Business feature: HPL Distribution

Date: 03.08.2021

HPL Distribution's new location boats an eight-metre-high workshop, which allows plenty of room for servicing gear and repairs for up to 30-tonne machines

HPL Distribution has now been at their south of Waipu site on State Highway One for just over a year now, and the new location has an eight-metre-high workshop, which allows plenty of room for servicing gear and repairs for up to 30-tonne machines.

The new location and premises have seen a huge increase in the visibility of the company’s Kato products and services, HPL says, with new clients from South of Whangarei and the Kaipara region and beyond calling in off the main highway.

The new location and premises have seen a huge increase in the visibility of the company’s Kato products and services

HPL’s hire fleet (including forestry units) has meant that a wide range of contractors/owner-operators have been able to hire low hour late model machines. The company says feedback has been positive with people commenting on the high specs of the machinery and smooth controls of the Kato excavators.

Over half of recent sales have been from clients that have hired a machine and ended up purchasing one. Another two contracting companies (one based in Northland and the other in Pukekohe) are in the process of converting their fleet to Kato machines and with one contractor purchasing five Kato machines in the last 18 months. 

"The Kato brand was very well known and regarded back in the ‘80s but lost momentum, and people have actually forgotten this and by getting ‘bums back in seats’, it has been a great sales strategy," says Scott Daisley HPL operations manager.

To further get the larger Kato machines back into the market, HPL has secured a new dealer in Hamilton (Hawken Group) who will provide sales, parts, and services to the Waikato and BOP regions.

Hawken Group was chosen due to their previous experience as a machinery dealer, having their own mechanical workshop and servicing as with being a family-owned and operated business with similar values.

HPL are now on the lookout for dealers for the lower North Island and South Island.
"It has been a common misconception that because HPL are non-corporate that we can’t provide services like other dealers/brands," says Scott. "However, a client based in Waikoikoi (South Island) had an issue with a machine purchased late last year.

So, we booked flights down, diagnosed the issue, and sorted out a solution (which included a new part) all within a week. The client feedback was with their old machine (which they sold to purchase the Kato), the dealer was close by (within an hour) and it would take weeks to fix an issue.

One of the key features that makes HPL stand out from the rest is being non-corporate, we can offer our clients a huge amount of flexibility, with a quick decision-making process, which we can pass onto our clients within our sales and servicing."

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