About

ABOUT HKD

Our Mission

At HKD we deliver Magic.

HKD makes snowmaking simple, effective, and efficient. We love the outdoors, and champion the success of our mountain partners with affordable and dependable snow.

Our family has grown to include HKD Blue, the guardian of blue skies. We leverage our deep snowmaking roots to promote clean air for our planet through environmental dust mitigation.

HKD continues to explore new ways to bring technological magic to other industries.

We measure ourselves based on the success of our customers, the happiness of our team, and the sustainability of our business practices.

Our Values

Customer Commitment

We are honest, dependable, and provide expert solutions to our customers, all the time.

Product Excellence

We are passionate innovators and problem solvers. We engineer and manufacture elegant, enduring, and efficient products to the highest standard.

Teamwork

We support each other tirelessly across borders and time zones. We are inclusive and value each other’s backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences. We are a family.

Accountability

We pay attention to detail in design, manufacturing, shipping, installation, and service. We are personally accountable for delivering on our commitments to customers and our colleagues.

Environmental Stewardship

In the words and actions of our co-founder, Herman K. Dupre, we seek to leave the earth better than we found it.

THE HKD STORY

HKD Snowmakers

Foundation

Herman K. Dupré (HKD) and his wife “Sis” raised 9 daughters in the alpine environment of South Western PA at the family owned Seven Springs Mountain resort.  Skiing was their livelihood and Herman understood early on that snow was critical to the resort’s success.

An environmentalist at heart, Herman developed the original HKD technology with economy and efficiency in mind.  In 1973 he applied for his first of many snowmaking patents, and began employing the technology about the mountain at Seven Springs.  Today Seven Springs can pump over 25,000 GPM into snow, assuring snow cover in the toughest of seasons.

HKD Snowmakers

Innovation

By 1990, Herman had refined his science, research and testing to the point that it was ready for the market at large. Herman’s son-in-law Charles Santry (married to daughter Anni) a geology major with environmental interests proposed to start a business marketing this innovative technology.   Thus, HKD Snowmakers was born and the "HKD Standard” was introduced to the industry and quickly became the most transformative snowgun used by resorts industry wide.

HKD Snowmakers

Transformation

Since inception, HKD has continued to develop new, innovative snowmaking technology.  R&D is the lifeblood of HKD. Additionally, HKD has expanded through acquisition by merging with Canadian fan manufacturer Turbocristal in 2011 which added fan technology to the product line, included a full manufacturing plant, and expanded HKD’s engineering and R&D capabilities.  In 2018, HKD acquired iSno, the Controls and Automation division of Sno-Matic in Lyme, NH. This acquisition allowed HKD to further expand and develop automation technologies to further streamline snowmaking operations.

Scroll to Top