Masonry Magazine August 2008 Page. 45
"There's not much we can do about fuel costs; we need to get the equipment on the jobsite." -Thierry LaChapelle, Hydro Mobile
To combat a weak economy, Hydro Mobile strives to maximize the performance of the dealers they have in place while expanding their territory, both in the United States and in international markets.
Another consideration is rising fuel costs, from which Hydro Mobile has seen an impact on production costs, due to the higher price of supplies they use and the costs to ship their product.
"There's not much we can do about it," admits LaChapelle. "We need to get the equipment on the jobsite."
Through the changing economy, Hydro Mobile tries to maintain a steady workforce and, currently, employs about 135 people. For the last couple of years, the company's strategic planning has focused on where they are heading with the production plant. A decision was reached to keep in-house the main production aspects such as the major welding, product assembly and quality control. They do, however, subcontract some of the minor welding and the prep of some smaller parts, says LaChapelle.
"We'd rather work with people than robots, though a robot in the shop does some of the welding," he says, referencing some of the advanced technology used by the company. In addition, the company's three owners foster a workplace culture that values employees and their personal time, recognizing that employees who are happy at home are usually happy at work.
"Our president is a 43-year-old engineer who is very open-minded and team oriented," he says. "He really believes in balancing work life and personal life to help avoid burnout." Hydro Mobile's French motto translates loosely into "Communication. Respect. Integrity."
LaChapelle says the company's growth is measured with a target to maintain 15 percent per year, though last year they saw a jump of 25 percent. Looking to the future, Hydro Mobile plans to continue with new product introduction and is currently preparing to launch the fourth product created since 2000. IMAS
K.K. Snyder is an Albany, Ga-based freelancer writer and editor. She can be reached at kkondeadline@hotmail.com.
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August 2008
Masonry 43