Blog

Oct 31

Hilltip Acquires Industrial Metal Products, Inc.

LAKESIDE PARK, KY – Hilltip, a leading manufacturer of snowplows, spreaders, de-icing sprayers, sweepers and other road maintenance equipment, has acquired all the assets of Industrial Metal Products, Inc., an Indiana-based manufacturer of truck beds and other quality metal products. The arrangement provides growth opportunities for both companies’ products, while aiding Hilltip’s expansion in the North American market.

The acquisition of Industrial Metal Products will allow Hilltip to manufacture its products in North America using the company’s Fort Wayne facility, which will immediately get an remarkable expansion for increased production and storage capacity. In addition to the logistical benefits of production at the Indiana location, Hilltip will establish staff resources and a customer service team to better serve dealers and customers in the U.S. and Canada.

“We are now able to manufacture all our industry leading products in the United States and distribute throughout North America,” said Craig Sandmann, Managing Director of Hilltip Inc North America. “This includes our complete line of spreaders, sprayers and brooms, as well as established Hilltip products lines we have yet to offer domestically”

Industrial Metal Products will continue production and development of its existing product line as a separate division of Hilltip, and it will still carry the Industrial Truck Beds brand name. “With 20 years of experience in the truck equipment industry, Industrial Metal Products has a lot of brand equity,” said Craig Sandmann, “We anticipate growing the Industrial Metal Products brand and business, while expanding Hilltip’s North American footprint with our innovative winter maintenance technologies. The synergies between our management teams and dealer networks provide tremendous opportunities for both product lines. It’s an exciting development for our employees, dealers and customers.”

Headquartered in Pietarsaari, Finland, Hilltip Oy is a leading manufacturer of road maintenance equipment in Europe founded by the brothers Tom and Frank Mäenpää. With equipment designed and built in an area that averages at least six months of snowfall every year, Hilltip is known for its extreme durability and advanced technologies. Opening its U.S.-based subsidiary, Hilltip Corp., in 2020, the company is now actively bringing these industry-leading advancements to the North American market. For more information, contact Hilltip Corp. at 859-760-7211 or visit the website at www.hilltipna.com.

Mar 30

HTrack / IceStriker

Hilltip Spreader Technology at University of Vermont’s campus

NBC5 NEWS published following news report regarding the Hilltip Spreader Technology on their website:

New technology on University of Vermont’s campus hopes to limit salt use during snowstorms

This Road salt can contaminate drinking water, be harmful to animals, increase soil erosion and can be damage infrastructure.

BURLINGTON, Vt. —New technology that’s been in Finland for several years has now arrived to the University of Vermont campus.

The equipment, produced by a manufacturer called Hilltip, uses software that can determine how much salt is needed on any given street or sidewalk being treated during a snowstorm. University-reserved sustainability funding bought the technology for just over $20,000.

“We have the control of the amount of product we deliver,” Matt Walker, Grounds Manager at UVM, said. “It uses GPS technology to locate your truck, your piece of equipment, and give us the ability from a remote location to determine spread amounts.”

Any time salt is used during snowstorms, it can have harmful impacts.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), road salt can contaminate drinking water, be harmful to animals, increase soil erosion and can be damage infrastructure.

“Salt is erosive,” Walker said. “It damages a lot of paved areas, concrete. We have underground utilities that have shown damage from salt. Door frames into buildings, stairs, all those sorts of things. A big piece of it too is water. The watershed run off.”

The university has put together a new Salt Mitigation Task Force made up of faculty, students and staff.

Students have been involved in water testing, which has helped to paint a clearer picture of what impact salt has had in and around campus. This summer, the students will also help to get the technology fully set-up and ready to go for next winter.

“They’re interested. They care,” Walker said. “They want to do what’s right for the environment and getting their involvement we get to hear what they want.”

Reference:
Carolyn Sistrand. (Mar 11, 2022). “New technology on University of Vermont’s campus hopes to limit salt use during snowstorms”. NBC5 NEWS. https://www-mynbc5-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.mynbc5.com/
amp/article/new-technology-on-university-of-vermonts-campus-hopes-to-limit-salt-use-during-snowstorms/39414575

Jan 19

HTrack / IceStriker / SprayStriker / StrikeSmart

HTrack™ Tracking System Now Standard on All IceStriker™ and SprayStriker™ Models

LAKESIDE PARK, KY — After introducing HTrack™ online tracking system to the North American market earlier this year, Hilltip has announced that the premium, patented technology will be standard on all IceStriker™ and SprayStriker™ models, including truck, UTV, tractor, and tailgate-mounted units. HTrack allows winter service professionals to track and manage all of their Hilltip equipment via computer, tablet or smartphone. This innovative technology helps minimize environmental impacts, track expenses, document services and more.

The HTrack™ tracking system uses HillTip’s easy-to-use StrikeSmart™ controller, which is placed in the cab and connects to IceStriker and SprayStriker products. Through the industry’s only two-way GPRS transmission, users can have remote control over an entire fleet of equipment, create geofenced work sites for client areas with custom application rates and track route data including speed, GPS location, and material used.

HTrack™ also assists with route optimizations and resource allocations for increased efficiency and profitability. It can create reports of material used for each customer and provide detailed documentation of ice control activities at individual customer locations. Thanks to this unmatched level of automation, drivers can concentrate solely on completing jobs as quickly and safely as possible.

“We’re proud to include some of the most advanced tracking and management tools available on our base model equipment,” said Craig Sandmann, Hilltip’s North American Sales/Operations Manager. “This level of technology is typically reserved for municipal-grade machines, but we believe it will greatly benefit day-to-day operations for all winter professionals. When customers buy Hilltip, they expect the best. We intend to meet and exceed those expectations at every turn.”

Headquartered in Pietarsaari, Finland, Hilltip is a leading manufacturer of road maintenance equipment in Europe. With equipment designed and built in an area that averages at least six months of snowfall every year, Hilltip is known for its extreme durability and advanced technologies. Opening its U.S.-based subsidiary, Hilltip Corp., in 2020, the company is now actively bringing these industry-leading advancements to the North American market. For more information, contact Hilltip Corp. at 859-760-7211 or visit the website at www.hilltipna.com.

HTrack™ tracking system video