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Finn Hogstad: – I was the very first employee at HS News Systems

Finn Hogstad has the most experience of any employee of HS-News Systems. – When I started in the summer of 1996, I was given a totally blank computer without any software. The times were different back then, says Hogstad. 

– I started my career as an apprentice mechanic at, what was then called, Kongsberg weapon factory. It was known locally simply as «The factory» by the people of Kongsberg.

– I went on to become an Industrial Mechanic at Vestfossen Mek and later I ended up in Media Craft AS. Some of us went on to start the company which is today HS News Systems.

The very first package. HS deliver its very first system to Finland in the winter of 1999. Finn Hogstad on the right.

Technological evolution

During the almost 26 years that Finn has been employed by HS News Systems, there has been rapid technological developments.

– Of course it’s fun to have been part of the whole journey of the company. In the beginning, we drew the packaging machines in 2D. It was a terrible job, which was both difficult and time consuming. 

– Transforming a two dimension drawing into a three dimension drawing is not always easy and straight forward.

– Today we fortunately have far better tools and software compared to what we had back in the day. What took us half a year to develop, now only takes a couple of months. In that regard the turnaround time has decreased significantly, Hogstad explains.

Ever changing markets

Finn believes the future is bright for HS News Systems. With new and fast developing consumer behavior, new opportunities and markets are opening up for HS News Systems.

– The pandemic has really accelerated e-commerce and new trading patterns are emerging. In response we have recently delivered two brand new pilot plants in Denmark for package sorting.

–The past two years have really shown us the importance of being in tune with these new and ever changing markets. We thrive to be a part of these changes, Finn explains. 

– Our new headquarters is built specifically for our needs and workflow. This enables us to deliver even better products and systems for our customers. 

It has been an exciting journey. I can´t wait for the continuation!

Finn Hogstad,Mechanical Engineer