Hydro-Gear enjoys successful showing during inaugural Equip Exhibition – Louisville, KY
The outdoor power equipment industry’s largest trade show did not skip a beat this year as it rebranded from GIE to Equip Exposition. “We’ve been a part of this show for over 20 years and it just keeps getting bigger and better,” said Scott Wilmoth, Marketing Manager for Hydro-Gear. “The industry buzz continues to be about electrification and that suits us well because we are ready with turn-key complete electric systems for both the commercial and residential segments.”
The company markets electric products under its Smartec brand and is currently the only supplier able to offer the power, drive motors, controllers, sensors, and mobile apps needed to bring electric vehicles to life. To highlight Smartec system features, the company had a fully functioning indoor demo vehicle that allowed customers to interact with mobile apps and see vehicle functionality in a clean environment. “The mobile apps just really make our system shine,” said Mike McCoy, VP of Sales and Marketing. “And having design and manufacturing control of our hardware allows us to integrate the software seamlessly and offer our customers unique features such as SmartMow™ and PowerSafe™.” Outside, the company offered ride and drives of the Smartec EZTe® Residential Electric System and ZT-2800e™ Estate Electric System – both of which are already on production vehicles currently being sold into the market. The commercial version, ZT-3400e™, launches in 2023 but an in-house built demo unit was available for visitors to test performance and customize via mobile app.
Another exciting feature of the outdoor booth was the company’s drive-by-wire technology which is also in production on Wright stander machines equipped with the Greenzie guidance system for autonomous operation. This electric over hydraulic innovation illustrates Hydro-Gear’s continued dedication to its core market. “Electric may get all the headlines but we’re still bringing new hydraulic products to market too. In the last couple of years, we’ve introduced drive-by-wire, a serviceable EZT®, and internal expansion tanks across our ZT family. We still see a lot of opportunity in the hydraulic side of our business and we will continue to support our customers’ needs in this area,” said Scott Wilmoth.
The company is already making plans to make next year’s show even better.
About Hydro-Gear – Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Sullivan, IL, Hydro-Gear is a world leader in the design and manufacture of precision drive solutions for the commercial, residential, and electric markets. The company markets residential-grade hydraulic products under its Hydro-Gear brand, commercial-grade hydraulic production under its Hydro-Gear commercial brand, and electric products under its Smartec brand. With multiple manufacturing sites and global operations, Hydro-Gear’s goal is to ensure our products and services always meet our customers’ rigorous requirements and exceed their expectations.
