Hansi Kruger
“It was in the spring of 1984. I was just about to graduate when Björn Hessle, managing director at Munters at the time, visited our campus at the University of Linköping,” Hansi recalls. “There was a shortage of engineers and all the big industrial companies in Sweden were looking for new talent. Björn inspired us with stories about Carl Munters and his inventions in climate control. I was impressed and sent in my application.”
Moving west
Hansi joined Munters at a time of rapid growth. With about 700 employees and global ambitions, the company was expanding both geographically and through product innovation, acquiring licenses in the US, UK and around the world.
One of Munters largest and earliest markets was the defense sector. Years of developing dehumidification solutions for the Swedish military led to increasing demand from European NATO countries. It was at the end of the Cold War, and military equipment like vehicles, tanks, and planes needed to be stored in moisture-free environments.
“Munters’ technology saved a lot of money and maintained functionality even decades later,” Hansi says. “Then came a new challenge: could we control humidity in storage onboard ships—floating warehouses? That turned out to be easier, since ships are already built to be waterproof. Soon after, we were asked to do the same in the U.S., with movable, humidity-controlled warehouses. That’s how I ended up moving west to what was then known as Cargocaire Engineering Corp. Renting and selling smaller dehumidifiers for storage and mothballing quickly turned into a booming business.”
New markets open up
From their base in Amesbury, Massachusetts, Hansi and his colleagues expanded into new industries, applications, and regions.
“You simply can’t make medicine, food or candy if the air isn’t dry or controlled,” he explains. “I remember visiting a factory that produced surgical suture thread – the kind that dissolves in your body. Before entering, I had to wait in an airlock to remove moisture from my clothes. That’s how sensitive some production environments are.”
In 1999, data storage became another booming sector as the world nervously prepared for Y2K.
“We are the original humidity experts,” Hansi says. “Our application knowledge is our strength—that’s what made our move into data centers so successful. Munters original cooling pads both cool and humidify data centers in a highly sustainable way.”
Honor the past, shape the future
While entering new markets has been vital for growth, Hansi emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation with strengthening core offerings.
“Sometimes I feel we struggle to keep some of our old wheels spinning because new opportunities are so exciting,” he says. “Take the defense industry. The world is rearming, and the need for storage solutions is growing rapidly. We can’t miss that. We need to remember our core applications while exploring the future. We need both.”
Expanding into South America
During his career at Munters, Hansi didn’t just build the North American market. He has also played a crucial role in expanding into South America.
“Munters Mexico and Brazil are like my now grown-up children,” he says with pride. From hiring the very first employees and acquiring Carl Munters last licensee in Brazil.
Hansi credits his success to teamwork and cultural understanding.
“I have had wonderful, knowledgeable colleagues and managers throughout my career. Being multilingual and multicultural has helped me connect with people from all walks of life and kept me humble.”
Reflecting on his journey, Hansi smiles.
“When I filled in that application back 1984, I thought I’d stay three years. And here I am. It has been an amazing journey.”