June/July 2020

Haffner Murat Q&A
MACHINERY
Continued from page 34
What is the next step with regards to
getting the business back to full capacity?
The technical sales team and internal support
staff are now back working because we have a
strong pipeline of new orders that we are following
up and securing. We are also working with our
machinery customers to install all new machines
that were delayed due to the lockdown.
What have been the key challenges and
considerations for Haffner when working
through a pandemic?
Without doubt, ensuring that we adhere to all
safety measures, especially when installing
machinery at a fabricators’ premises. However,
there is definitely a sense that we are all in this
together and we’re working closely with our
customers to find solutions every time.
Do you see access to finance being an
issue for fabricators looking to purchase
machinery?
Cashflow is always critical in every business,
no matter what the economic climate. We have
financing packages available, subject to eligibility,
to help fabricators looking to invest and continue
to manage their cashflow effectively.
Did you have a significant backlog of
machinery deliveries and installations
following the government’s lockdown?
There were quite a few that we had to put on hold
because most of the industry went into lockdown.
We have been working through them since our
return and will soon be back on track. The factors
were out of everyone’s control but I’d like to thank
our customers for their patience and understanding.
How has the pandemic impacted on the
servicing of machines?
In many instances, customers were on reduced
staffing levels, which meant planning was not
straightforward. Often, they had orders to fulfil so
they did not want engineers to service machinery
because that would result in downtime. In some
cases, customers were reluctant to allow people
into their factory unless absolutely necessary
because of the measures they had to put in place
to maintain social distancing.
Haffner Murat, which supplies and services a wide range
of machinery from Haffner, Italmac and Fom Industrie,
recently doubled the office and showroom space at its
Stafford headquarters and is in the process of considerable
expansion at its manufacturing facility in Istanbul
What are the main production /
maintenance issues that your fabricator
customers have reported during the
pandemic and how have you been able to
help them?
Most people have been furloughed at the same
time, so the industry really has been in this
together. Where customers have needed help we
have been able to do it remotely via TeamViewer.
“We are surprised by
the uptake of orders
and the amount of
work out there”
How far has the way you operate changed
since the pandemic in terms of site visits
and machine servicing etc?
We work closely with our customers to arrange
site visits with social distancing in place. All
our staff have PPE to use when they work on
customers’ premises. Internally, we have glass
partitioned offices which have been really useful.
Plus, where staff can work from home, we have
encouraged them to do so. We have introduced
extensive Covid-19 protocols for working at our
headquarters to ensure the safety of all our staff.
Have any new business streams emerged
as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic?
Automation has always been a way to drive quality
and efficiency. It also enables social distancing
because one piece of equipment only needs one
member of staff to operate it. We’ve certainly seen
an increase in enquiries from fabricators looking
to use automation to balance the need to maintain
production with the need to keep their staff safe. I
think that trend will continue.
What is the biggest challenge for Haffner
going forward?
At the moment we are in the same bubble as
everyone else. We are quite surprised by the
uptake of orders and the amount of work out
there. We appointed a new area manager just
before lockdown. We have also recently added
another experienced engineer to our team to
assist with the mounting installations and
machine services required.
Will you maintain any of the new working
practices you’ve adopted post-Covid?
Everyone is looking forward to going back to
minimal social distancing. But washing of hands,
cleanliness and respect should be commonplace
and we pride ourselves in looking after our
customers and our workers.
Contact Haffner Murat:
01785 222421
haffnermurat.com
@HaffnerMuratLtd
36 TF JUNE/JULY 2020 CONNECTING THE WINDOW, DOOR & ROOF FABRICATION SUPPLY CHAIN