Strong Canadian Automation and IIoT Market Provides Opportunity for HARTING

July 30, 2019

Canada continues to be an excellent performer for HARTING, recording double digit revenue growth on a regular basis including the year to date. As smart manufacturing continues to take up more of the market, HARTING is positioning itself to take advantage of the shift toward the future by positioning itself within the automation and IIoT market.

HARTING held its annaul media luncheon this month, with a presentation by Ashley Smith-Heine, Vice President of Sales HARTING Americas, Carl Maalouf, Director of Sales HARTING Canada, and Peter Hanna, Territory Sales Manager.  

At the luncheon HARTING announced it plans to increase its full-time Canadian sales force to four in the coming months, as well as discussing their direction for the upcoming fiscal year.

HARTING established a direct presence in the Canadian market seven and a half years ago, creating HARTING Canada with an office in Montreal.

Smith-Heine said the sales force expansion is particularly attractive because of a number of stellar opportunities in the Canadian marketplace.

There is a correlation between expanding the direct sales presence and building more mutually productive customer relationships. Those valued relationships differentiate HARTING from competitors. “There is no substitute for boots on the ground; our customers have always appreciated that of HARTING,” said Maalouf. “We’re not just there to sell products, but to help them select the most appropriate ones from both a technical and business standpoint.”

Canadian companies are embracing greater automation and IIoT solutions, which will only accelerate in the years to come. “We see the uptake of IIoT accelerating in the Americas, with commensurate benefits in optimizing operational efficiency and business costs,” said Smith-Heine.

“By 2023, the smart manufacturing market worldwide is expected to be worth US$299 billion with a compound annual growth rate of 11%.” That aligns with much of what’s being developed in HARTING’s global R&D programs and the company’s focus on new automation products and strategies.

One of the surprises in the Canadian market for HARTING was the strong sales numbers comming out of the west coast. HARTING is also seeing an increase in customization with their products. A firm developing autonomous vehicles technology reached out to HARTING, Smith-Heine noted for example, which is a market they don’t typically operate in.

Smith-Heine explained that engineers are doing more research and design than they have in the past. Partially due to the wealth of information available online. As a result they are coming to HARTING much later in their design process. Which is something that has contributed to their focus on modularity and the customization of their products.

IIoT and smart factory solutions are not slowing down. HARTING is selling manufacturers on ‘future proof’ solutions like the Han 1A, which was recently released in the Canadian Market. Ontario sales representative Peter Hanna, added that, from what he is seeing, their customers are ready for customization, and are actively seeking to add future proof upgrades to their proceses.  

While machinery and transportation are still hugely important in Canada, HARTING is finding success in additional markets like data centres and PGTD (Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution).

With their new product lines, HARTING has also focused on providing compact components. Space is becoming more and more valuable for manufacturers. HARTING T1 Industrial single pair Ethernet cable and Han 1A reduce space while increasing computing power. While Maalouf similarly noted, new products like the HARTING MICA mini-computer and the ix Industrial connector for IP20 Ethernet applications is giving machine, plant and process designers the chance to design differently.

Two new products featured at the Hannover Messe in April are about to debut in Canada:

Han 1A: This compact, economical, modular connector series configurable with up to 12 contacts for transmitting data, power and signal is ideal for controllers, small drives and control cabinets. These lightweight connectors cater to the need for smaller interfaces in machine design and robotics, taking up 30% less space than the Han^® 3A widely used for such applications. There are inserts and accessories for indoor and outdoor applications (IP20/IP65). Assembly is tool-less.

HARTING T1 Industrial: These Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) connectors can be configured to carry power and data on one pair of wires instead of the usual two pair and can provide effective Ethernet coverage to previously inaccessible locations and connect the simplest of devices, like sensors, in a cost-effective manner.