Europe’s oldest fleet runs on Alcoa wheels

HMK, purportedly Europe´s oldest transportation company, relies on Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels. H.M. Kristiansens Automobilbyra AS, more commonly known as HMK, is said to be Europe´s oldest transportation company and is also the largest privately owned coach company in Norway. The firm has been operating from Oslo since 1873.

HMK started out with horse-drawn transport, carrying local gentry around Oslo. In 1937, the company became fully motorized and continued to be Oslo´s leading service provider of sight-seeing trips for tourists. The company takes its name from its original founder, Hans Martin Kristiansens. It has been a family business from the beginning to the present day.

The Halvorsen family has been the proprietor of HMK since 1977. Current chairman of the board is Ola Halvorsen, who is co–owning HMK with his brother Halvor. In 2008 HMK became part of the Global Passenger Network (GPN), an elite group of networks representing the best motor coaches and travel companies in the world.

Today, HMK has around 70 vehicles in service. The buses are mainly used for short distances in and around Oslo, carrying tourists. In the past, HMK were using steel wheels with wheel covers to attain a high-end look. Later on, they fitted some of the buses on cast alloy wheels. When the company learned of Alcoa´s aluminium forged wheels, they decided to retrofit their buses with Alcoa Dura-Bright. Since then, Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels are HMK´s top choice. HMK relies on Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels to ensure the wheels of their buses always have an appealing and shiny look.