My

My name is Mr Zollikofer and I am a director of Zollikofer Holz. We have two wood processing sites in the east of Germany and two in the west. We process bark from logs into mulch, produce wood chips from logs and recycle used wood.

All of our sites work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are always busy, because we only have one competitor working in a similar sector. Downtime is of course critical, because it means a loss in production and earnings.

HITACHI

Experience

A world of difference
The latest range of wheel loaders from Hitachi grabbed the headlines at Intermat. Since then a number of machines have been sold across Europe. Ground Control visited Germany to see one of the first ZW220s at work close to the forests at Thüringen.

The people in the eastern part of Germany have experienced many changes since the border that divided them from the west was removed. The Government is now investing heavily in the area to create a more unified country and prevent the younger generation from migrating away from the eastern towns and cities.

“In 1989 businesses such as this were given the freedom to expand into the eastern side of Germany,” explains Wilfried Zollikofer, Director of wood processing company Zollikofer Holz. “We have been able to choose new locations for our operations. In some cases we have received funding to help establish new sites and purchase machinery and tools. We now have two sites in the east of the country and three in the west.”

In contrast to most other companies in this industry, Zollikofer Holz is a family business. Also the senior director Otto Zollikofer, who founded the business more than 40 years ago, is still hands-on in the day-to-day operations. He is mainly in charge of business in the western part of the country (Bad Wurzach, Kehl am Rhein).

The forests in Germany cover only 35 per cent of the country compared to the European average of 45 per cent. However relatively fast growth, and its intensive maintenance and use, results in ample stocks of high-quality wood. It is home to Europe’s largest sawmill and has some of the world’s most modern facilities in the wood products industry. The country also has an excellent infrastructure for transportation.

The growing demand for wood to be used as fuel and to make furniture means that Zollikofer Holz has to work around the clock to maximise output. “All of our sites work 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” continues Mr Zollikofer. “Downtime means a loss in production and also earnings.

“The reliability of the machines that we operate is the key to ensuring that production doesn’t stop. That is why we have purchased three of the new Hitachi ZW wheel loaders. These are all ZW220s and each is working on a different one of our sites. In total we have 25 wheel loaders and these are the first Hitachi models to be added to the fleet.”

Zollikofer Holz has a strong relationship with Kiesel, Germany’s sole distributor of Hitachi Construction Machinery. “We only like to have one point of contact,” continues Mr Zollikofer. “In this case for the last 25 years it has been sales manager Hubert Wall. He has looked after all of our equipment needs and this was the main reason for the latest purchase.” Mr Zollikofer also feels that the new models have brought Hitachi Construction Machinery into line with its competitors and even surpassed them in some cases.

The ZW220 in Thüringen has 500 hours on the clock after four weeks. It is suited to this kind of work as it is so versatile and, due to its quick hitch connect system, can be fitted with a number of different attachments.

“As soon as you step up into the cab it is clear that these wheel loaders have been designed to make the operator’s job easier,” explains Mr Zollikofer. “The new hydraulic system has made handling easier and provides a greater feeling of control. This is perfectly complemented by its direct and exact steering.

“The Total Torque Control System also means that fuel consumption is reduced as the machine can be adjusted to suit the type of job. This is very important when they are working so many hours!

“The new design of the cab provides the operator with excellent all-round visibility. The roll-back angle of the bucket ensures that they can see over the bigger buckets that are used for lightweight material. Some competitor models have had to fit cameras on the top of the cab to overcome this problem. These are only small modifications but they make a world of difference.”

The two Zollikofer Holz sites in the new federal states of Thüringen and Brandenburg are shared with two other companies. They are all situated together in a “wood cluster”. In all cases these are a sawmill and a factory that manufactures wood board. While on-site the synergy between the three businesses becomes clear.

Each site is located close to a forest area, such as Baden Wurttemberg, Thüringen and Brandenburg. The company has three separate areas of wood processing.

The sawmill supplies Zollikofer Holz with the bark from its logs. These are usually from spruce or fir trees. It then processes the bark to produce mulch. There is a facility on-site to screen the material to ensure it is of the highest quality. Once prepared, this goes through Zollikofer Holz’s factory and is put into 50 or 60-litre bags. This is then distributed to the trade for sale to garden centres across Germany, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

In Thüringen alone the company produces 300 pallet loads a day. These hold between 50 and 70 bags – that is a lot of mulch! The busiest time of the year for this product is between March and June as people are preparing gardens for summer. The ZW220 is helping to transport the mulch from the screening machine to the packaging factory.

It also produces wood chips from logs (beech and spruce) that come straight from the forest. These are then sold on to the factory by weight or tonnage. The sawmill supplies the factory with its sawdust waste and the two products are combined to produce the wood panels (plywood and MDF).

In Thüringen the ZW220 is involved in loading and carrying. It transports the material in the high-tilt bucket to large capacity trucks (with walking floors) and with a spar-gripper it also moves the big tree trunks to the chip facility. Occasionally it also piles the wood chips into huge mounds.

Finally, Zollikofer Holz recycles used wood. This is brought to the site from up to 200km away. It is processed again and then supplied to the factory for fuel. It is also distributed elsewhere in Germany to fuel homes and other manufacturing plants. In Germany wood is becoming quite a popular source of energy and Zollikofer Holz recycles 600,000 tonnes a year.

Kiesel’s Sales Manager Hubert Wall comments on the environment that the machines are working in. “This site is very dusty, especially when it is not raining!” he laughs. “I have to clean my car thoroughly after every visit and make sure that all windows are closed. Imagine how dusty the machine is after 24 hours. One of the new features is a reversible fan on the back of the wheel loader, which can be reversed by the operator to clean the radiators.

“I have also had these three models fitted with special rotating air filters, again to stop the dust being drawn in by the machine. We use L5 Rock Tyres with 250 per cent Profil. This is because the site is full of wood, nails and other scrap metal. These last up to five times longer!”

Kiesel is happy with the range of Hitachi wheel loaders that can now compete with all others in the market. “In the past I have sold many Hitachi excavators. Now that we have these new models I am sure that I can continue this success with the Hitachi wheel loaders.”

As well as having a good relationship with Kiesel, Zollikofer Holz is also delighted with the excellent product support service that is provided by the dealer. It makes a point of constantly checking machines and visiting sites to make sure that they are still performing at their best. Zollikofer Holz also insists on a full service contract and this is something that is offered by Hitachi Construction Machinery.

As these are the first Hitachi wheel loaders for the team at Zollikofer Holz, it is difficult for them to compare the new models with the LX series. However, their versatility, reliability, performance, safety and comfort have not gone unnoticed.

With the price of wood fluctuating in Germany all the time, but generally on the increase, margins are constantly being monitored. It is hoped that the ZW models will help to increase profitability for Zollikofer Holz.

With production levels at an all-time high, a team of happy operators and demand for wood waste on the increase, Zollikofer Holz is already researching and planning the construction of new sites. Whether these are in the eastern or western side of the country, it is likely that more wood processing clusters will develop in the next few years. In the meantime, it is likely that further Hitachi wheel loaders will be added to the three ZW220s in order to promote the success and growth of the company.