My Visit to HEBU

My first visit to HEBU was a few years ago: Back then, I also drove to Entlebuch to pick something up. When I arrived at the address, I thought at first that I was in the wrong place, because there was a tall tower with the words “ENTLEBUCHER QUALITÄTSFUTTER” written on it. But I was exactly where I needed to be!

That’s still the case today, though the buildings are now labeled “HEBU-SHOP.CH.” I’m meeting with Julia Achinger; she’s giving me a tour of the facility and telling me all about the company. The plan is for us to check out a container that arrived from China while the model-making supplies are being unloaded. But first things first:

It all began around 2000–2001 with the emergence of eBay and Ricardo, when founder Heinz Bucher started selling agricultural supplies online as a side business. At first, he purchased the merchandise from German sellers on eBay and then resold it on Ricardo. At that time, the product range consisted of trampolines, generators, mini cameras, and office chairs. The number of products grew steadily, and the range became more diverse, broader, and deeper.

At the end of 2004, the company HEBU Handels GmbH was founded for this purpose. Since Heinz Bucher is an avid model airplane enthusiast, the idea eventually arose to import model airplanes and accessories directly from China. To do this, suppliers and manufacturers of model airplanes first had to be found in China. Around 2005, model-making supplies were added to the product lineup.

Since then, the company has grown steadily and today enjoys a stable position despite a highly competitive market. Excellent customer service—including the ability to view products in person and take them home immediately thanks to a generous inventory—along with professional advice, technical expertise, and after-sales service, are HEBU’s greatest strengths. Today, the RC model-making product line includes over 10,000 items! From beginners to experts, there is a wide selection of RC models and accessories available.

The relationship with suppliers and manufacturers is very strong and is actively nurtured by Heinz. Long-standing, personal contacts—including mutual visits, which unfortunately have not been possible over the past two years due to COVID-19—are crucial in this regard.

This is the only way to ensure that the latest and most popular models are available as quickly as possible. The model-making product range is very extensive, with many manufacturers offering new products, accessories, and replacement parts. It’s a challenging task to maintain an overview here and make the right purchasing decisions. HEBU Handels GmbH is also always happy to receive customer requests for specific products, which can be submitted at any time. Whenever possible, such requests are fulfilled.

We’re now heading to the off-site warehouse, where the container from China is being unloaded.

Inventory levels are checked periodically, and orders are compiled for each supplier from whom additional goods are needed or new products are available. These orders are placed with the various suppliers. Production of the goods then typically begins, which takes an average of 20–30 days. Certain suppliers in the higher price segment may take up to 6 months to complete production. Once production is complete, the goods from the various manufacturers are transported to a consolidation and loading site and loaded into a 40-foot HQ container (approx. 75 m³), which is then transported to the port for customs clearance and loading. A 40-foot HQ container is 30 cm taller than a standard 40-foot container.

Model-making containers are usually loaded in Yantian. From there, the container ship travels a good 20,000 km to Hamburg within 24–28 days, depending on how many ports it calls at along the way. The containers are then typically unloaded in Hamburg within 24 hours—a technical term for unloading in maritime transport—and afterward, depending on train availability, loaded onto a train within 1–4 days and transported to Basel. From there, the goods are transported by truck to the warehouse in Entlebuch, where the container is unloaded by 4–5 people in 2–3 hours.

About 5–6 containers—that is, roughly every 2 months—a shipment arrives from China.

We thoroughly inspect new models and record their technical specifications and photos for the online store. Existing products are randomly checked for changes in design, technology, or quality. As much as our model builders would love to, we can’t always fully assemble every model and take attractive photos due to space and time constraints.

That’s why we’re always happy to receive photos of assembled models from our customers.

There is an off-site warehouse where all items are inventoried, sorted, and stored after unloading. For pickup or shipping, the items are transported to the company headquarters at Russacher 19 in Entlebuch.

About 10% of customers pick up their orders in person. The rest of the customers complete their purchases online.

RC model cars are in high demand, but we also carry boats, functional model kits, and more. Folding tents, generators, grills, and bamboo charcoal are also useful for model aircraft.

HEBU places great emphasis on repairing rather than throwing away, which is why our spare parts inventory is so extensive. We also offer a build service that handles repairs and programs remote control systems. The secret lies in our after-sales service!

Thank you for the interesting insight at HEBU GmbH.

HEBU
www.hebu-shop.ch
Russacher 19 • CH-6162 Entlebuch

Everything you need for a great day at the airfield*

*as well as replacement parts for (almost) everything, just in case something does go wrong