Achieving growth together with MROs in Scandinavia

Mathijs Beentjes departed for Denmark over a year ago to continue strengthening Donghua’s position in Scandinavia from there. With over twelve years of experience at Donghua, he knows the company and its products inside out. Time for an update from Denmark: what are the challenges and opportunities for Donghua, and what does the future in Scandinavia look like?

“Donghua aims to grow in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The best way to achieve that is by being closer to our customers. Currently, the focus is mainly on MROs in the region. I provide support for technical questions and regularly visit to see where we can help and how we can collaboratively seize opportunities and new projects.”

Focus on service and knowledge at MROs

Mathijs observes a shift among Scandinavian MROs, resulting in an increased service demand towards Donghua. “Economically, things are a bit slower now, and simultaneously, I see a market change due to several acquisitions. Smaller MROs have recently been acquired by larger, international MROs.”

Larger organizations have higher demands regarding, for instance, packaging instructions and delivery times. “Large MROs are generally very advanced in order automation. This requires us to provide extra service and manpower to prepare the shipments correctly. We streamline communication per customer to establish a standard process for each client.”

Larger organizations require a different way of collaboration, with different interests and knowledge levels. “Finding people with technical knowledge is a challenge in itself, and in my experience, this is even more pronounced at large MROs. People are responsible for an enormous product portfolio, leading to broad knowledge but less specific product knowledge about, for example, chains.”

According to Mathijs, this is where Donghua can share more knowledge. “We communicate more to increase product knowledge among customers, for instance, through more product training and translating brochures.”

Working together to increase Donghua’s visibility in Scandinavia

Scandinavia offers plenty of opportunities for Donghua. “We see a lot of room for growth here, both at MROs and OEMs. Visibility and brand recognition are important factors in this.” In Scandinavia, Donghua competes against well-known, often local manufacturers, particularly with OEMs.

Mathijs sees a great opportunity to collaborate with MROs. “Of course, we are happy to serve OEMs directly, but they often have longstanding relationships with regional distributors.” MROs, in particular, have an increasing need for Donghua’s marketing efforts to work together. “MROs are paying more attention to marketing, and they want us to provide tools to communicate with their customers. This is a real opportunity to proactively position ourselves so that MROs feel seen and heard. Simultaneously, it is a challenge for us, and we are working hard to improve this.”

Another development that will please MROs and distributors is the creation of a platform where they can directly access Donghua chain stock, prices, and photos. Work is underway to realize this platform, which will include all standard Donghua chains with variations and technical specifications.

Customer case: Reducing chemical wear on chains

Currently, an interesting test with Donghua chains is ongoing in Denmark. A large dairy producer washes its crates in an automated production line. They use a chemical agent that causes the current chain to rust quickly. This leads to machine downtime and crate tipping, causing significant delays and production issues, prompting the customer to seek a solution.

“This project came to us via Lemvigh-Müller. The question is: can you provide a chain that rusts less quickly, thereby reducing machine downtime?” The current chain in the machine is not from Donghua, presenting Mathijs with a good opportunity to find a solution. “We first discussed possible solutions internally and came up with three options: a chain made of special stainless steel, a standard steel chain with a special coating, or a special stainless steel chain with a maintenance-free sliding bearing. We then discussed this with our production and engineering teams to present a complete solution to the customer.”

The proposed solutions have been offered to the dairy factory via Lemvigh-Müller. Depending on how quickly the MRO and customer act, the process from order to chain delivery takes about twelve weeks. “We need eight to ten weeks for production and delivery, but of course, there is also some time required for research, questions, etc.”

Mathijs, along with a Lemvigh-Müller representative, visited the factory where the three chains are currently being tested. “This is a fun and exciting project; our chains are now being put to the test in real life! The original chain in the machine lasted just under a year. Our goal with this test, which has been running for over a year, is to more than double the lifespan. The project is now fully in the hands of our partner Lemvigh-Müller and the dairy manufacturer.”

Chains for mechanical applications in Scandinavia

In the coming years, Mathijs aims to collaborate even more with MROs and customers like the dairy manufacturer to realize Donghua’s growth in Scandinavia. “I see plenty of opportunities and challenges in this market for Donghua to make a difference with our reliable and high-quality chains.”