How adopting the Yanmar 4TN107 helped HEM accelerate development, simplify integration and deliver a more powerful poly paver

HEM Paving Equipment, based in Grundy Center, Iowa, specializes in highly customized concrete paving machines, from slipform and form‑riding pavers to placer/spreaders, texture‑cure machines, and overlay pavers. Every unit is engineered to meet specific job‑site requirements, which makes flexibility essential to HEM’s identity.

“We believe that every opportunity has a unique possibility with the right equipment,” says Bryce Huff, Vice President of HEM. “We don’t build cookie‑cutter machines. We customize our equipment so it meets our customers’ needs.”

A Need for Flexibility in Power Solutions

That flexibility is central to HEM’s identity and market position. But it also creates a significant challenge when sourcing power. The company needed engine partners willing to work within tight specifications, adapt to mounting requirements, and deliver the right horsepower without forcing HEM to over-spec or overpay.

“We’ve worked with other engine manufacturers that will promise you the world, and then you have to do it their way,” Huff explains. “And that way doesn’t always fit in your envelope or fit in your price budget or time restraint or just the way you do business.”

A Smooth Transition to the Yanmar 4TN107

That changed when HEM partnered with Yanmar distributor Northstar Power of Ankeny, Iowa. As HEM developed its larger slipform paver, the 1800 SFP, the machine’s increased hydraulic and performance requirements called for a more powerful engine. The Yanmar 4TN107 delivered the necessary output while still fitting within HEM’s design parameters, making what could have been a complex integration remarkably straightforward.

The 4TN107, a 4.6‑liter, four‑cylinder diesel engine delivering up to 208 horsepower and meeting EU Stage V and EPA Tier 4 emissions standards, delivers six‑cylinder power in a four‑cylinder package. The compact footprint proved ideal for HEM’s space‑restricted designs.

“It wasn’t like every other manufacturer claiming it would take years of re‑engineering,” Huff said.

“With Yanmar and Northstar, it was, ‘Let me see what I can do,’ or, ‘We’ll figure it out.’ And we always figured it out.”

The Yanmar 4TN107 allowed HEM to maintain its existing component setup. HEM avoided redesigning pump drives or complex exhaust systems while maintaining a consistent control package across models.

“It was such a smooth transition, and now that machine is our best-selling poly paver,” Huff said.

By maintaining its existing component layout and control architecture, HEM reduced integration risk, shortened development timelines, and avoided downstream changes to hydraulics and exhaust routing.

Proven Reliability in the Field

For HEM, the decision came down to partnership and precision. Yanmar’s engine platform offered the horsepower range HEM needed without forcing the company to pay for power it wouldn’t use.

“Yanmar has allowed us to remain in a relatively small engine package with the right levels of horsepower at the right spots–it’s all we needed,” Huff explained.

Northstar Power also contributed to the confidence behind the decision.

“Northstar is a great partner who believes a handshake and word of mouth are enough to get started,” Huff added. “You give them a reason, and they react. That’s hard to find these days.”

That three-way partnership between HEM, Northstar, and Yanmar has proven essential.

“We know we have the support of a distributor who has the support of the factory,” Huff said. ” It makes our decisions much easier to make when we can modify something, knowing that we have full support.”

The 4TN107 has delivered reliable performance across HEM’s fleet. Its closed‑deck cylinder block and cast‑iron pistons offer durability in off‑road environments, while advanced combustion technology provides about 10% better fuel efficiency compared to similar engines.

“Whether we’re idling or working hard, you can count on it,” Huff said. “You hit the key, start it up, and go to work. We don’t get calls from customers saying they had to tear out work. That doesn’t happen,” Huff said.

Looking Ahead

HEM is already prototyping its next‑generation equipment with Yanmar engines.

“It’s definitely going to become more entrenched in HEM’s future as long as the service stays where it is,” Huff added. ”There’s no reason to look in another direction.”

For a company whose reputation is built on reliability, the choice is simple.

“All we have is our reputation, and we take pride in having a good one,” Huff concluded. “Why would you fix it if it isn’t broken?”