Preview ICE TOTALLY GAMING 2015 SUZO-HAPP SYSTEMS SOLUTION PROVISION FOCUS
Harald Wagemaker, Suzo-Happ EVP Sales and Marketing EMEA, discusses the last 12 months, the year ahead and ICE.
What can you say about the performance of Suzo-Happ in 2014?
As Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing of Gaming and Casino EMEA, I am responsible for the Gaming 'vertical' in EMEA, so please allow me to focus on this:
2014 has been an outstanding year for the Suzo- Happ Group and I am extremely proud of everyone within the entire Suzo-Happ EMEA team for their ongoing dedication. Our ability to continue to grow our business in this constrained market highlights the breadth of our expertise across Europe as the creative and effective company of choice for manufacturers and casino's in the region.
We are hungrier than ever to push the limits in this rapidly evolving market.
What goals did you achieve in 2014?
Our newly developed diversification strategy was strongly put into place. We have restructured the organization accordingly, and I am proud to have been involved in this giant task from the very beginning.
One of the main components of this strategy was the creation of so-called ‘sales verticals’ – namely ‘Gaming’, ‘Amusement’, ‘Vending’ and ‘Industrial’. The creation of these verticals allows us to put more focus on each individual market without any market specific or geographical and cultural distractions.
In addition, we have developed a program in restructuring the EMEA 'Gaming segment' in becoming much more of an 'integrated solutions provider' for our customers, rather than "just" a parts and components supplier. Our customers are focusing more and more on game content. So our message to them is – let us 'create' your hardware solutions.
Our ‘OEM Gaming’ segment was the first to start to shift in this new product offering. No longer are we a supplier of components only instead we are capable in offering our OEM customers bespoke contract manufacturing services. The efficiencies achieved in logistics combined with bespoke manufacturing solutions of sub- or even complete assemblies, substantially help reduce our customers manufacturing costs.
6 6 Harald Wagemaker
Within our Casino & Operator segment we are developing a strategy with strong focus in becoming a System Solution Provider. We are very excited that we are now the global exclusive distributor for TransAct, including Europe as from the beginning of this year. An important product that is part of this agreement is EpiCentral, the award winning software system that prints targeted promotions to carded and un-carded players in real-time, which allows users to easily create and design any number of coupons to create a marketing campaign.
Obviously all of this besides offering the largest available choice for spare parts and components in the industry.
How is Suzo-Happ changing to integrate this new philosophy?
Offering systems solutions require new skill sets. We are very well aware of that and are investing in our staff to best embrace this positive change. For example, we have introduced staff training programs to best prepare our salesmen to these new tasks. Naturally we have already restructured the organization to reflect this. We are creating or hiring experts in differing fields and expertise. We will help both manufacturers and operators to make the right hardware choices. We have R&D offices and Manufacturing facilities throughout the globe, all of them are both extensive and extremely modern, most of them being ISO certified.
Our main goal is that our customers save time and costs for all off their hardware solutions.
Suzo will celebrate its 60th anniversary at ICE. Can you tell us something about this? Are you planning something special?
Yes, indeed we are! This very special occasion
will accompany us throughout the year. The 60th anniversary of Suzo-Happ in Europe is a main focus on our stand at the ICE. We will be holding a special event at the Hippodrome on Tuesday the 3rd of February, in the evening and look forward to entertaining our customers there. But not only that, it is our way to thank them for their support throughout the years. In a business climate that is often based on short-term results, the fact that we are celebrating six decades in business speaks volumes on how much we care about our customers, and how much we are respected in the industry.
This will be the first ICE in which Comestero will be exhibiting as part of the Suzo-Happ family. What are your expectations?
Comestero is an excellent addition to the family. We will be dedicating a large section of our stand to Comestero’s solutions. The Italian team is renown for product innovations and this forward-thinking philosophy fits into our management plan perfectly. Comestero has great solutions for all our verticals – we are very excited about our growth prospects here.
What are your expectations for 2015?
Our hopes and expectations for the ‘Gaming' vertical here in Europe is for the industry to get to know how much additional value we can offer. We need to communicate with our customers more on how we can additionally support them. 2015 is a year that takes us into a new direction.
Can you reveal to us any plans for product launches or other news for 2015?
We are very proud to be exclusive or key distributors for the industry’s greatest names in the component segment. Our focus is on offering ‘best in class’. Concerning other news – well let me not take away the excitement for the forthcoming ICE – please come and see us at the ICE and we’ll show you all that is new.
What are your customers’ mains concerns/goals for next year?
We believe that our customers increasingly wish to focus more on what they do best. In our industry the focus is more on game development. We listen to our customers and our solution has been to alter our structure and strategy accordingly. We are there for our customers to provide the right hardware solutions they need – from individual components, part-manufactured solutions, to complete systems solutions.
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