Conjet On a Strong Path
Published: 10/10, 2022
Hydrodemolition manufacturer Conjet is making strong progress with a 50% increase in sales, a strengthening of human resources, and distributor network. The company also has a new headquarters with triple the production area.
PDa magazine visited Conjet’s new custom-built headquarters and manufacturing plant just outside Stockholm, Sweden. The new facilities are three times the size of the old one, with a 19,375 ft2 (1,800m2) area for manufacturing, warehousing and service. There are also more than 8,600 ft2 (800m2) of offices and training facilities.
“We had a great need to find new and larger premises as we were very cramped in the old location,” says Ola Wagner, who became Conjet’s chief operating officer in mid-2020.
Conjet’s original plan to expand the previous location stalled due to permit delays. The Conjet then more or less stumbled on the new site in the spring of 2021. By the end of the year, the move to the new location began.
“Here, we have a significantly better flow in production, and warehouse management,” says CEO Robert Kreicberg. “Everything is more divided, and the premises give us completely different possibilities. We can also grow in these premises.”
Most of Conjet’s 27 employees are based in Sweden, with three-person team working from the company’s North American office in Maryland. Recent additions to Conjet’s management team include Ola Sylvan, product development manager; Rebecca Nilsson, marketing manager, Mariusz Stabryla, production manager; Karl Fritz, warehouse manager; and Simon Christensson who is responsible for orders and logistics. Rather new in the company is also. The new production area has been designed to have a natural flow in production that makes assembly smoother. When Conjet first moved into the location, all the traverses connected to the assembly were first installed so that it would be easy to move materials and components. The traverses have a lifting capacity of up to 2,645 lb (1,200kg). Bearings with picking places for the components are conveniently located and allow easy access when needed. There are a total of nine individual assembly locations, with each robot being built on one and the same station from the beginning to a complete machine. But the idea is that when the robots become more modular, that assembly will take place at several different stations. It will also be possible to expand to shift work during periods when demand requires it. Next to the production areas there is also a complete 2,153-ft2 (200m2) service workshop with a demonstration area directly connected outside. There is also a large room for cleaning Conjet machines.
Strong sales increase
Since Gulfstream Nordic Holdings acquired Conjet in 2019, the company has enjoyed strong sales growth. Without revealing specific 2022 revenue targets for the company, Kreicberg characterizes Conjet as a “growth company, and such companies aim to increase every year by at least 20%.”
This continued increase is based on the need for concrete repairs around the world. Many concrete structures are severely neglected, not least in the U.S. While many states have tried to catch up with their respective maintenance backlogs, the recently enacted $350-billion infrastructure bill provides much-needed federal funding for roads and bridges
“The need for concrete repairs is today great all over the world and we have the equipment,” says Kreicberg. “It is our ambition to make hydrodemolition the standard for concrete repairs.” Kreicberg adds that Conjet has modified its policy over the past two years.
“Our focus today is entirely on building robots and other equipment for efficient concrete repairs, and at the same time establish strong partnerships with pump manufacturers, and manufacturers of water purification system,” he says.
In addition to investing in building the company’s organization internally, Conjet is also actively working to review and expand its worldwide distribution network. Ten new distributors have been added, with the company focusing its marketing and sales efforts on Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia.