HARTING sees strong growth in Canada

Canada continues to be an excellent performer for HARTING Technology Group, recording double digit revenue growth on a regular basis including the year to date. As a result of the exciting opportunities available to it, the German-based, family-owned global technology company announced at its annual trade media luncheon today that it plans to increase its full-time Canadian sales force to four in the coming months. That will give more customers access to the expertise HARTING sales staff can offer to optimize their technology spending.

Team HARTING at the annual media luncheon, held in Toronto this week includes Ashley Smith-Heine, vice-president of sales, HARTING Americas and Carl Maalouf, director of sales, HARTING Canada.

HARTING established a direct presence in the Canadian market seven and a half years ago, creating HARTING Canada with an office in Montreal. Today, the Canadian sales force is backed by HARTING Americas’ in-house sales department as well as a comprehensive distributor network. The product support team based in Elgin, IL also assists Canadian customers remotely and even onsite when warranted.

Sales force expansion

Ashley Smith-Heine, vice-president of sales, Harting Americas told the trade media attendees that the sales force expansion is particularly attractive because of a number of stellar opportunities in the Canadian marketplace.

– Automation and digitalization: Canadian companies are embracing greater automation and IIoT solutions, which is only going to accelerate in the years to come. “We see the uptake of IIoT accelerating in the Americas, with commensurate benefits in optimizing operational efficiency and business costs,” said Smith-Heine. “By 2023, the smart manufacturing market worldwide is expected to be worth US$299 billion with a compound annual growth rate of 11%.” That aligns with much of what’s being developed in HARTING’s global R&D programs and the company’s focus on new automation products and strategies. 

– Market diversification:  While machinery and transportation are still hugely important in Canada, HARTING is finding success in additional markets like data centres and PGTD (Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution).

– Market share growth: There is a correlation between expanding the direct sales presence and building more mutually productive customer relationships. Those valued relationships differentiate HARTING from competitors. “There is no substitute for boots on the ground; our customers have always appreciated that of HARTING,” said Carl Maalouf, Director of Sales, HARTING Canada. “We’re not just there to sell products, but to help them select the most appropriate ones from both a technical and business standpoint.”

Maalouf noted that having game changing new products like the HARTING MICA mini-computer and the ix Industrial connector for IP20 Ethernet applications is giving machine, plant and process designers the chance to design differently. He cited two new products featured at the Hannover Messe in April that are about to debut in Canada:

– Han 1A: This compact, economical, modular connector series configurable with up to 12 contacts for transmitting data, power and signal is ideal for controllers, small drives and control cabinets. These lightweight connectors cater to the need for smaller interfaces in machine design and robotics, taking up 30% less space than the Han 3A widely used for such applications. There are inserts and accessories for indoor and outdoor applications (IP20/IP65). Assembly is tool-less.

– HARTING T1 Industrial: These Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) connectors can be configured to carry power and data on one pair of wires instead of the usual two pair and can provide effective Ethernet coverage to previously inaccessible locations and connect the simplest of devices, like sensors, in a cost-effective manner.

With ix Industrial and T1 Industrial, the company is redefining connectivity for industrial Ethernet. “We literally created the standard for Single Pair Ethernet (SPE); all relevant standardization committees have gone along with HARTING’s design for an SPE mating face,” said Heine-Smith. There are many benefits of SPE technology: It delivers decisive advantages over existing bus systems or analog current/voltage interfaces. It simplifies parameterization, initialization and programming. The set-up, operation and maintenance of equipment become more efficient and cost-effective. SPE connectors weigh less and take up less space, so wiring is simpler and installation considerably faster. It’s an ideal interface for widespread implementation of IIoT data gathering for shop floor level or cloud analysis. SPE is a game changing innovation for the smart factory and T1 Industrial is just the first of many products that will be based on this technology.