ExTe Magazine No. 4/2016

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E XTEMAGAZ I N E N E W S F R O M T H E W O R L D ’ S L E A D I N G M A N U FA C T U R E R O F T I M B E R B U N K S A N D A U TO -T E N S I O N E R S

NOW STEFAN HAS TESTED

TU TENSIONERS FOR JUST OVER TWO YEARS

THIS IS HOW BANDY SHOULD BE PLAYED

STRAIGHT IN AND STRAIGHT ON WANT TO READ THE MAGAZINE ONLINE? GO TO EXTE.SE

CONTACT US: TELEPHONE +46 (0)651-175 00 OR EMAIL SALES@EXTE.SE AND TELL US WHAT YOU NEED. EXTE MAGASIN | 1

KJ E LL JON SSON CE O E XT E

YOUR CONFIDENCE IN US

This year, winter really came quickly. A relatively warm and pleasant autumn turned into full winter in just a few days and then it got icy and vehicles started gliding off the roads, including timber lorries! That’s when we need to take action fast so we can provide spare parts and then it’s good to know that we have some fifty distributors all over Sweden who have spare parts. Together with them, we can provide the service the afflicted hauliers need.

Stand-still times because of damage means lost revenue for hauliers. That’s why it’s important for us to build up fast and efficient service systems together with our distributors. Our key concern is to improve hauliers’ profitability. Providing good service is one way of doing so.

2016 is soon over and when we sum up the past year, we can see that it has gone really well. The main reason is of course the great confidence that you hauliers, drivers and equipment installers have in us and our products and we believe this is because we listen to you and develop the products you need. In any event, we are both grateful for and proud of your confidence in us.

As for our products, it seems both the TU tensioner and the S series have really hit the spot. The wide inner measurement of the S series means more cargo in every stack. and everyone seems to like the TU tensioner with all its different functions.

We maintained a high pace in 2016 and I promise things will not slow down in 2017. In addition to our roadshow, we are going to have service days all over the country during the late winter and spring. We will invite hauliers to come and have their ExTe equipment inspected and adjusted if necessary. In October, we tested the idea in Färila and it was much appreciated.

In addition, you will all be able to meet us at both Elmia Wood and the Mittias Forest Transport trade fair in Ljusdal, not to mention all the other trade fairs in the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe. If that’s not enough for you, you are always welcome to visit us in Färila.

Our activities out in Europe are moving along nicely and we are already planning new ventures in other parts of the world. We will come back to that in a future issue of Magasin. There is also a lot going on here at home as well. We have new products in the pipeline and other handy things for hauliers which we will present during the coming year.

Alongside all of this, we are rebuilding our workshop so as to increase production flexibility - a very exciting project!

Now I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Kjell Jonsson CEO ExTe

CONTENTS READ MAGASIN DIGITALLY You can always find the current ExTe Magasin at exte.se. Click to read about news from all over the world.

2 | EXTE MAGASIN

03 So handy just to turn in.

04 Service all over the country.

06 Now Stefan has tested.

07 Strap or chain?

09 This is how bandy should be played.

11 ExTe now has a sister!

12 Lisa – ExTe’s voice.

15 Morek visits Färila.

“SO HANDY!

I JUST TURNED IN!

“So handy!” says Kenneth Gisselman, on the right, a haulier from Ytterhögdal. Here together with Bosse Hjelm, ExTe

”

Kenneth Gisselman, a haulier from Ytterhogdal in Härjedalen, was one of the hauliers and drivers who made use of ExTe’s service day.

“This is really handy for us who drive timber out to the coast.

We drive past ExTe’s factory gates all the time so we just turned in there. I didn’t really have anything that needed doing but they took the opportunity of replacing some wedges on a couple of stakes and they serviced the tensioners. Moreover, I was able to meet both the designers and the technicians and chat to them and discuss some ideas. It was great! They are so easy to talk to and they can fix just about anything,” says Kenneth. “Moreover, they gave us something to eat and a guided tour of the factory.

It was interesting to hear about their investment plans.

I know that ExTe are planning more service days in other parts of the country so I just want to say to my colleagues: “Grab the opportunity when they are near you. It was both interesting and rewarding. Moreover, they offer good discounts on spare parts during the service days and the soup they gave us was simply fantastic!”

Tomas Klang, a haulier from Ljusdal, also took the opportunity of stopping by.

“I needed to replace a valve on a tensioner on the lorry so this was a good opportunity. It was very rewarding to meet the technicians, designers and salespersons who were there,” says Tomas. Just like Kenneth, he recommends other hauliers and drivers to grab the opportunity when ExTe have a service day in their area.

Tomas also took the opportunity of discussing new bunks.

“We tipped over with one of our lorries so now I’m waiting for that to be fixed and I want it to have new bunks. Meantime, they have lent me a lorry.”

The service day in Färila was the first of a number of service days that will take place during the late winter and spring in places that are easily accessible for everyone in other parts of Sweden. Personal invitations will be sent out when we are in the area.

Per Eriksson, in the foreground, checking TU tensioners.

Everything was checked on the service day. Here, the bunks are being inspected by Ulf Olsson and Lars Lövgren up on the trailer.

EXTE MAGASIN | 3

NOW YOU CAN JUST REACH OUT YOUR HAND AND TAKE THINGS STRAIGHT OFF THE SHELF.

PERHAPS A LITTLE EXAGGERATED - BUT WE ARE VERY CLOSE BY. For us, it’s profitability that matters. Your profitability. Quite simply, everything must work for you - even when something goes wrong. Your vehicle shouldn’t have to stand still for a long time, waiting for spare parts. We are expanding our services in several places, from north to south. We collaborate with equipment installers, service workshops and companies that sell spare parts.

We want you to feel fully confident about our products and know that you are never far away from the things you need.

You will find a complete list of our collaboration partners and their contact details at exte.se.

4 | EXTE MAGASIN

OUR SERVICE TECHNICIANS HAVE MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE INSIDE THEIR SHIRTS...

YOU CAN TELL. We want you to have full confidence in our products. Quite simply, they must work so you don’t have any unplanned standstills.

If you need help with any of our products, turn to our distributors in the first instance but ExTe’s technical support also includes a service team that can help you. Our distributors and service team will solve any problems quickly and efficiently so you will be on the road again as soon as possible. Also, don’t be surprised if our technical support team contacts you, wanting to do a function and safety check on the ExTe products you have on your vehicle.

Read more about our products at www.exte.se

Cargo securing is a concept. We invented it.

EXTE MAGASIN | 5

NOW STEFAN HAS TESTED

TU TENSIONERS FOR JUST OVER TWO YEARS Per Eriksson has removed the tensioners from Stefan Håkansson’s vehicle. Now they will be carefully analysed to see the effects of two years of testing.

Stefan Håkansson in Lit, north of Östersund, is one of ExTe’s “test drivers” of the TU tensioner.

For just over two years, he has been driving with TU tensioners on his vehicle. Now, ExTe has replaced the tensioners so as to be able to take them apart and analyse the results after the trial period.

“I have had no trouble at all during these two years,” says Stefan. The tensioners have just kept going and going. I transport timber all over the place, from mountain areas and forestland, so the tensioners have been subjected to really tough conditions.

Sometimes they have looked like lumps of ice, yet they have worked anyway. I suppose I should be critical as a “test driver” but for me, these TU tensioners have been completely outstanding. The tensioners have done the job and not given me any trouble for two years.

Also, I think ExTe has been very good at keeping in touch and following up how things have been going. I get on particularly well with Elias Hjelm. He’s a good listener and knows all the technical stuff,” says Stefan.

“At ExTe, the tensioners are meticulously analysed so as to see if they have been affected or may be affected by anything in the future. I’ll be surprised if we find anything at all on Stefan Håkansson’s tensioners since everything has worked so well for him,” says Lennart Wallström, product development manager at ExTe. We have found a little rust on some screws on some other tensioners but that is easily rectified. Now we only use stainless steel.

6 | EXTE MAGASIN

Stefan Håkansson from Lit is very happy with the TU tensioners he has tested for two years.

STRAP OR CHAIN

MAKES NO DIFFERENCE FOR TU

Most hauliers have a rather fixed opinion about whether to use straps or chains for securing timber. Some prefer chains while others always use straps and there are several reasons why one should choose one or the other. Some hauliers prefer chains since they think that in rain or snow and varying temperatures, straps freeze together, become stiff and difficult to handle.

Others prefer the suppleness of straps. Both reasons are equally valid. The most important thing is that the hauliers decide for themselves what they want. A TU tensioner has no technical limitations. It is equally suitable for both straps and chains. The only difference is that a chain is suspended while a strap is rolled up onto a drum.

Stefan HĂĽkansson, who has tested TU tensioners for two years, has also tested whether there is any difference between using a strap or a chain. He has a strap on one tensioner and a chain on the other. “It makes no difference to the tensioner. Strap or chain works equally well,â€? says Stefan. On the tensioner with a chain, I have a somewhat larger drum and a short-linked chain closest to the drum. Alternatively, one can have a couple of metres of strap closest to the drum. There are many different dimensions of drums.

EXTE MAGASIN | 7

A historic handshake between Tomas Edstrรถm, Team Edstrรถms and Jรถrgen Spring, Team ExTe.

8 | EXTE MAGASIN

And then the m atch Some fast dribwas underway. bling...

Bandy is a sport that brings people together. Great atmosphere.

THIS IS HOW BANDY SHOULD BE PLAYED. STRAIGHT IN AND STRAIGHT ON. Despite constant pressure, Edströms åkeri was finally beaten by ExTe in a bandy match that had everything. But it was a real struggle before ExTe could raise the coveted cup to the sound of victorious cheering, as if they had won the World Championship. Not surprising really, seeing as the ExTe team’s nerves were trembling on the outside of their team shirts. But the Åsele guys were formidable. Big and tough, fierce close-up battles - like timber lorries on skates. Straight in and straight on.

And things were even better thanks to Edströms’ brilliant coach, Ingemar, from Småstadsliv. After a while, everyone was raring to go and the strategy seemed to be chrysal clear.

“Listen, guys - now we just go for it! We can do it. Let’s go!” And they certainly did go, sometimes the right way but just as often the wrong way, and at full speed. Above all, it was difficult to get that little red thing in between the stakes - the posts! But when the final whistle blew, it turned out the ball had rolled into both goals several times. So, ExTe won this first match even though the outcome was probably not a fair result and the referee was from Ljusdal... We’re now dreading the return game, which will no doubt happen!

Tomas Edström was one of the players who was dreading the day after the match..

“I got cramp and was aching all over! But who cares? It was great fun! But I must admit, we are better at carrying a bandy portfolio than playing. Maybe we should invent a new sport doing that? But after the match, the day continued with a meal and other adventures.”

There’s more to life than bandy. Edströms had time to visit both ExTe’s factory and Trux and they ended the day by watching a game of bandy where Ljusdal BK played superbly. Talk about arousing Åsele’s interest in bandy!

... and then he had it.

Full speed tow

ards the goal.

Cheering in the box with coach Ingemar.

Another close

one.

le has blown.

The final whist oken bones... br No bruises or and Team ExTe can the victory cup. raise EXTE MAGASIN | 9

TH E G R O U P

EXTE NOW HAS A

NEW SISTER SISTER TRUX AB LJUSDAL

ExTe is a subsidiary in the Extendo Group. Alucar in Finland, Midwaggon in Sverige and Evans Engineering in New Zealand are also part of the group and thereby sister companies of ExTe. Through Extendo’s acquisition of Trux AB in Ljusdal, the other companies have now got a new sister.

Trux AB is market-leading in Europe and has a wide range of safety and styling equipment, including front protectors for heavy goods vehicles.

“Even though ExTe and Trux are run as separate companies, I can still see major synergy effects. Both companies are leaders in their sectors and both focus strongly on products that make heavy transport safer,” says Kjell Jonsson, CEO of ExTe and Group Manager of Extendo. ExTe is world-leading when it comes to timber bunks and automatic tensioners. Trux delivers its products to all types of heavy transport vehicles.

“In that respect, they have considerably more market potential than ExTe since there are many more heavy goods vehicles that transport cargo other than timber.”

In Trux’s range of products, it is primarily the front protectors that stick out. After a collision with wildlife, the damage on the vehicle is much less serious if there is a protector. Insurance 10 | EXTE MAGASIN

companies have become aware of this and give a discount on the excess if the vehicle has a fitted front protector.

Both ExTe and Trux are stable and well-known on the market for high product quality, attractive design and a well-developed ability to make adjustments for customers.

“For me, this feels a bit special since I was actually involved in product development when Trux was set up in the mid1980s. In a way, the circle has closed,” says Kjell Jonsson.

“Of course my ambition is that Trux will continue to develop in a positive direction. Today, Trux’s largest markets are the Nordic countries and Germany, while ExTe operates more worldwide. We will be able to use ExTe’s distributors all over the world for Trux’s products,” Kjell explains.

THE EXTENDO GROUP

IN BRIEF EXTE FABRIKS AB

The world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of timber bunks and tensioners.

MIDWAGGON AB

Works primarily with repairs, equipment installations on trains and the rebuilding of locomotives in Sweden.

EXTE ASIA PACIFIC PTE. LTD. Responsible for sales and marketing in Asia.

EEAP TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT Handles the market in Malaysia.

TRUX AB

Market-leading supplier of front protectors and spotlight bars

ALUCAR OY

Finland’s largest equipment installers for timber lorries.

EVANS ENGINEERING A major manufacturer of trailers

and builder of timber lorries in New Zealand.

THE VERY LATEST NEWS FROM EXTE. OW FI GU RE S SH RE GI STER ED OPLE ARE PE RE MO D AN US THAT MORE DIGITALLY. VISITING US

If you want to keep yourself informed about what’s happening in ExTe’s (and your own) world, you can always find the most recent news on Facebook or at www.exte.se.

facebook.com/ exte.sweden

@exte_sweden

Seize the opportunities to keep up with developments in the industry.

EXTE MAGASIN | 11

LISA

N EWS I TE M S

FASTER SERVICE WITH THE NEW CAR

EXTE’S

VOICE FOR

47 YEARS

Lisa Skalberg is now retiring. And who is that, you may ask yourself. But you only need to hear her voice and then you will know, at any rate if you’re in the habit of phoning ExTe in Färila. Lisa has been manning the telephone exchange for 47 years.

“I walked into ExTe in 1969 and then stayed put!” says Lisa. “I have really loved my work, not least all the contact with nice, cheerful people has been fun, and you get to know some people pretty well. And there’s always something going on.

Anything from ExTe launching new products to groups that want to come and visit us.”

Lisa has experienced a lot of changes, from the era of the round number dial, through press button phones to today’s digital systems.

“But don’t ask me how the technology works - I have no idea!” says Lisa with a laugh. “But I have noticed that after direct numbers were introduced, calls via the telephone exchange have decreased but there’s been plenty to do nevertheless. In addition to answering the phone, I have also taken care of ExTe’s finance administration. Now it feels quite nice to hand everything over to the new girls. They are so clever and are much better than I am at using all the new aids.”

Lisa hasn’t given too much thought to what she will do after retiring.

“I don’t have any plans really but that

After 47 years on the job, CEO Kjell Jonsson thanks Lisa Skalberg for her services.

12 | EXTE MAGASIN

doesn’t worry me. All the senior citizens I talk to go on about how busy they are, so I’m sure it will be fine,” says Lisa.

Lisa’s job will be taken over by Malin Larsson and Mia Persson. Mia has already worked for three years at ExTe. Now she will share the telephone exchange job with Malin. They will also be in charge of salaries and finance administration.

Mia will take care of ExTe while Malin will look after Extendo companies Trux and Midwaggon.

“It really feels good to work at ExTe,” says Mia. “It’s a good company that cares about its employees.”

Malin came to ExTe just over two months ago.

“I’m very happy so far. We use the same finance system that I used where I used to work so that feels familiar,” she says. “Now I am learning what everyone at the company does and what their responsibilities are so that I can put customers through to the right people.

I like to keep fit so it’s really good that we are given the opportunity of exercising once a week during working hours.”

ExTe’s new service car is tailor-made for faster service.

“This car is much bigger. Now I can actually take things into the car and repair them if necessary. That’s nice in bad weather or if it’s really cold,” says Elias Hjelm, ExTe’s Technical Support. “Moreover, there is more space in this car and we can take more spare parts with us.

From a job point of view, that means better logistics and it’s faster and easier for the client and also, my working environment is now better,” says Elias.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand fells about 30 million cubic metres per year which is transported by some 1,600 timber vehicles. These are owned by haulier companies that range from 35 vehicles up to 250. Per Jonasson, ExTe, spent two weeks visiting some of the major trailer manufacturers that operate in the forestry sector and some other large haulier companies.

This is your first meeting with ExTe - at any rate if you call the telephone exchange. From the left, Mia Persson and Malin Larsson. Lisa Skalberg, on the right, will soon retire after 47 years at ExTe.

RAISED MOUNTS AND AN ACCESSORY FOR THE ExTe has produced a raised platform for the friction and clamp mounts. The mounts can be used when fitting the protective bunks, which means the bunk is raised to the same level as the frame, thereby giving extra support to the pile

PRACTICAL ACCESSORY FOR To make things easier and to reduce the risk of stakes being damaged, we have produced a simple accessory which facilitates the lifting of straps or chains when you secure the timber.

You can also link chains or straps from two tensioners together when you lift the lashing over the stack.

SPECIAL OFFER

PINK

We still have a limited number of Pink Straps for automatic tensioners. We have a special offer on at the moment.

Order straps before the end of the year. Call ExTe at 0651-175 00 or send an email to jenny.eklund@exte.se. You will get a good deal.

Moreover, you will help to fight cancer. For every strap we sell, we make a donation to the Cancer Foundation.

EXTE MAGASIN | 13

IT’S NOT NOTICEABLE – BUT IT’S THERE.

THE RENOVATION. “At ExTe, there is a tradition that is second nature for everyone who works here, namely, to tidy up and keep everything in order but even so...

Surely a renovation for millions of crowns should still be noticeable in the form of demolition rubble, ripped walls and dirty floors? No, not at ExTe. Just as clean and tidy as always except in a corner where everything to be discarded has been gathered together, waiting to be transported away.

The current painting workshop is now on its last legs, even though some parts of it will be used in the new workshop. The new equipment from Italy has been inspected and approved. Now we are just waiting for the delivery,” says Magnus Johansen, production manager at ExTe. “Soon we will have a new laser cutting machine in place as well. It will be able to handle larger panels than our current machines can.

With taller stakes, we must be able to handle panels that are up to 4x2 metres.

We are only in the first phase of the renovations as yet and everything is moving along according to plan,” says Magnus.

The painting workshop will soon have a new look even though much of the existing interior will be retained.

14 | EXTE MAGASIN

Hans-Erik Simsson is a contracted plumber and he is fitting fan heaters up on the wall posts. Then pipes will be laid between the fans.

IT’S TRUE AND IT’S SAFE. IF YOU CAN BE SEEN, YOU EXIST!

NO MATTER WHETHER YOU’RE ON THE ROAD OR STANDING LOADING IN THE DARK. Now it’s dark most hours of the day. But if you have ExTe bunks on your lorry and trailer, both you and other road-users can feel safe. You will certainly be visible if you have our reflective original stickers. If you need new stickers, it’s easiest to order them from ExTe in Färila.

MOREK VISITS FÄRILA

In Norway, Morek is an important distributor for ExTe. To consolidate this good cooperation, Morek’s administrative director Patrik Berggren and sales manager Tore Berger visited ExTe for a couple of days. Both Patrik and Tore were very pleased with the visit and said they have seldom been so well received as they were at ExTe. They were also very pleased with the discussion they had during their visit to ExTe and they were impressed by ExTe’s factory plants.

Morek’s administrative director Patrik Berggren and sales manager Tore Berger wearing a light shirt during their visit to ExTe, with ExTe’s Jörgen Spring and Kjell Jonsson on either side.

EXTE MAGASIN | 15

Sweden postage paid

WITH THE WORLD’S WIDEST RANGE AND SAFEST SEAL, WE WISH ALL TIMBER HAULIERS, DRIVERS AND EQUIPMENT INSTALLERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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CONTACT US: TELEPHONE +46 (0)651-175 00 OR EMAIL SALES@EXTE.SE AND TELL US WHAT YOU NEED.

WANT TO READ THE MAGAZINE ONLINE? GO TO EXTE.SE

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THIS YEAR, WE ARE SUPPORTING THE CHILD CANCER FOUNDATION AND GIVING “HOPE” TO ALL AFFLICTED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.