Hidromek Continues to Raise the Bar

Turkish based manufacturer Hidromek is celebrating its 47th year in business this year, and continues to expand its product portfolio.

I have had a long-term interest in the Hidromek business, machines and the story behind the company which closely reflects that of a well-known British manufacturer, starting off making backhoes for tractors before eventually producing their own complete units.

I first connected with the Hidromek management team during Bauma in April 2010, and the following summer I made my first visit to the factory in Ankara to see first hand the work that goes into building the products. At that time, they were just making the transition from the all-yellow paintwork to the white and black livery that we are more familiar with these days.

I returned to the factory again in 2013 to take up the offer of some test drive opportunities, and it was on this visit that I witnessed the vast project that was being undertaken, as teams of Hidromek excavators carved into a hillside on the business park, to make way for another production facility, which you can now see completed in the new promotional video at the end of this post.

I even took the opportunity to dig out and load a few trucks with heavy rock while I was there with what was a prototype model of hydraulic excavator the HMK 540 LC HD.

The forward-thinking manufacturer continues to push the boundaries with new products and innovations such as the 80-tonne class HMK 800 LC HD which is their largest hydraulic excavator ever, and the new HMK 40-18 TH telescopic handler.

Hopefully in the not-too-distant future I will make another pilgrimage to see this new factory for myself, but in the meantime, enjoy the video.