Austria-based OEM, Schwarzmüller, aims to penetrate the Croatia and Romania markets following it’s latest sales partnership.
Hochstaffl Nutzfahrzeuge will be exclusively responsible for sales in two Eastern European countries, namely in Romania and Croatia, as well as in Schleiz in Thuringia, effective 1 July 2022.
The Schwarzmüller organisation in both countries will remain in place and focus on customer service and the workshop business.
“We feel that we are in good hands with a powerful partner who focuses on the optimal configuration of vehicles for every customer,” said Schwarzmüller CEO, Roland Hartwig. “That corresponds to our niche strategy.”
For Hochstaffl, the Schwarzmüller brand fits perfectly into the company’s portfolio.
“With our experienced sales team, we will address exactly those companies for which Schwarzmüller trailers are the right solution,” said Hochstaffl Commercial Vehicles Managing Director, Michael Hochstaffl. “Thanks to our detailed knowledge of the market, we know who belongs to this target group.”
The Romanian market is reported to have a trailer pool of 4,000 registered units. Schwarzmüller and Hochstaffl claim to have more than 10 per cent of that market share and plan on increasing it further.
With sales in 10 countries, Eastern Europe is an important segment for the Schwarzmüller Group.
The OEM has had a presence there since the 1990s and produces more than half of its vehicles in Hungary and the Czech Republic. Both plants are also the competence centres of the group for the respective vehicle types. Sales are mainly handled by the company’s own organisation but there are also exclusive dealer partnerships such as in Bulgaria and Slovakia.
Hochstaffl was founded in Kundl, Austria, in 1972 and provides a range of services including commercial vehicle finance, trading and repairs.
In other news, the Schwarzmüller Group achieved sales of €409 million in 2021, compared to €366 million euros in 2020 (up 13 per cent).