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Metabo HPT and Metabo are “now under one roof.”
What does this mean?
A reader wrote in, asking about this.
Matt wrote:
I received a marketing email today from Metabo HPT that I found interesting – not for the products being marketed (an SDS Max Roto Hammer and a stud and joist drill), but for the fact that they called out Metabo HPT and Metabo are “now under one roof” of Koki Holdings America Ltd”.
I searched online and found that Koki acquired Metabo in 2016 – do you know what has changed or why they are now promoting both the Metabo and the HPT branding being somewhat connected?
If only they could figure out the part people might really care about is if the batteries were compatible, especially with Metabo being in the CAS ecosystem.
First, some background.
Hitachi acquired Metabo in 2015. (Breaking Power Tool News: Hitachi Acquires Metabo!)
KKR, a private equity firm, acquired Hitachi’s power tools division and Metabo in 2017. (Hitachi Power Tools and Metabo Bought by USA-Based KKR Private Equity Firm)
Hitachi Power Tools renamed itself as Metabo HPT in 2018. (Hitachi Power Tools is Now Metabo HPT). Outside of North America, the brand is known as HiKoki.
At the time, Metabo issued a statement that Metabo HPT’s name change doesn’t affect them. (Metabo: We’re Not Affected by Hitachi Power Tool’s Name Change to Metabo HPT – But is it True?)
Fast forward to 2024, and I have also seen ads and mentions that Metabo HPT and Metabo are “now under one roof.”
Additional captioning says that this means “more choices than ever,” and “together we’ve got you covered [with] residential, commercial & industrial [tools and solutions].”
Interestingly, the public newsletter was mailed by hikoki-powertools.de.
On the PR side of things, my Metabo contact sent me an alert about a Metabo HPT product, and added that they were working with my Metabo HPT contact. I’ve worked with both for a very long time.
I haven’t asked for clarity yet, but it seems that the “under one roof” part refers to the brands’ management.
After Hitachi acquired Metabo, the two brands remained distinct. That usually isn’t the case.
Consider Black & Decker’s merger to Stanley Works around 14 years ago. When I spoke with a brand manager on the Dewalt (Black & Decker) side of things a couple of months later, they told me the companies were still working out how to synergistically combine.
It seems that Metabo HPT and Metabo are now doing something similar, and are working towards being one company.
Metabo HPT and Metabo cordless power tool lines are NOT compatible, and I have not seen any indication that this is changing anytime soon.
Thus, in regard to cordless compatibility, it doesn’t look like anything has or will be changing.
Metabo HPT and Metabo now being under one roof is noteworthy, but it’s still unclear what benefits this might provide to end users.
It could mean that Metabo HPT’s corded and cordless power tool lines could more easily leverage Metabo tech and know-how, and vice-versa, but wouldn’t the same have been true all along?
Couldn’t it be said that both companies have been “under the roof” of Koki Holdings since 2015?
In digging deeper, Koki Holdings appointed new members to their executive team and board of directors in 2023.
The June 2023 announcement says:
Effective as of 1 June 2023, Prathab Deivanayagham has been appointed Global CEO. He joins Koki Holdings from HARMAN International, India where he was Country Head & Managing Director. Hiroshi Teraguchi, who formerly held the roles of Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and President of Koki Holdings, will remain as Chief Financial Officer. Bill Wyman has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer of the company.1 Bill joined from HARMAN, where he was Vice President of Integrated Marketing.
Additionally, Dinesh Paliwal, Partner at KKR, Executive Chairman Marelli Holdings Co., Ltd. , and Hisao Iijima, Managing Director at KKR Japan KK and Non-Executive Director, Marelli Holdings Co., Ltd., were appointed to the Board of Directors 2. Dinesh Paliwal will also assume the role of Executive Chairman, Koki Holdings.
Together, the executive team and Board of Directors of Koki Holdings is confident that as “One Koki,” this enhanced leadership team will help drive Koki’s value proposition for all stakeholders through providing world class products and brands.
- Bill Wyman joined Koki Holdings on May 1, 2023. All the other appointments are as of June 1, 2023.
- Under Japanese Company Law, Dinesh Paliwal and Hisao Iijima are non-executive directors of the company.
It’s interesting to note that some of the new board members come from KKR.
This part also stood out to me:
as “One Koki,” this enhanced leadership team will help drive Koki’s value proposition for all stakeholders through providing world class products and brands.
Metabo HPT and Metabo “under one roof” aligns with the goal of “One Koki.”
This seems like typical corporate-speak, and it doesn’t really indicate any changes or benefits for end users.
One thing I try to keep in mind is that not all marketing messages are aimed at end users.
In 2021, there were reports that KKR, the companies’ parent, was reportedly looking to sell Koki Holdings, the group containing both tool brands. Follow-up reports in 2022 said such efforts had stalled or been halted.
There haven’t been any additional reports since then, at least none that I have seen.
KKR could be striving to grow Metabo HPT and Metabo into bigger and broader power tool brands, or they could (still?) be aiming to sell the group to another party. These are not mutually exclusive goals.
Metabo HPT (and presumedly HiKoki internationally) and Metabo being “now under one roof” can hold potential benefits for end users. Until such benefits become apparent, I’m leaning towards seeing more corporate benefits, at the least with respect to management and marketing efficiencies.
They are both solid brands, and I haven’t seen them do anything but good things over the past few years. While I don’t see much reason for optimism – yet – I also don’t see any reasons to be pessimistic.
It’ll be interesting to see what comes out of the brands’ new and seemingly closer relationship.
