Tradition obligates. The future, too.

The exhibition had many visitors, was more international than ever before and once again was an ideal meeting point to exchange ideas. Automechanika 2008 again met all expectations and did not disappoint any of its visitors. Also everyone at Hectronic is going to remember the 20th edition of the worldwide largest exhibition in the automotive sector fondly.

Martin Blum explains the Hecfleet.


Twittering of birds whispers into the visitors ear, the smell of freshly chopped wood wafted into noses. And then you can also hear the rustic sounds of hammering. Visitors to the Hectronic stand at the Automechanika were welcomed by a small piece of Black Forest idyll. The centrepiece was a pretty Black Forest house, surrounded by tree trunks which were used as seats and tables. "The stand was a true visitor magnet and everyone simply loved it," recollects a very pleased Stefan Kech, Head of Marketing. The motto "Committed to tradition. Committed to the future." had fit the bill perfectly. "The Black Forest is historically the home of innovators and inventors and this past, which has also shaped our company, was the hook for our stand design," explains Stefan Kech. But the company does not only look back to a rich past, Hectronic also very much looks ahead to a bright future.
Disregarding tradition or future, the visitors simply enjoyed being at the stand.

Bert Meeussen was the proud winner of an assortment of beer.


Despite all the business talk the mood was very relaxed. The visitors were almost as well looked after as in an inn. There was "Speckbrot" (bread with bacon) for people in need of a snack, coffee for the tired visitor and beer and non-alcoholic drinks to quench the thirst. And not to forget the high proof "Stamperl" (chaser), which were distributed by Franz Lettner. Franz Lettner and his technician Rudi Karlhuber. Right from the start, there was a really good atmosphere between the team from EDV-SOS and the Hectronic crew. "On a cultural level we can say that this new connection was very successful indeed," jokes Stefan Forster. Franz Lettner wholeheartedly agrees. He already spoke about friendships developing between employees. A very special "device" was destined to become the talking point during the exhibition: the nail timber. Everyone was welcome to have a go and to get the nail with as few hits as possible into the wood. Of course there was also a price half a meter of beer. The first lucky winner was Bert Meeussen from Pump Service. The tall Belgian hammered the nail into the wood with only two hits.

Black Forest ambiance in Frankfurt. The Hectronic stand had many visitors.


Hectronic also hit the nail on the head with its selection of products. Hectronic presented the autofuel system HecStar in the wide (international) and narrow (national) version. HECFLEET, the automatic tank gauging system OPTILEVEL, the download terminal DataSpeed as well as the automatic vehicle recognition system PetroPoint complete the broad range of products. In the latter case, the visitors could experience the product as if they were in a real filling station due to a modelled pump, Beatle and truck. EDV-SOS presented their autofuel system and their checkout system.

Only a few more centimeters until they are done. Leonid Pashkevich (left) and Tan Seng Kit won the competition.


Hectronic invited its partners to a very special evening to the restaurant "Alte Scheune". After everyone enjoyed their meal in this beautifully renovated building, the program stipulated a game. Five teams were to compete with each other at sawing. Beefiness and technique were needed, since the 50 year old saw had to be put throw the trunk rhythmically. The lucky winner were Leonid Pashkevich (ND/Ukraine) and Tan Seng Kit (Kompakar/Malaysia), who succeeded in only 55 seconds. They were well deserving winners of the main prize. Stefan Kech, Head of Marketing, crowned them to "Black Forest Person of the Year" and invited both to his home town of Ewattingen. When he heard the prize announcement, Stefan Forster, Managing Director of Hectronic, almost uttered a blasphemic "My lord, I am glad I didn't win". There will be sure words about that. But in one aspect everyone at Hectronic agreed: The Automechnika 2008 was a true success.