Hosemaster Traveled to New Zealand

The Hosemaster™ hose maintenance unit, manufactured and marketed by Esteri Group, has made its way to New Zealand. Representatives of the company visited the other side of the globe at the end of 2023 to install the latest maintenance unit.
“Kia ora!”
This is how the New Zealand greeting goes as Esteri Group representatives arrived in the distant island nation after a long journey. But this was not the first trip.
The story began back in 2019 at the AFAC fire industry trade show in Melbourne, Australia, where Esteri Group’s CEO Iivari Kalliomäki was showcasing the features of Hosemaster.
Charlie Lott, the procurement director responsible for national equipment acquisitions at FENZ (Fire and Emergency New Zealand), shared a story how a hose had burst during maintenance on the North Island, seriously injuring one of the rescuers.
Something had to be done differently, especially in hose testing.

“We saw the Hosemaster demonstration and were convinced,” he says.
Charlie Lott and his team also calculated whether the hose maintenance system would become simpler and more efficient at the same time. Together, they agreed on a product development process aimed at handling 90 mm fire hoses.
“The process was successful, and we produced the Hosemaster 110 model, the large machine I had been requesting from our design team for years,” says Iivari Kalliomäki.
Pandemic Complicated the Installation
The first unit was ordered at the beginning of 2020. But then the doors of the island nation closed for a couple of years.
When the installation began, training and installation instructions were conducted via video calls.
“For a few months, local technical firefighters carried out the installation and commissioning tasks following our instructions. And all via video,” Kalliomäki recalls the challenging time.
Kalliomäki and Esteri Group’s product development team member Henri Rinne visited Tauranga on the North Island at the end of 2022, where the parties finally met in person. At the same time, new software and additional features were installed in device number 1.
During that trip, an order for a second Hosemaster was placed, which was installed at the end of November and early December last year at the Rural Service Center in the city of Clyde, located on the South Island. And yet another order came in. The third machine will be delivered to the Auckland area by the end of this year.


Health and Safety First
New Zealanders have been more than satisfied with the training and communication from Esteri Group. It is a valuable investment that, however, prevents health hazards to rescuers. For example, Clyde’s rescuers have been convinced by Hosemaster. Just the ergonomics and avoidance of carcinogens have been a significant relief for the workers.
Environmental issues also came up. The nature of the island nation is unique, and protecting it is of utmost importance to New Zealanders. They pay close attention to water consumption, whether at the station or in the field.
Community Spirit in the “New World” Style
Esteri Group collaborates with the local fire and rescue authority, FENZ.
“With FENZ, we have started active product development around the mobile Hosemaster, the Mobile Unit,” Kalliomäki reveals.

“Additionally, there is a large neighboring country, Australia, which does not yet have our machine. The New World neighbors closely follow each other’s activities and cooperate closely.”
Overall, communication to the other side of the globe has been smooth.
“The cooperation has been really direct. It’s amazing to see a distant nation that fundamentally values and respects other people and customs, and connects around the world without prejudice to get the best the world has to offer for their own country. This whole thing has been incredible!” Kalliomäki praises.
This article was originally published in Palokuntalainen Magazine 5/2024.