Lou Feng, the Chief Executive Officer of Himel, in an interview with World Business Outlook magazine, takes us through Himel’s manufacturing excellence, robust supply chain and strong distribution network. Here is an excerpt of his interview as part of our series on Himel that won the awards of ‘Most Reliable Final Distribution Products Brand in South East Asia’ and ‘Most Reliable Residential Segment Electrical Products Brand, Middle East’ this year.
Here are the excerpts of the interview –
As CEO of Himel, can you introduce the brand from your perspective and how the company’s portfolio has evolved over the years?
Himel is a purpose-driven brand. As a globally operating manufacturer and supplier of electrical products, we have been a part of industries, businesses, and homes that people rely on every day, in 57 countries across continents.
Himel products come with confidence and assurance. This means that you will receive high-quality products without a trade-off with price. This is what sets us apart. We do not only see our products from a commercial perspective; we strive to satisfy our consumers with the quality they deserve.
With products in our Power Distribution and Management, Motor Control and Protection, Industrial Components, and Home Electric portfolios—our breadth of offerings is a key differentiator. We do not just provide products. We also provide expert guidance and techno-commercial assistance to help our customers succeed in their industry, business, or home. We understand our customers and how our products can meet their needs.
Over the years, Himel has been at the forefront to cater to the consumer demand of high-quality yet affordable electrical products. Our brand evolution has been centered around consumer demand, you can say. Be it smart devices for simple home automation or aesthetic wiring devices, we have exceedingly met market requirements. Himel’s portfolio of value-engineered electrical products is continually evolving to improve operations applications, metering, customer-facing applications, and control systems.
With smart manufacturing at the core of our success, we have demonstrated a strong track record of innovation, and are committed to providing our customers with the highest-quality products and services.
As a leader heading affordable electrical brand, how important you feel is to bring quality, accessibility, and affordability at the same platform?
Accessibility and affordability are two sides of the same aspect. When products are difficult to access, either because of supply chain issues or manufacturing delays, the cost of production increases, which leads to higher prices.
Easy accessibility and affordability are important for customer confidence. When customers know that they can find reliable products easily and within their budget, they are more likely to do business with you. This is the assurance that we aim to provide to our customers.
We believe that high-quality products do not have to come at a higher cost. Our goal is to maximize the value of investment by providing easier accessibility, superior quality, and affordable prices.
Can you elaborate on the relevance and need of value engineered electrical products for emerging markets in Asia and Africa?
Asian and African countries are experiencing rapid economic growth, and safe electrical infrastructure is essential for this growth to be sustainable. Value-engineered electrical products can help to bridge the gap between high-quality electrical products and cost optimization.
These countries have responsive and forward-looking markets. Industries such as textiles and manufacturing, which have been the pillars of these economies, can become major drivers of growth if they have reliable electrical components that reduce downtime and minimize unexpected maintenance costs. Safe electrical infrastructure can also maximize the value of long-term investments in urbanization, the development of industrial parks, hospitals, housing, and other key facilities.
Himel’s portfolio is perfectly suited to meet the demads of the fast-paced markets. To put in perspective, we can manufacture up to 2 million MCB poles in a day! Our robust supply chain, local network, retail representation, and full spectrum of power distribution, industrial automation, and home electric products are perfectly aligned with the opportunities offered by Asian and African residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Himel gives people the choice, makes it easy to find quality products within budget, and enables business success regardless of size.
How you plan to expand Himel’s reach in developed markets like Central Eastern Europe and Middle East?
We are expanding our network aggressively. Our supply chain and logistics are becoming more resilient and stronger. We are constantly assessing local needs and evolving a multifaceted approach to exceed market demands. Whether it is faster order fulfillment, sound channel capability, or supporting e-retail through aggregators, we are committed to meeting the needs of our partners and customers.
There is a big drive towards electrical safety from governments and businesses. How affordable brands like Himel plays a role in accelerating the transition to safer infrastructure?
Himel is committed to making safer electrical infrastructure more accessible to everyone.
As decision-makers increasingly recognize the importance of electrical safety, there has been an increasing focus on upgrading infrastructure to ensure safety. Himel is at the forefront of this effort, providing quality-assured electrical products that can help businesses and individuals transition to safer infrastructure.
Himel’s products are competitively priced, and our robust local network and deep expertise allow us to deliver them quickly and efficiently. We also have a strong portfolio of switchgear and power distribution products that can deliver new value to existing and future establishments.
In addition to providing quality products, Himel is also committed to educating consumers, developers, and electrical consultants about electrical safety. We believe that equity in electrical safety is essential for economic development that benefits everyone, and we are committed to using our products and expertise to make electrical safety a reality.
Our local teams have a deep understanding of regional electrical regulations, which is critical as climate concerns and grid distribution technologies evolve. We are constantly working to stay ahead of the curve and provide our customers with the products and services they need to keep their electrical infrastructure safe and reliable.
We believe that safer electrical infrastructure is essential for a more sustainable and equitable future.
Lou Feng has been central to the Himel’s evolution as a leading value engineering brand backed by smart manufacturing excellence. Graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, Lou holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University.
Interested to read more articles about Himel? Then please read these articles:
Enabling safe electrical infrastructure in affordable housing through high quality products
Driving modernization of power infrastructure through value engineered electrical products
Implementing Fire Resistant Electrical Infrastructure for Residential Safety
