Three years ago, Kubota UK (KUK) joined forces with engine and transmission specialists Mitchell Powersystems (MPS), starting with their Glasgow Service Centre, then Sutton-in-Ashfield (HQ) Service Centre and more recently expanding to their Romsey Service Centre, increasing the offering to Kubota customers across the South of England.
Tony Killick, Branch Manager of MPS’ Romsey Service Centre, looks back over this past year of business with Kubota UK and discusses the future of the Service Centre and its evolving Kubota partnership. Kubota strive on ensuring that it can offer the most reliable and comprehensive service to its customers. Not only has the partnership helped to drive brand awareness across the South of the UK, but it has enabled Mitchell Powersystems to increase their business and brand reputation as an established Kubota Engine Distributor in the UK.
“The Kubota industrial engine partnership is a welcome addition and a perfect fit. The MPS team at Romsey have skills and experience repairing and maintaining engines used in many market sectors and varied applications, just like the Kubota range.
A busy first year has seen MPS Romsey working closely with Kubota’s Service and Training Department, putting training and infrastructure into place, providing the knowledge to enable the team to carry out service support and parts supply to customers across the South of England.
An important partnership has developed and we look forward to continuing to grow the business and customer relationships, supported by the Kubota UK team.”
Romsey’s Service Centre, is a small, but efficient operation, with in-house and field service engineering support, not only within the region, but also an extension to other Mitchells facilities. Being so direct and on-hand with the customers is a key feature of the business that Kubota considers highly important to provide to its customers.
“MPS Romsey provides KUK with the necessary service coverage to support the Southern region. From its central location it provides the ideal positioning to respond in a timely manner to best serve the Kubota end-user customers and OEM’s within the region. This is a vital part of our Distribution Network and an area of the business that KUK have invested significantly over the past three years.” Says Daniel Grant, Kubota UK Business Development Manager – Engines.
Driving momentum
The partnership enables all involved to offer further opportunities of high service performance to customers across the South of the UK. The target market sectors; primarily construction, show significant growth within the Southern UK regions, but with the ever-increasing range of Kubota Engines, other industry sectors other than construction, are becoming extremely important.
Opportunities to increase prospects are within the rail industry, particularly rail handling and the rail logistics OEM, to expand support within the rail infrastructure.
Keeping up momentum
“The biggest challenge faced by all companies involved is maintaining the continuous flow of momentum.
Kubota and MPS have worked hard together to ensure they offer top of the range engines, with cost effective service, high performance, low noise, cleaner emissions and excellent fuel economy, backed-up by exceptional service levels. This is incredibly important to both companies in helping customers to minimize down-time, knowing their Kubota engines are well cared for, increasing their productivity.
There are still views that engines are not the most important element of an application. Because of this, some customers are driven by price alone, buying cheaper engines that will not be as efficient or reliable as a Kubota.
Through quality customer service, on-site support and aftersales solutions, the Mitchell Group strive to educate such people about the added value they can offer, particularly the total cost of ownership that Kubota engines can provide,” says Darren Hill, Sales Director of Mitchells Diesel Limited
“Throughout 2018 and 2019, Stage V has been the biggest challenge for customers to accept and implement. With fears of increased prices and newer technologies, it has meant that through this period Mitchells and Kubota have worked closely with OEM’s on transition and education so customers understand the importance and benefits of Stage V,” says Tony.
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