11/01/2022

#PeopleBehindTheBrand Mark Vowles

20 years of HOMAG Australia – As part of the globalization of the HOMAG Group and the expansion of its reach from the manufacture of the machine to the direct relationship with the end user, the company HOMAG Australia was founded. This gives Australian manufacturers easy access to the HOMAG world and its solutions – all from one source. #TogetherForYourSolution our employees work with ambition and full of energy day in, day out. To get to know the people behind HOMAG Australia, we spoke with one of them.

For this interview, we spoke with Mark Vowles. Mark has been working as a Technical Sales Consultant at HOMAG since 1997.

HOMAG Australia is now looking back on a 20-year success-story. How did Australian woodworking industry develop in this timespan?
Mark Vowles: The industry with which HOMAG has always been strong is panel processing solutions. In the last 20 years HOMAG has helped guide the industry into a smart factory. But on a level and size Australian customers have been able take full advantage of. An example of this is 20 years ago automatic storage and retrieval systems fully connected to our machines was a pipe dream. Now we have an installed base of more than 100 systems.

What will be the main challenges in the Australian woodworking industry in the next years and which solutions does HOMAG Australia offer to help customers mastering them successfully?
Mark Vowles: There is a skilled labor shortage our customers face. With our automated solutions HOMAG are helping our customers to take advantage of this. We need to attract young people into our Industry. Drawing, planning, driving some of the tech we install. The industry needs to attract the right young people as they leave school.

What are HOMAG Australia´s core products – its daily business in term of machines?
Mark Vowles: There are three processes that HOMAG are the very best at. Cutting, drilling, and routing, and where it all started for the HOMAG group more than 60 years ago Edge banding. There is a passion and history to the HOMAG group that goes back to its beginnings. This rubs off on you when you work for HOMAG.

Interviewer: How important is digitalization in Australia and thus the digital products of the HOMAG Group?
Mark Vowles: It’s certainly the Buz word within HOMAG. Use in the field and what productivity, performance and planning gains it does for our customers with our machines and solutions, will be a light bulb moment for our customers. It’s the future. I think it’s exciting. Watch this space.

What are your expectations for HOMAG Australia in the next five years?
Mark Vowles: We are in unstable times with pressures coming from everywhere. HOMAG Australia need to continue what was started 20 years ago with supporting our customers. The solutions offered from HOMAG will hold us in a good position.

What are your personal highlights in your time with HOMAG Australia?
Mark Vowles: My personal highlights and I never get sick of seeing them. Is the success our customers have from the solutions we have supplied. I’m proud to be a part of HOMAG and the link for our customers with our solutions. It’s fun.

Thank you, Mark, for the exciting impressions. We are already looking forward to the next interview of our #PeopleBehindTheBrand story – stay curious!

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