Since last September, Erik Möller has been the aftermarket manager at Norditek. In this role, he ensures that customers receive the right assistance, clear feedback, the right replacement parts, and the right support once the machine is installed.
“I’ve worked in a variety of roles in the Gothenburg region, mostly within the Stena Group, and most recently served as aftermarket manager at Malwa Forest in the forestry industry—a sector with many similarities to Norditek,” Erik explains. In his free time, he lives on a farm where he builds and repairs whatever he needs himself, and hunting is his greatest passion outside of work.
Erik was familiar with Norditek long before he joined the company. Through previous contacts in the industry, he had seen the machines in operation and had casual conversations with both service partners and Norditek’s former aftermarket manager.
Large machines and a genuine commitment to recycling
Ask Erik what drew him to us, and his answer comes in two parts. One is personal, and the other is a matter of principle.
“Big machines that rumble and tear things apart—I think that’s really fun,” he says. Straight to the point, just like the machines he’s talking about.
The second part carries more weight. Erik believes that Sweden needs to do a better job of recycling the materials that are already available, rather than continuing to extract new ones.
“We have vast amounts of material that we need to be able to recycle in one way or another. I think it’s meaningful to be a part of that process.”
An installed subwoofer full of potential
A few months into the role, Erik’s first major insight was as simple as it was interesting: Norditek already has a large and well-established installed base, with significantly more potential than is currently being tapped.
“We can build and develop services that help customers make more money with Our ’s help.” That insight is now driving much of his focus moving forward.
What “good after-sales service” means to our customers
“They should feel that Norditek is a reliable, trustworthy supplier that is always there for them and understands both their day-to-day operations at the facility and their business. Customers should think: ‘If we contact Norditek, we’ll get the best help.’ Whether the machine was purchased new, rented, or used.”
In practice, it should be simple and clear. Continuous feedback throughout the entire process, a focus on maintaining uptime, and helping to optimize the machine. With information that is clear enough for the customer to find the right replacement part on their own, without having to call and ask.
The most common problems Erik wants to help customers avoid in their production
When a machine isn't working as expected, Erik wants to get to the bottom of why, not just patch it up and fix it.
“Is there a problem with the material we’re feeding into the machine? Is there a technical problem with the machine itself? Is the machine being used as configured, or does it need to be optimized?”
Questions that guide both troubleshooting and the long-term effort to get more out of each machine.
If you ask Erik what he started with during his first few months, the answer is neither glamorous nor surprising—but all the more important.
“When I started here, I conducted an analysis of the current situation: what we do, who does what, how we do it, and how we manage it financially. The foundation must be stable before we can build on it, and that is exactly the work we are starting with right now.”
The aftermarket's role is a central pillar, not a support function
Erik views the aftermarket as a key pillar of Norditek's business, alongside sales.
“We need to understand our customers’ businesses and tailor our offerings so that both the customer and we benefit, with a focus on creating a win-win relationship.” The aftermarket should focus on what delivers direct business value and leave the rest aside. According to Erik, that’s how you lay the foundation for a lean and efficient organization with low overhead.
From the farm to the machine shop
Development and improvement are things that are fun to be a part of, and it’s great to be the one who helps make the vision a reality.
It’s evident in his personal life, too. Erik has a keen personal interest in machinery; he lives on a farm where he’s building a machine shop himself, welds together tools that aren’t available for purchase, and repairs his own car when needed. “I’m not exactly all thumbs, so to speak.”
That practical perspective carries over into his work and into Norditek Academy, the new training initiative for operators that Erik runs in partnership with SSG. Watch this space.
A good week is one where Erik is hardly needed
If you ask Erik what a good week looks like, you'll get an answer that many managers would agree with:
“In a really good week, I shouldn’t actually have to be very involved in day-to-day operations. That’s when orders come in smoothly, customers are satisfied, and I can spend my time developing new solutions that meet our customers’ needs even better.” He laughs at his own wording: the goal is essentially to phase himself out of day-to-day operations.
Of course, reality rarely looks like that. But the course has been set, and for Norditek’s customers, that means an aftermarket that is on its way to becoming exactly as comprehensive and precise as Erik wants it to be.
Would you like to get in touch with Erik, express interest in receiving information about Norditek Academy, or learn more about Norditek’s aftermarket? Please contact Erik.