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5
Founder’s Reflections
building. The building system also needed to be able to
accommodate with relative ease a reasonable variety of
doorways and window openings.
It was then that I began working in my garage,
tinkering about with designs for the machines as well
as the blocks they would produce. And so emerged the
concept of a high-quality compressed block made from
soil that was readily at hand plus the addition of a little
cement.
In practice, however, I discovered that the key to a
strong block was clay content: too much was as bad as
too little. Another important factor was the curing process,
which needed time, water and sunlight.
Even more important was a robust design as these
machines were likely to be needed in far-flung rural
areas all over the third world and I couldn’t afford to have
them breaking down all over the place. Testimony to the
success of that element of the design is the fact that
today some of the machines we built in 1990 are still in
productive use.
Of course, while I had the idea and the skills to design
the machines, Hydraform would not have lasted 25 years
without the people who joined me in my quest. Not wishing
to offend any of those who have contributed over the
years by forgetting to name them, I will restrict myself to
Jochen Kofahl
Founder
the three people without whom my dream may never have
been realised.
The first of these is the current MD, Robert Plattner. A
solid partner since 1988, Robert stuck with the business
through thick and thin and his unwillingness to give up is
a major reason why Hydraform is the company it is today.
The second critical player is John Carter, our present
chairman and one of the first investors. John became
involved in 1993 and Hydraform benefited greatly from his
sage advice while I grew personally from having him as
my mentor.
Finally, and most definitely not least, is Linda Kempster,
our current operations director. Linda started at Hydraform
in 1995, handling the money that kept the business
running. Without her the company could never have
survived.
Perhaps one of my fondest memories is of our company
motto back in 2005: “Hydraform goes where no one else
goes.” Long may it continue.
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