Stronger presence of the South Tyrolean group in the United States. The company, a market leader in the field of snowmaking systems in the United States and Canada, recently recorded a turnover of 60 million dollars and employs 80 staff members. HTI President Anton Seeber: “Our group’s goal remains to pursue sustainable and long-term success, ensuring jobs and creating local value.“
The South Tyrolean group HTI has become the majority shareholder of HKD Snowmakers. HKD is a company specialized in snowmaking systems with locations in the United States and Canada. With this acquisition, HTI further strengthens its presence in the North American market.
This move reinforces HTI’s already strong position, which includes the ropeway manufacturers Leitner, Poma and Bartholet, the tracked vehicles and snow groomers from Prinoth, as well as the European snowmaking expert Demaclenko, by integrating one of North America’s leading companies in the sector. HKD recorded a turnover of around 60 million dollars in the last financial year, with 80 employees.
This step is part of a broader strategy that in recent years has led to a diversification of both the geographic and thematic scope of the South Tyrolean group’s activities. Several investments have been made in North America: from the manufacturing plant in Utah, to the acquisition of Jarraff (vegetation management) in Minnesota, to the expansion of Prinoth’s facilities in Granby, Canada, and Leitner Poma of America in Grand Junction, Colorado. Investments that are proving successful thanks to the growth of the North American winter tourism market—particularly in the United States—as well as recent favorable political conditions. “Made in USA” is gaining increasing importance.
“We are pleased that our large corporate family in the United States is continuing to grow with the addition of a company that shares our values,” said HTI President Anton Seeber. “HKD will operate, like the other companies in our group, autonomously and independently, in order to respond efficiently and flexibly to the needs of its target market. Through decentralization and diversification, our group aims for sustainable and long-term success, enabling us to safeguard jobs and create value in the areas where we operate.“
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for all of us at HKD,” said Charles Santry, President and Co-Founder of HKD. “Over the last 35 years, we have worked hard to become technological leaders in reliable and energy-efficient snowmaking. By joining HTI and working closely with Demaclenko, we will now be able to complete our current product range and offer our customers in North America the most comprehensive and reliable snowmaking technology available on the market today.“
HKD: A company with a long-standing tradition
In 1973, Herman Kress Dupré (the company’s name is an acronym of his initials) developed the first snowmaking system on the slopes of the family resort Seven Springs in Pennsylvania. In the early 1990s, Herman’s son-in-law, Charles Santry—a geologist by training and expert in environmental issues—proposed to commercialize this innovative technology. This led to the founding of HKD Snowmakers, and the “HKD”standard” was introduced to the industry, quickly becoming the most efficient snow gun used by North American ski resorts. HKD continued to grow through acquisitions, and in 2011 merged with the Canadian snow gun manufacturer Turbocristal, integrating fan-based technology into its product range. Finally, in 2018, HKD acquired iSno, the control and automation division of Sno-Matic, based in Lyme, New Hampshire.
