UniCarriers are global manufacturers of counterbalance and warehouse trucks, with a presence in all major markets around the world. Here in the UK, UniCarriers Ltd are the creation of a merger between Atlet, Nissan Forklift and TCM – offering the best of three products and services to the market.
At this year’s IMHX, UniCarriers will be introducing their innovative powered battery change system, a new medium level order picker, their complete suite of vehicle and account management reporting all wrapped up in the UniCarriers 360° customer service package.
Chris Bates, Sales Director at UniCarriers, speaks to Warehouse News about the forthcoming IMHX exhibition.
Warehouse & Logistics News – First of all, Chris, as Sales Director, what is your role in the company from day to day?
I am responsible for the development and welfare of our sales team. Ultimately I am measured on our results, but my ambition is to create a sales culture that reflects well on our company and suits the business expectations of our customers.
WLN – Can you talk us through the different products and services Unicarriers provides?
UniCarriers Europe manufactures a full range of warehouse trucks in Gothenburg and counterbalance trucks in Pamplona. Over 70% of the trucks supplied in the UK operate on a full maintenance rental contract, which are supported by our national service organisation. In order to be of greatest worth to our customers, we also provide warehouse mapping (design and simulation), short-term hire, battery room design and installation, driver training and not forgetting UniCarriers Finance Ltd. who we arrange funding through.
WLN – What kinds of businesses in what industry sectors are your solutions aimed at? What specific needs do they target?
The UniCarriers product range is designed to perform in both distribution warehousing and manufacturing industries. Our design focus on ergonomics, durability and safety is well received in both sectors.
WLN -When was your business established? Who owns the company now? Which other countries do you operate in besides the UK?
UniCarriers was formed in 2011 following the unification of three global brands: Nissan Forklift, Atlet and TCM. UniCarriers have a supply and service network across the world with additional factories in Japan, China and North America. In Europe, UniCarriers have subsidiaries in Sweden, France, Germany, Spain, Denmark and Belgium with a dealer network covering all other markets.
WLN – What sets your company apart as a supplier in your sector? Why should busy professionals from the warehouse and logistics industry take time out to visit your stand at IMHX? What is your overall message to visitors?
Our ambition throughout the IMHX show is to demonstrate that UniCarriers are a company to trust and rely on. Our core philosophy is to put the business needs of our customers at the centre point of our proposals – to consider ways to improve an operation rather than simply specify hardware.
WLN – What will visitors be able to see on your stand at this year’s show? Which of your core products and solutions are you presenting? Are you launching anything new at IMHX?
In addition to examples of our core truck models, for 2016 we will be focusing on the launch of a new medium level order picker range, designed to improve picking efficiency and safety at higher levels, our fleet and account management support and we will also be demonstrating our warehouse mapping capability. In addition to this we will be hosting live demonstrations of our unique powered battery change solution, which allows the driver to change a reach truck battery in less than two minutes.
WLN – Is this your first time exhibiting at IMHX? If you’ve been there before, what are you doing that’s different to last time?
This will be the first IMHX we have attended as UniCarriers. Throughout the past 24 months we have been explaining the positive impact the merger of Nissan forklift, Atlet and TCM has had for us as a direct supplier. In addition to creating a larger market share footprint, we have extended our product portfolio and improved our supply chain, which means robust product support in the field.
WLN – The last IMHX was in 2013. How have your customers’ needs changed since then? What are the biggest pressures your clients face these days? How are you addressing these?
One of the greatest lessons learned throughout the recession has been to operate fleets of materials handling equipment in as lean a manner as possible. Irrespective of improving truck efficiency, we are witnessing customers who are prepared to operate with the barest minimum number of trucks their operation can practically cope with. What this means, from a supplier point of view, is increasing importance on maximising uptime and first time fix capability whilst also providing shortterm hire support to cover peaks in operating activity. We are also noticing greater interest in pay by hour support contracts as well as truck access management, both of which indicate a reliance on a small core fleet.
WLN – Can you tell us about your major customer contract wins in the last three years? Do these represent new development areas for your company?
Throughout the last 24 months, UniCarriers sales volume has increased by a staggering 64%. These volume changes have come from gains in both the corporate account sector as well as high volumes from smaller truck fleet users. We are also experiencing growth in the counterbalance sector where our capability within manufacturing, especially food, is being very well received.
WLN – How do your products and solutions address today’s increased emphasis on safety and environmental impact in warehousing and logistics? Will you be highlighting this aspect of your offering at the show?
UniCarriers have been pioneering advancements in safety and ergonomics for decades. All of the truck examples on our stand carry innovations that are designed to improve the working environment of the operator. In addition to this, UniCarriers are sponsoring the RTITB International Operator of the Year competition which is taking place during IMHX and is focusing on driver safety and safe operating practice. An alliance between the RTITB and UniCarriers makes perfect sense as both organisations are focused on improving forklift truck operating conditions.
WLN – Thanks to technology, suppliers to this industry are getting much faster with their responses to customer enquiries. How soon after IMHX can visitors to your stand expect to receive a ‘live’ quote for using your solutions in their businesses?
I am pleased to say that any enquiry raised during IMHX will be followed up in under a week. We are hoping to engage with customers who are investigating ways of improving their storage and handling. To this end, my sales team will swiftly arrange to carry out site surveys and generate reports that detail suitable routes for improvement. This can be increases in throughputs, picking efficiency or simply storage capacity.One thing we know for sure is that our objective once we are working with clients is to become a long standing trusted partner.
WLN – And finally, it’s three years to the next IMHX. Where do you see your market sector and your company going in that time?
In the past month, UniCarriers has been acquired by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and has merged into this business. This acquisition means that MHI has become the third largest global supplier of fork lift trucks, so it is very fair to say that we will experience the benefit of increased investment capability throughout the next 36 months. Given the positive experience we have from the creation of UniCarriers, I for one am looking forward to further growth and development within Mitsubishi.
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