Claudia Weeks, Community Content Lead for Fuel Oil News, spoke with William Morton (pictured right), UK and Ireland Sales Manager, to learn more about the history of the business and its plans for the future.
75 years in business
“We are incredibly proud to hit such a milestone for the business, and it is a testament to all the staff and customers that have supported us over these last 75 years,” William began, before looking back over the history of the business. “Alfons Haar was a trained locksmith and turner, a double engineer in mechanical engineering and structural steel construction. With a young family, he took the plunge to start his own business, Alfons Haar Maschinenbau, on March 15th, 1949.
“From a rented horse stable in Hamburg, Germany, he began to single-handedly produce mechanical solutions. His first job was a repair to a Fiat and one of his first products was a fish deboning machine for the local fisherman of Hamburg.
“Today we manufacture from three large factories in Hamburg, one in the Czech Republic and even an aircraft refueller manufacturing factory in the USA. We also have our own in-house software development company.
“We now boast an extensive portfolio that includes liquid fuel solutions, aircraft and boat refuelling solutions, LPG and cryogenic products as well as canning and pressing machines! The founding principles of quality manufacturing and innovative design continue, with all products designed, developed and manufactured in-house.”
Key company milestones
William was keen to share the key milestones of growth and change from the last 75 years:
• March 15th, 1949, Alfons Haar Maschinenbau was formed.
• 1955 De Spargel (The Asparagus) was launched. This can be described as Alfons Haars first fully in-house development. This was an extendable telescopic light mast that when mounted on a vehicle could be used to light up an airfield. This development, and the relationships established, led to Alfons Haar manufacturing the world’s first automatic valve for aircraft refuelling.
• 1955 The foundation stone was laid for Fangdieckstrasse 67, Hamburg, our current Head Office. From 1981 to 1988, this was expanded in nine construction phases to extend the production facilities and offices to meet demand.
• 1964 Alfons Haar began its journey on the international stage with the opening of its first subsidiary, in France.
• 1969 Thomas Haar joins the company whilst studying Electrical Engineering.
• 1978 Alfons Haar introduces the world’s first fully automatic sheet metal press with numerical control.
• 1984 The second generation, Thomas and Bernd Haar, take the reins to run the company and lead Alfons Haar through technological advancements.
• 1990 Alfons Haar launches the ELZ Meter – the world’s first electric meter for heating oil vehicles.
• 1992 Alfons Haar introduces crossover prevention.
• 1995 Alfons Haar Ltd opens its doors in the UK.
• 2008 The first incarnation of PreciControl is launched, with its innovative PreciBus cable eradicating the requirement for wiring junction boxes.
A family business
Alfons Haar is still very much a proud family business as William explains, sharing more about the family that continue to lead this global business: “Alfons’s son, Thomas, was only a baby when the company began. He was fascinated by engineering and, as soon as he could, jumped at the opportunity to join the company whilst studying electrical engineering.
“Thomas, along with his brother, Bernd, were part of the global expansion of Alfons Haar and introduced the philosophy of “Full Automation” – Thomas still plays a part today.
“Today the third, and current, generation of Stefan, Florian, Tobias and Bastian Haar, responsibly uphold the values and vison of the company.
“The company started with one member of staff, Alfons Haar, and now has over 450 employees worldwide. These cover a plethora of roles such as design engineers, technicians, factory workers, salesmen and even software developers.
“We are proud to say that we remain a privately-owned, family company and we will continue to remain so into the future.”
Trust, integrity and respect
Claudia asked William about the customers of Alfons Haar – what makes a customer choose them as their supplier?
William responded: “Family values of trust, integrity and respect are at the very core of our business.
“We have some very loyal customers, and that loyalty is reciprocated, as we take the time to ensure the products we supply are of the highest quality and that the service we provide is the best it possibly can be.
“Our eighteen subsidiaries around the world, that are all wholly owned by Alfons Haar Maschinenbau, actively market our products as well as providing service solutions.
In the UK, for the last 29 years, we have operated from our offices in Leeds. We provide a one-stop shop for customers with direct sales, service and parts departments.
“Another big factor must be the innovation of our products seeking to resolve problems with solutions,” William continued. “Our focus on developing automation can be seen across the entire Alfons Haar portfolio. The 100% automation of vehicle valves brings significant added value for our customers, among others, reducing delivery times and increasing safety.
“Every product we sell bears the family name; with this comes a responsibility to protect the legacy left by Alfons Haar. This drives the company to continue to produce products of the highest quality.
“We are truly unique in our market sector, as we design and manufacture all our own products, from pumps, meters, valves, manifolds, overfill prevention etc. – the list is endless!
“Consistency in company management allows us to concentrate on long term success. I think customers appreciate the innovation, quality of the product and the fact that we are an independent family company.”
Energy transition – no golden egg
The energy transition impacts all businesses in the industry, and Claudia asked William for his views on the changing energy landscape. “The reality is that we need to move away from high polluting fossil fuels,” he replied. “However, this transition is not one that is going to be easy!
“Liquid fuels need to be part of an energy mix as we make the transition. The EU has recently announced that it will allow car manufacturers to continue to produce combustion engines to 2035, to allow the use of synthetic fuels with much lower carbon footprints.
“Electricity will also need to be part of the energy mix; however, major investment is required in infrastructure and how we produce electricity. There is no golden egg.
“Our industry will undoubtedly change, however with change comes new opportunities. Alfons Haar has looked to diversify its product range to include LPG and Cryogenic products which will also play a huge role in reaching the goal of net zero.”
Anniversary celebrations
Alfons Haar celebrated the 75th anniversary with a fabulous party for all staff globally at the Head Office in Hamburg, Germany. William spoke with enthusiasm about the event: “It was a fantastic day, and we even managed to arrange for the sun to shine!
“We celebrated by having a Family Fun Day at our Head Office in Hamburg, with over 250 staff from around the world and their families attending. We enjoyed a fantastic BBQ, an open bar, a live band and superb speeches from Bastian and Thomas. There were even demonstrations of some of our products!”
The future for the business
“The changes in the world seen by the company in the last 75 years are incredible to think about. The next 75 years may see even more dramatic changes as the world works towards carbon neutrality and the inevitable technological breakthroughs.
“One thing is for certain, Alfons Haar will continue with the same principals and family values that have allowed us to reach our 75-year anniversary; a loyalty to our customers, a high sense of responsibility for all of our colleagues and reliable and consistent management with dynamism and constant innovation.”
Fuel Oil News wishes William and all the team at Alfons Haar a very happy 75th anniversary and looks forward to catching up with them soon.
Image credit: Alfons Haar
