PowerCell Industrial Battery Engineers is an independent company that has emerged as a leader in the industrial battery and handling industry. Their customer base is growing steadily due to their reliable and cost effective service, and today PowerCell are recognised by increasing numbers of blue chip companies as the equivalent of the traditional market leaders.
PowerCell’s success has come about by listening to customers’ requirements and providing powerful solutions for increased productivity and efficiency. They supply a wide range of motive power batteries and chargers with high levels of reliability for all industrial applications, meeting the very highest standards in quality, technology and efficiency.
PowerCell’s team of experienced sales and service engineers are on hand, to offer practical and professional advice, and to help provide a solution to your battery and charger requirements.
Derek Anderson, Managing Director of PowerCell Industrial Battery Engineers, spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
Warehouse & Logistics News – First of all, Derek, can you run through the different products and services that PowerCell provides?
As award-winning industrial battery and charger specialists, we provide businesses with everything they need – from our wide range of motive power batteries to chargers and watering systems. We offer a full start-to-finish service, and specialise in battery servicing, regeneration and refurbishment. Because every customer has a different requirement we look at what is available from a variety of different manufacturers in order to provide precisely the right solution.
WLN – As Managing Director, what is your role in the company day to day? Are you directly involved in developing solutions for customers?
As MD, my main role within the company is to look at the overall objectives that the company wants to achieve, and to facilitate them. This primarily involves providing the structures and products that will enable our team to devise the best solutions for our customers. I’ve spent the last nine years developing PowerCell into a leading brand but, with 20 years of experience as an engineer, I still lend my expertise to my team – visiting sites and tailoring solutions to customer requirements.
WLN – When was PowerCell founded? Who owns it now?
Ingrid Anderson and I own PowerCell. We co-founded the business in November 1996, and we have been going from strength to strength ever since!
WLN – How do you sum up the PowerCell proposition?
We pride ourselves on delivering the best possible service to our customers, and providing them with energy solutions that will increase productivity and efficiency. We allow the customer to concentrate on running their businesses, safe in the knowledge that PowerCell are there to support them. I guess the proof that we are doing it successfully is winning the coveted FLTA “Supplier of the Year” Award…
WLN – What sets PowerCell apart? Why buy a battery from you?
As leading battery and charger specialists, we are able to tailor our packages to our customers’ specific requirements and budgets. The high level of expertise and experience within our company allows us to guide our customers to the correct solutions to their specific requirements. We also take into account product longevity, as the back-end costs on contracts can be extremely expensive.
WLN – Do you get personally involved in special projects?
Yes, last year we won a contract to support a major blue chip company within the airline industry. The customer had very specific requirements and my knowledge of battery manufacture allowed us to present a solution that was not only cost-effective, but also robust. We also introduced this customer to a range of chargers that has significantly reduced their carbon emissions as well as providing considerable savings on their energy costs.
WLN – How do you approach customers’ requirements?
First and foremost, we listen to our customers needs. From there, our team of experienced sales and service engineers assist customers in ascertaining the most practical and cost-effective solution.
WLN – What facilities do PowerCell have?
PowerCell have a 20,000 square ft facility based close to the M11/M25 links. We have a purpose-built workshop for repairing batteries and chargers, along with a specific battery build area. We also hold batteries and chargers in stock, allowing for a fast turn around. Over the years we have invested heavily in our systems and our people, and will continue to do so. These facilities enable us to deliver national coverage for our services.
WLN – What trade organisations do PowerCell belong to?
We belong to a number of associations, including the Fork Lift Truck Association’s Safe User Group, BITA and BASEA.
WLN – What importance do you place on these organisations?
Trade associations provide us with the information and resources necessary to keep us fully aware of industry legislation and best practice. Our membership of the FLTA’s Safe User Group ensures that we maintain the highest levels of safety and best practice – keeping our employees, as well as those of our customers, safe.
WLN – What standards do PowerCell work to?
PowerCell has been accredited with ISO9001:2008 since 2001. We also run an integrated ISO18001 HSE and ISO14001 Environmental policy – though we are not yet accredited. To ensure our customers know what standards to expect from our engineers, PowerCell is SafeContractor approved.
WLN – Is PowerCell investing in the future?
Yes, we are! Last year we invested in upgrading our customer service support systems, enabling us to track our complete history of equipment, sites, customers, etc. Such information can prove invaluable to our customers when they are assessing their budgets and work practices. It allows them to ensure safe and cost-effective work environments for their personnel. This investment means PowerCell can continue providing our customers with the highest standards of service in the months and years ahead.
Looking further into the future, our industry faces a shortage of qualified service engineers. That’s why we are strongly supporting apprenticeships. By doing our bit, and helping to train the next generation of service engineers, we keep our industry, ourselves and our customers in action.
WLN – What is your geographical coverage?
PowerCell has clients in every corner of the UK. We very much pride ourselves on our ability to combine national coverage with local knowledge.
WLN – What new products and developments will you be showing at IMHX?
This year at IMHX our focus will be on talking to our existing and prospective customers about our many different solutions. One of PowerCell’s key strengths is its ability to listen to customers’ requirements and producing tailored packages. The correct solution for one customer is not necessarily the correct solution for the other, and this is where our expertise and experience really come into play.
WLN – How important are shows like IMHX to your company and its strategy?
Exhibitions such as IMHX are very important to us as they allow us to meet prospective clients face-to-face, and discuss their battery and charger requirements.
WLN – The big question: why should a busy professional from the logistics industry take a day out of the office to visit your stand?
Visitors to our stand will quickly see how our excellent, flexible customer care makes us the sensible choice for all industrial battery requirements.
Of course, if said professional really is too busy to visit, we’ll be more than happy to arrange to visit them on-site to discuss their needs.
WLN – Looking at the wider picture, what do you see as the biggest pressures on users of batteries?
To keep it brief – as I am rather passionate about this – a lack of quality maintenance is a common problem. Over the years, we’ve found that batteries and chargers can often be neglected. They are crucial to the smooth operation of many companies and, as such, there are considerable advantages to keeping them well looked after. If correctly maintained, users can expect increased longevity of the product and continuous uptime of equipment. Such maintenance includes regular watering of batteries, and health and safety checks of chargers – since what may initially appear to be a bargain can cost you dearly in the long term. We have observed that customers who have our regular water/integrity checks experience an increase in runtime, product life, savings and retention of business.
WLN – Finally, where do you see the UK battery market and PowerCell going from here?
The UK battery market is as competitive as ever, and contains some quality companies. There is a higher demand across all different types of applications, and although many people are looking for new technologies, lead acid batteries of all types – be they traditional or pure lead – will still be the most cost-effective solution for the materials handling market for years to come. Other technologies such as lithium batteries are growing, but in different sectors, such as the standby market.
PowerCell will maintain our core beliefs of honesty and integrity. We will build the business by continuing to offer the best quality products and cost-saving technologies, and by continuing to invest in our people and our customers.
Tel: 0845 058 1388
email: info@powercell.co.uk
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