The HTI Group, parent company of brands such as Leitner, Poma, Skadii, Prinoth, WLPdust, Agudio, Troyer, and DemacLenko,& nbsp; which generated a turnover of €1.4 billion in 2024, has announced its acquisition of a stake in HKD Snowmakers, the North American leader in snowmaking. This move by the international giant, officially announced on September 3, 2025, is a strategic step to strengthen HTI’s position in the North American market, while consolidating all DemacLenko’s operations in the region under the HKD brand.
A strategic move by the HTI Group with global impact
The announced transaction is not a simple financial move. In reality, it represents a profound reconfiguration of the map of snow cultivation in North America.
On the one hand, HKD will continue to operate independently, a guarantee of continuity that reassures ski resorts that already trust the brand. At the same time, the entire DemacLenko product portfolio in the region will now be sold under the HKD brand, thus consolidating the North American company’s presence as a single point of reference for purchases and support.
Equally important is the integration of DemacLenko’s team in North America, a step that ensures know-how, proximity, and local technical service.
As for the partnership agreement, opinions differ: the official statement refers to an “equity investment,” while several Italian media outlets claim that it is a majority stake. What is not up for debate are the numbers: around 80 employees and an estimated annual turnover of $60 million make HKD a major player in the market.
Who is HKD Snowmakers?
Born in North America, HKD Snowmakers quickly made a name for itself in the industry thanks to a rare combination of innovation, efficiency, and operational simplicity. Its air/water guns and fans stand out for their ability to produce large volumes of snow in a short time, while KLiK hydrants have revolutionized the way a snowmaking system is quickly and safely put into operation.
But perhaps HKD’s greatest asset in recent years has been its commitment to intelligent automation. With the iSno platform, resorts can remotely control and optimize their snowmaking systems, adjusting consumption and maximizing every hour of available cold weather, with intuitive real-time visualization of snowmaking systems thanks to Snowvisual 4.0 software.
In a scenario where winters offer increasingly shorter periods of sub-zero temperatures, this ability to react immediately has become a decisive competitive advantage for ski resorts across the continent.
Synergies between HKD and HTI
HTI’s entry into HKD Snowmakers not only adds capital: it opens the door to a complete ecosystem of mountain solutions. From Leitner and Poma ski lifts, to Prinoth snow groomers and specialized vehicles, to DemacLenko and HKD snowmaking, not to mention the digital layer provided by Skadii, the group’s strategy is clear: to offer a comprehensive package to ski resorts.
For North American operators, this translates into a clear advantage: having a single point of contact for everything related to snowmaking. Less paperwork, simplified purchasing processes, centralized maintenance service, and the guarantee of having an industrial group with financial and technological muscle behind them.
The result is a scenario where HTI’s alpine precision and HKD’s adaptability in North America combine to offer a proposition that is difficult to match in the sector.
Market outlook
The move could not have come at a more opportune time. The snowmaking industry is under increasing pressure: ski resorts need to produce more snow in less time, with ever lower energy consumption and in increasingly shorter cold spells.
In this scenario, energy efficiency measured in kWh per cubic meter of snow has become a key indicator for investment decisions. Added to this is advanced automation, which reduces labor and operating costs and is no longer a luxury but a necessity to ensure the economic viability of many destinations.
Another decisive factor is the value of “Made in the USA”. Manufacturing and assembling equipment close to the customer not only reduces delivery times, but also protects against the risks of tariffs and increasingly fragile global supply chains.
With an industrial presence in both Utah and the best ski resorts in Colorado, Minnesota, and Canada, HTI is not only expanding its footprint in North America, but also positioning itself as a leading transatlantic player, capable of competing on equal terms with other giants in the snow cultivation industry.
Beyond the headlines, HTI’s acquisition of a stake in HKD Snowmakers raises three key considerations for mountain professionals:
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Concentration and consolidation of the sector The operation confirms a clear trend: the snowmaking market is moving towards concentration among a few global players capable of offering comprehensive solutions. For resorts, this may mean negotiations with fewer suppliers, but with greater investment capacity and technical support.
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Towards an integrated mountain management model
The combination of ski lifts, snow groomers, snowmaking, and digitization under a single industrial umbrella opens the door to more integrated projects, where each investment decision impacts the overall efficiency of the ski area. For resort managers, this means thinking in terms of a technological ecosystem, not isolated products. -
Technological competence and sustainability
The focus on energy efficiency and automation is not only a response to climate change, but also to operating cost pressures and the need to justify investments based on sustainability criteria. In practice, we will see an acceleration in the adoption of smart control systems, consumption measurement, and environmental reporting.
In short, HTI’s strategy with HKD should not be interpreted solely as a reinforcement of its presence in North America, but as a symptom of the global transformation that the snow industry is undergoing: more concentrated, more technological, and facing the challenge of being profitable and sustainable at the same time.
