“You have to be quick”

“After many years of continuous use, it was finally high time we replaced our old self-constructed joinery machine. After we had done some market research and at the request of our employees, it quickly became clear that we would buy a Hundegger machine,” Oliver Mertens, authorized representative and managing partner at Fullwood in Lohmar/DE, explains. However, since the company was in desperate need for a joinery machine, the plan was to buy a used machine to fill the gap. Two years later, Fullwood was so satisfied with the Hundegger machine that the company bought a second one – and again it was a used machine.

Partner right from the very first second

After a thorough search on relevant websites, Mertens finally found what he was looking for at a joinery center in the Palatinate region. A K2-I, which was around six years old at the time, was for sale since the seller wanted to purchase a new machine. “The K2-I was in top condition and had been regularly serviced by Hundegger, so we had to be very quick in our decision,” Mertens says.

The traditional timber construction company’s first Hundegger machine was delivered to the headquarters in Lohmar/DE. What made the purchasing process special was that Hundegger not only provided Mertens with advisory support before the purchase. The joinery specialists from Hawangen/DE also took on all of the dismantling and assembly work. “This way, there was no doubt that our new machine would run smoothly from the very first second,” the forestry graduate explains. He is satisfied with the decision: “We weren’t a Hundegger customer at the time, yet we were given support and advice even before we bought our first used machine. That’s what excellent customer service looks like.”

More added value created

Thanks to the new machine, Fullwood profited from higher flexibility and an increase in production capacity (output at the main production site in Lohmar was raised from around 45 to a maximum of 60 houses a year). In addition, work which used to be outsourced can now be done in-house. “Before, we had to outsource roof trusses to service providers due to their complexity. Now, we can do all the necessary processing ourselves, and we have full control over the quality of the timber elements as a result,” Mertens tells us. Furthermore, many of the work steps no longer require manual work. The machine does everything in a fully automated way. “Also, we were able to bring the precision of the individual joints to a whole new level. Now, there is not a single dovetail joint that won’t fit,” Mertens says, satisfied.

An actual impulse purchase was made last year. Because of the positive experience, Mertens was also looking for an update for the joinery area of the company’s second production site in Wolpertshausen/DE, northeast of Stuttgart. Once again, he found what he was looking for on the internet, to be precise at a timber construction company in Carinthia. “We first contacted the seller on Friday afternoon. Three days later, on Monday, I was already there, and after just a few test runs, it was clear that we would also take these machines with us,” the forestry expert tells us. Even though the start-up phase in Fullwood’s own factory was not entirely without hiccups in the second case, the company does not regret the purchase in any way. “Initially, there were some minor problems but now, the machine is running smoothly and our employees are very happy about the major technical update,” Mertens comments.

Successful in the niche

Hundegger’s new customer is a company which has successfully established itself in its niche decades ago. Fullwood started out as a seller of milking machines and began building its own agricultural halls in the 1970s – a business that did not bring great success. Looking back, though, this turned out to be a good thing, because it led to Fullwood starting to build solid log houses. After the first economically successful years, the company quickly recognized the opportunity for expansion and opened various sales branches in order to always be close to its customers and tap into new business regions. Today, Fullwood already operates twelve sales offices in Germany and Switzerland. “We have model homes on display at each of these locations to give our customers a clear idea of our construction philosophy,” Mertens explains. Demand for log cabins made by Fullwood kept growing steadily which is why a second production site was established in Schwäbisch-Hall around 20 years ago. Today, this site houses the second Hundegger machine. Together with a license partner in East Germany, the company boasts an annual output of almost 140 houses. “Our customers appreciate the advantages that a solid wooden house brings, such as individuality and the monolithic structure of those buildings. Also, our houses do not need any additional insulation or façade; just maintenance coating, depending on the exposure and weather,” Mertens says about the advantages of the system and adds: “Hundegger’s philosophy is similar to our own. A lot comes down to close customer contact and mutual trust. Everyone in the company is extremely happy with the decision to purchase used Hundegger machines and, looking back, we would do it the same way again.”