Five minutes with… Frank van Neste, Hitachi Product Demonstrator

What Frank van Neste doesn’t already know about Hitachi construction machines probably isn’t worth knowing. Here he tells us why he enjoys explaining our products to dealers and customers all around Europe.

Q&A

Tell us about your role…

My role as a Product Demonstrator is very hands-on and varied. My main responsibility is to demonstrate equipment at the HCME demonstration area in Amsterdam, and at events where our models are on display. People regularly come to Amsterdam to test the machines, and I also lead factory tours as part of their visits.

My job is people-focused, and I offer first-hand assistance with these tests and demonstrations. I also present live demonstrations at large events such as Bauma, and support dealers with arranging demonstration equipment. The most creative part of my job is assisting with the creation of movies for YouTube and photography for brochures – which I especially enjoy!

What’s your favourite machine?

I have many! From the latest -7 range, I love all the Hitachi Construction Machinery wheel loaders – especially the ZW180-7 and ZW250-7. I think they’re more challenging to work with than excavators and fun to operate. Another one of my favourites is the ZX210-7 crawler excavator – it’s really quick and powerful. In the wheeled excavators, I like the ZX135W-7 because of its compact size.

How did you get started in this kind of work?

I’ve always been fascinated by machinery. I grew up in a small village in The Netherlands where there were lots of farms, and I’d wave to the farmers in their tractors! Later, I went on to repair tractors and farm equipment and later, I worked as a machine test engineer for a few years. Later, I worked with contractors and gained experience with excavators.

I’ve been with HCME for about six years now and I love that this role allows me the flexibility to talk about the thing I love most – machines!

What do you most enjoy about your job?

I get to talk about machines and operate them… this is a dynamic role and the varied work keeps me interested. I like to learn about the technology and how we can improve our machines for the better, and I love working with people around the world.

Providing feedback from our dealers and customers to HCM in Japan is also really rewarding. I was lucky enough to visit the head office and factory in Japan a few years ago, which was a great experience. It was very interesting to see how they build the machines. I’ve learnt that it’s important to understand the Japanese culture, to better appreciate the way HCM is run – this trip helped with that a lot.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into a career like yours?

You must be passionate about machinery, communication, and people. There is some administrative work involved, but being able to motivate others about a model so that they are interested in buying it, as well as explaining and demonstrating complex equipment, is the main job requirement.

How do you think HCM compares with other manufacturers in the industry?

This is another part of my job – I conduct comparison tests regularly and HCM ranks very well compared to other brands. I recently did a test in Germany on new nine-tonne excavators, for example. HCM tends to perform extremely well in terms of hydraulics and speed, and we’re also quite advanced with our mining equipment.

One of the main advantages of HCM is the quality of our machines, which makes them among the most reliable on the market.

How closely do you work with local dealers and end users?

Very closely! And this is another one of my favourite parts of the job. We communicate regularly with our Dutch dealer, as well as Kiesel (Germany), Luyckx (Belgium), Nasta (Norway), and our other Scandinavian representatives. It’s fantastic when I get the chance to go and visit them in person.

When we have large events, such as shows and fairs, my role involves travelling and collaborating with the dealers and customers in the area. It really is a team effort. Trips to these dealers are also common when we’re shooting content or conducting comparison tests.

What achievement are you most proud of since you’ve worked for HCME?

I’m most proud of the brochures and YouTube content because it’s very rewarding to look at a finished image and see the whole story behind it. Creating product photography and video is a huge team effort and usually involves a fun trip to a dealer and job site.

Last year, I also helped to set up the machine displays for HCME’s 50^th anniversary celebration, which was a big task. I’m proud to have played a part in that as well.