Hyvalift moves your world

Naas, Co. Kildare based Hyvalift Ltd is a leading supplier of hydraulic components such as pumps, power take-offs, valves, tipping cylinders, and tipping gear kits. It also offers autosheet systems; moving floor solutions and high quality hook and skip loaders. Managing director Henk van Zegveld threw open the doors to Irish Trucker.

Stephen Whaley, Wout Bol, Sharon Guliton, Henk van Zegveld, Colm Heslin and Fergal Heslin line up for the official photo

Hyavlift is known the length and breadth of Ireland in bodybuilding and trailer manufacturing circles for the supply of hydraulic tipping cylinders, hydraulic wet kits and ancillary equipment.

Henk revealed the benefits of using its range of Hyva hydraulic cylinders and ancillary products: “All components are compatible and designed to suit your vehicle. That makes fitting easy and efficient. Using one supplier cuts down on handling and administration.”

It is also well known for the supply of Warn hydraulic winches and accessories, Ringfeder / VBG drawbar couplings, Multi-Stroke twistlocks, Hi-Lift multi-purpose jacks, and Safari snorkel systems.

Henk, who hails from the Netherlands, established the company at Tougher Industrial Estate in 1994, and it has been onwards and upwards for the hard-working entrepreneur ever since.

“We are the market leaders in most of the markets we are active in. We have an established customer base in bodybuilding, waste management equipment and trailer manufacturing sectors. We would also have many truck dealers on our books,” Henk explained.

Offering 32-county coverage Hyvalift employs the service of two fulltime sales representatives who cover the country from Malin Head to Mizen Head and from Dublin to Galway.

“We have two fulltime representatives on the road representing the company. They cover the 32-counties servicing our existing customers and searching out new business,” Henk confirmed.
Henk believes in the personal touch and is keen to get out on the road and meet his customers at every possible opportunity. It has been one of the cornerstones of the company’s success to date.

“To sell successfully in Ireland you have to have a base. Our customers like to have our representatives calling on a regular basis. The personal touch is still very important and I get out to meet the customers as often as I can,” he noted.

Operating in what is ultimately a very competitive sector, Henk believes the company has the edge over the competition in a number of distinct areas. “Quality and availability are very important on the hydraulics side of the business. To that end we have a huge stockholding of hydraulic components,” he elaborated.

He continued: “99 times out of a 100 we can service the customer’s requirements from stock. In this line of work you have to carry a very large stockholding to be successful,” Henk confirmed.
Depending on individual customer requirements, the goods can be dispatched by courier for “next day” delivery, or alternatively customers have the option of calling in person to the company’s premises in Naas.

Over the year’s Hyvalift’s forward thinking philosophy has stood the company in good stead. Nowhere is this more evident than in the company’s supply of hook and skip loaders to the waste management industry. Henk revealed: “On the hook and skip loader side of the business innovation has put us on the map. We are continually bringing new and exciting products to the market.”

The Hyvalift range of hook loaders can be supplied with either sling main arm or a combination sliding and knuckle arm. The sliding arm system has a range of three to 40 tonnes, while the combination system has range of 18 to 30 tonnes. Both suyems are suitable for all types of vehicles and container sizes.

Hyvalift skip loaders can be supplied in three basic types. Systems with either fixed or telescopic arms are available from six to 18 tonne and systems with knuckle arms have a lifting range of 12 to 18 tonne.

In the past few years the waste management industry has grown at an exciting pace as Ireland wakes up to its environmental responsibilities. The trend towards recycling has led to significant changes in the way waste is handled.

Henk continued: “If you look at leading European countries like Sweden, Finland, Germany, France and the Netherlands waste is recycled at a rate of 80 per cent. Ireland is a long way off that figure. We are playing our part because of the type of equipment we supplied.

He added: “We supply telescopic skip loaders, which are taking the market by storm. 95 per cent of the skip loaders we sell are telescopic. That is a direct result of the way waste is now being handled.”

Hyvalift provides probably the most effective range of sheeting systems for tippers and hook loaders on the market. Henk commented: “Our engineering staff are dedicated to the design and production of low cost, high quality sheeting systems. All sheeting systems are not the same and it is our mission to exceed our customers’ expectations.

The company also supplies horizontal loading and unloading solutions through its moving floor systems. Henk remarked: “There is no danger of the vehicle turning over whatever the condition of the terrain. The tractor and trailers do not have to be in line to achieve stability. They are ideal for high volume, low weight bulk materials. Up to 100 cubic metres of bulk materials can be transported.”

As with all things to do with road transport, cost is always an important consideration, according to Henk. “It is a cost conscious market. I would say prices are below the EU average. Hyvalift competes very well on price,” he affirmed.

Situated just off the N7 dual carriageway, Henk believes the company is ideally situated to take advantage of future business opportunities. “We are very close to the motorway, which allows easy access for our customers. When I had to make a decision on location 10 years ago, I chose Naas and it has been a very good decision for the company,” he remarked.

To that end many of the company’s customers are based in the greater Dublin area, within easy reach of the company. “Naas always had a reputation for trailer manufacture and that is still the case,” he commented.