains HUBTEX CEO Hans-Joachim Finger. “We’ve already laid the necessary groundwork and increased the size of our demonstration fleet. Establishing a presence in California is just one of the things we’re doing to get closer to our existing customers, learn even more about what they need, and showcase our products to new users too.” With the move, HUBTEX is also ensuring the rapid availability and prompt delivery of its standard equipment. Besides its two branches, the company also has sales and service staff in Washington State, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas, and California. In addition, HUBTEX North America will add Genkinger to its portfolio. The German manufacturer of bespoke handling equipment for production environments complements the range, as well as specialist airport and air cargo equipment from DIMOS Maschinenbau.
A transatlantic training drive
In a bid to tackle the current shortage of skilled workers head on, HUBTEX North America has decided to introduce a training program at its sites in Brookville, Ohio and Fulda in Germany. “We’re doing this because we want to make the job of service engineer attractive to more people, specifically those who’d be joining us from a different industry,” Baumann explains. “They’ll get taught all of HUBTEX’s expertise on site.”