“We find solutions for you " – Interview with Kristin Heinrici, häwa USA

Who buys häwa products in America?
We have a very diverse range of clients. We are very active in the food industry, in the pharmaceutical sector, in Texas also in the oil and gas industry, but of course mainly in mechanical engineering. In agriculture, we are very well represented in chicken farms, which are fully automated in the United States. You can also find our hygiene cabinets in many large bakeries.

Do you know any of these companies?
Of course, Coca Cola, for example, uses many häwa products.

Why do Americans like German products?
„Made in Germany" is always synonymous with top quality - continuously and over a very long period of time. This applies in particular to häwa products - which set us apart from our competitors. American customers appreciate the customer service and the clever technical details of many German products.

What's a häwa bestseller overseas?
Very large control cabinets sell really well. This distinguishes ourselves clearly from our competitors and our prices are very competitive. 

Can you describe the day-to-day work of the häwa representative in the United States?
My job is divided into two parts. Half the time I'm in our Duluth, Georgia office. The other half, I travel across the continent to personally support important clients. 

When visiting customers, what do you tell them about häwa?
I tell them that for me, häwa is more than just a manufacturer of control cabinets. häwa is a customer-focused company producing solutions for the customers’ individual requirements.

Are there any questions about the origin of häwa?
Yes indeed, and when I tell them that the häwa's headquarters is situated in the south of Germany, most of them are happy and answer: "Aha, that's where the beer and brass music comes from"!

How do you deliver a control cabinet from Wain, for example, to Wyoming?
We always have control cabinets in stock in the United States because every week, we receive one container per sea freight from Bremerhaven to Savannah. From there it is transported to our warehouse by truck - about 450 kilometers. We modify 90 percent of these cabinets on site and deliver them afterwards to the customer. We have a total of 11 employees in Duluth. If things have to be done very quickly, we also use air freight, because a container has a transit time of about four weeks from door to door.

How does the Corona pandemic affect American businesses?
The United States is currently severely affected by the Corvid 19 pandemic and häwa USA cannot emerge completely unscathed from the crisis. But our industry still has a lot of work to do. The evolution of the pandemic will be decisive for the future of the US economy.