Since 1945 the Austrian company Hin-Tech of Reinhold Hinteregger had been manufacturing a range of sledge type winches for extracting logs in steep forested areas typically found in Austria and central Europe. The system operated using a skyline (cable) which had to be rigged between two standing trees.

The time needed to dismantle and re-erect the skyline when an area had been cleared made this method slow and labour intensive. Other methods involved utilising tractors, skidders and even horses and not only caused extensive soil damage, but also proved to be slow, difficult and sometimes impossible.

During the early 1960's Reinhold Hinteregger designed a mobile system to replace the sledge winches which he then named the URUS. The first production unit was built in 1966 and was the first of its kind in Europe. The URUS system rapidly became the most popular method of forest harvesting in mountainous regions, and quickly found markets in many other parts of the world. The manufacturing plant in Austria expanded to cater for the steadily increasing demands. Hin-Tech Manufacturing takes pride in building strong, reliable and durable machines which provides buying confidence in their clients and potential clients.

In 1986 a second plant was established in South Africa to manufacture, supply and service the URUS range of cable logging systems for the Southern African market since then, the company Hin-Tech Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd has supplied over 300 machines to Southern African clients and over 90 machines have been exported to Chile.

This success in the supply of equipment to Chile has led to the opening of an assembly, servicing and training facility in June 1991. The development of the URUS range of tower yarders has been based on experience gained from sales of machines worldwide. More specifically the equipment produced in South Africa has been adapted to suite Southern African conditions, especially taking into account remote operating locations often combined with a shortage of skilled maintenance personnel. This development has resulted in machines which are simple to operate and maintain while being extremely reliable and ruggedly constructed. All URUS yarders are complemented by a full range of accessories and carriages for standard harvesting operations.

They are now operating in over 50 countries worldwide and have earned an enviable reputation for maximum productivity and minimum downtime. Various machines manufactured back in the late 1960's are still operating at full productive capacity. From the two strategically located Hinteregger plants in Austria and South Africa the group can supply and support their range of equipment, offering clients a rapid response for the sales, spares and service on a worldwide basis. Due to the success of the URUS machines internationally the company decided to start building 3 wheelers in 2006.

Since then, two new models have been developed with three fundamental changes. The engineers decided to change the shape, to allow the oil tank to be fitted in the back of the frame. This permits all hydraulic components to be taken off and cleaned if a problem exists in the oil tank. Secondly, the 912 engine was replaced with a 914 engine which produces about 10kw more resulting in a stronger machine. The pump has also been changed from the Vickers TA19-19 to the Sauer Danfos MPT044 pump as the Vickers pump was discontinued. However, over the years the new pump continuously proves its durability and reliability. Since 2010, both new models have been available, namely, the HT 2.3A Logger (with a fixed boom) which is mainly for the South African market, and the HT 2.3A Tele Logger (with the extendable boom) which is primarily manufactured for export purposes but which is also available for the local market.