Bernie Wogan - There from the Beginning and Still Part of HMF’s Story

Before the beginning

The story actually starts before HMF UK even existed.
In 1977, Bernie began working at Edbro London Ltd., the official importer and distributor of HMF cranes in the United Kingdom. It was here he first got to know the products – and where he met Bobbie. They were colleagues until, in 1978, they became much more than that.

Ten years later, their working lives changed significantly when Arne Bundgaard Jensen, founder of HMF, decided to establish the company’s first subsidiary outside Denmark: HMF UK. Bernie’s manager, who was already working with distribution of HMF products, was asked whether he wanted to lead the new company – and Bernie was asked whether he wanted to join.

Bernie and Bobbie therefore moved from their familiar home in Heathrow to Peterborough, where Bernie would help build HMF UK from the ground up. In the early years, HMF UK was not a large organisation – just a few people and a shared ambition.

The early years

Bernie was hired as Parts and Service Manager. Shortly after, when the paperwork began to pile up, Bobbie joined as well. She handled invoicing, administration, and the many practical tasks that follow when shaping a new company.

“As we became increasingly busy, the paperwork piled up.”, Bernie explains.

The two of them – the couple Bernie and Bobbie – were among the very first employees at HMF UK. Over time more colleagues joined, but for a long period they were only three or four employees. It was not until the early 1990s that the company truly began to grow and reached around 10 employees – an expansion Bernie regarded as a natural part of the company’s development.

One of his strongest memories dates back to the early years of the subsidiary’s history. Shortly after the company was established, Bernie travelled to Denmark to collect furniture and materials for the new office. The chair he sits on today is one of the chairs they brought back to the UK from that visit to Denmark. On that trip, he was also invited to the home of HMF’s founder, Arne Bundgaard, for dinner and whisky – an experience that left a lasting impression.

Today, HMF UK has around 25 employees, and Bernie remains the longest-serving member of the team. When he talks about his workplace, he describes the spirit as “one big family.” Departments work closely together, support each other, and function as one united unit. There is room for professionalism, humour, and social activities – all of which contribute to strong job satisfaction.

A fascination that never faded

Over the years, Bernie has worked with warranty, spare parts, service, and sales. Around 20 years ago, he became Technical and Training Manager – a role he still holds today.

His daily work involves customer contact, technical support, training, and advisory tasks. When a crane operator calls with a problem, it is often Bernie who answers. In approximately 75% of cases, he can guide the customer through folding the crane and returning safely to the road or to a workshop. Many ask him how he manages to stay calm when he handles calls every day from crane operators in frustrating situations.
“There is no reason to become frustrated yourself. It only makes things worse,” he explains.

Before he worked with HMF cranes, Bernie was involved in a company that sold tipper body builds, but they never really captured his interest in the same way as the cranes. “I like my job. I think cranes are fascinating,” he says with a smile.

Even though he has had different roles at HMF UK, the constant has always been his interest in the mechanics of cranes. He describes his interest as an extension of childhood curiosity – taking things apart, understanding them, and putting them back together again. That same technical curiosity today forms the foundation of the training he provides and the way he explains complex safety systems to customers and colleagues.

A working life – and a family life – in the same company

Bernie and Bobbie married in 1989. They continued working side by side at HMF for decades. Not only did they become parents at home – over time they also became parental figures at HMF”

“Bobbie became known as HMF Mum, which probably makes me HMF Dad – or just the grumpy old man,” Bernie laughs.

In 2012, they celebrated their 25-year anniversary at HMF together. In recognition of their efforts at HMF UK, they were invited to Denmark to visit the production facilities and headquarters – an experience that strengthened their sense that HMF is not just a workplace, but a community.

A legacy that lives on

In September 2024, Bernie lost his wife Bobbie after nearly 47 years together as life partners and colleagues. Her passing left deep marks on everyone who knew her.
It was important for the team at HMF UK that Bobbie should remain part of the workplace she had helped shape with her warm and welcoming presence over many years. Colleagues set up a bench in her memory in the reception area and later planted a cherry tree because she loved seeing cherry trees in bloom.

Bernie chose to continue at HMF because the work gives him a sense of purpose and meaning.

Not just an employee, but part of HMF’s history

This April marks Bernie’s 39-year anniversary with HMF. Adding the 10 years he worked with HMF products at the former British distributor brings his knowledge of the cranes close to half a century. It is not just a long career. It is a life that has grown together with the company. When the conversation turns to retirement, Bernie pauses briefly.

“ It feels strange to imagine life without HMF. “, he says. He is not ready for that yet.

Bernie Wogan has not just worked at HMF for nearly four decades – he helped build HMF UK from the very beginning. He has followed the products through major technological developments and worked closely with people who did not just become colleagues, but family.

A company is not defined only by what it produces. It is shaped by the people who keep showing up year after year because the work still matters.
This spring, Bernie reaches another major milestone at HMF. For some, it is a career. For Bernie, it is a life’s work. What the future holds, time will tell – but his connection to both cranes and colleagues is unmistakable.