BROKK BUILDS UP
Published: 24/7, 2024
Strong after-sales and support operations, a growing base of loyal customers, and new market opportunities illustrate how in North America, there really is nothing like a Brokk.
They still get their share of trade show gawkers, those bright yellow mantis-like machines fitted with breakers or other attachments. But more than 40 years after their debut in the U.S., Brokk demolition robots—and, indeed, the concept of performing demolition and other tasks by remote control—have become firmly established in the North American construction market.
To be sure, demolition robots remain very much a niche product that not every contractor may ever need for a project, let alone on a regular basis. But Mike Martin, vice president for operations and rental for Brokk Inc., the Swedish manufacturer’s Monroe, Wash.-based North American subsidiary, says that for those who see the value of investing in a highly versatile machine that can outperform larger-sized excavators in terms of power and mobility, with the added benefit of keeping operators out of harm’s way, the search for options typically begins—and often ends—with a Brokk.
“Our customer base is super-entrepreneurial, a unique breed of risk-takers,” Martin says. “A Brokk can redefine who you are as a contractor. It’s a game-changer.”
Brokk Inc., president Lars Lindgren adds that mainstream demolition contractors make up a sizeable portion of that select group
“We’re the leader in the that segment for sure, as well as with those who do sawing and drilling,” Lindgren says. He adds that Brooks can also be found in cement, process, tunneling, and mining work, as well as the nuclear power industry. Last year, for example, Brokk Inc. shipped five units to the team decommissioning generating units at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. The specially configured units were equipped with radiation-proof cameras—produced by another Brokk subsidiary—and other equipment for working in such a high-hazard environment.
Strong sales to customers across all markets made 2023, “our best year ever in number of machines sold and revenue,” Lindgren adds.
Martin says that in the last few years, Brokk robots have become firmly established as “the ultimate machine” for foundries and other confined space demolition applications. Then there are the more specialized assignments, such as taking down chimneys using a crane-suspended Brokk robot.
“We love that kind of work,” Martin adds.
“What are these things?”
Creating and leading such a specialized niche has not been without its challenges. For many years after the first Brokk Model 250s began appearing at U.S. jobsites in the early 1980s, “the typical trade show reaction was ‘what are these things; is this a joke,’” recalls Martin, who first secured North American distribution rights for Brokk machines in 1991 while working for refractory installation equipment maker Bricking Solutions, now another Brokk subsidiary.
Confident in both their product and the promise of the North American market, Brokk’s corporate leadership nevertheless strengthened its commitment to the region, eventually forming the U.S. subsidiary to manage sales and service, and appointing longtime employee Lindgren as president in the early 2000s.
Time, perseverance, and repeated demonstrations of the machines’ inherent capabilities have slowly but surely turned those dismissive responses of “not interested” into “tell me more.”
“We’ve finally got to the point where, after all of these years of promoting this vision, we have this population of people who understand and accept the machines as a viable solution to their needs,” Martin explains. “The market has definitely caught up.”
Brokk has also benefited from a timely convergence of macro-level trends—the industry-wide challenge of a shrinking labor pool, a younger generation of contractors more accepting of robotics technology, and the convenience of social media videos that showcase the robots in action. The company’s electric-driven models are also well-suited for the growing scope of interior demolition projects, and the proliferation of local noise and air quality restrictions governing jobsites.
Even the advent of competing demolition robots from Husqvarna and other manufacturers has benefitted Brokk, notes Lindgren.
“They’re helping us sell the method of remote controlled demolition,” he says. “The more machines prospective customers see, the more they’ll be seen as a viable approach. We respect what our competitors do, and we know that they’ll win their share of orders and we’ll win ours.”
A commitment to customer care
Selling a Brokk is one thing; keeping that customer satisfied for the long term is quite another. And Brokk’s approach to after-sale service is what Martin says truly sets the company apart.
“We tell our customers that while they bought the machine, we still ‘own’ it because our name is on the side,” he says. “So for us, it’s really important to keep them running.”
Martin credits Lindgren’s background as a mechanic with a knack for troubleshooting for helping imbue Brokk Inc. with a responsive, problem-solving culture that customers appreciate. Lindgren responds that it’s simply a matter of helping customers reduce the time between problem and solution.
“We know downtime isn’t good, and customers want answers fast,” he says.
In addition to housing facilities for robot servicing and parts distribution, Brokk Inc.’s 18,000-sq ft Monroe, Wash., facility doubles as a “center of demolition robot expertise,” where technicians are available to assist with questions and troubleshoot machine issues. Brokk Inc.’s service and logistics centers in Stanhope, N.J., and St. Joseph, Mo., also provide equipment support, training, and demonstrations.
Brokk Inc typically has its technical experts work through problems directly with machine operators, an approach Martin says is far more efficient and productive than the more conventional time- and cost-consuming routine of going up and down a chain of contacts.
“When they call the 800 number, they’re talking to someone who knows it inside and out and will help them through it,” he says. “It’s a victory for them and for us.”
Brokk Inc also has the advantage—and sometimes burden—of being largely independent in terms of decision-making for North America operations. “The higher corporate levels in Sweden trust our understanding of the markets and operator culture,” Lindgren says. A direct-sales approach also helps the company stay close to the needs and concerns of Brokk users, with the sales staff empowered to make decisions they feel are in the customer’s best interests.
“If they feel there’s a good reason to give a discount, or a customer want try out a machine before buying, they can do that and we’ll back them up,” Martin says. “We understand customers are making a heavy investment, and we won’t sell something they’re not satisfied with.”
A hydrodemolition power boost
Brokk Inc. has had some game-changing experiences of its own over the years, particularly its parent company’s 2016 acquisition of hydrodemolition equipment maker Aquajet. While sales and support services operate out of Canada where Aquajet North American business development manager Keith Armishaw is based, Brokk Inc.’s Monroe facility handles spare parts inventory and shipments.
Though the applications, logistics, markets, and customers for hydrodemolition make Aquajet systems a “nichier” product than demolition robots, Lindgren says the two product lines’ similarities and synergies were evident from the outset. Recalling initial meetings following the acquisition, Aquajet “reminded me of our early Brokk ‘let’s go’ attitude,” he says.
Since then, he adds, Aquajet has enjoyed an accelerated climb along the acceptance and understanding curve, albeit one where a customer may weigh the pros and cons of the hydrodemolition market become committing an investment in both the equipment and the logistics of managing it.
On the other hand, Lindgren says, “Aquajet’s market is a more stable than that for demolition robots, as hydrodemolition is most often used for government-funded projects, and that work is always there.”
As with Brokk robots, Aquajet has its share of lower-cost competitors. The difference, again, is the value the customer receives for that premium, both up front and over the long-term.
“We leapfrog any competition as far as operator efficiency and innovation,” Lindgren says. “In the end, we sell profitability for the owner.”
And many of those coveted attributes, Martin adds, arise from Brokk being part of part the Swedish business group Lifco, which also counts Darda, Kinshofer, Demerec, and Trevi Benne among its other business units.
“People don’t realize we have these other businesses and, more importantly, direct access to their ideas and insights,” Martin says.
Yet it also challenges the Brokk Inc. team to stay on top of these innovations such as Smart Power+, a multi-faceted, multi-model product enhancement spanning durability, power management, uptime, control box communication, and operator ergonomics.
“That’s comes with being part of an engineering-based company,” Martin says. “You know something new is going to happen, so we have to be ready to learn it ourselves. We are constantly on our own learning curve.”
Planning ahead
After having what Lindgren calls “a fantastic year” in 2023, Brokk, Inc., finds itself with other equipment manufacturers in something of a waiting game, as the upcoming U.S. presidential election, the status of interest rates, and other factors have curtailed spending on new equipment.
“Our Aquajet business is better than ever thanks to all the infrastructure spending,” Lindgren says, “but on the construction side, there’s a little bit of hesitation.”
Because there are still plenty of demolition projects out there, Brokk, Inc., has fielded more questions about rentals. “Obviously we’d prefer to make a sale, but our main objective is get a Brokk on the job,” Martin says. “The user will get some experience with ist and, perhaps down the road, decide to buy one.” After all, Martin adds, the company’s mantra, “the best salesman for Brokk is a Brokk,” is as true today as it ever was. “Every step in Brokk’s history, the product has been developed with the end-user in mind,” he says. “Our favorite people are the guys pulling the levers. They’re the heroes of the story.”