TAWI UK, a Piab Group innovation powerhouse, pioneers state-of-the-art vacuum lifting solutions. Our technology not only minimises injury risks associated with heavy lifting but, also optimises operations, fostering workplace diversity and inclusivity with every lift.
UK Country Manager/Director
Michael Wooster, UK Country Manager/Director at TAWI a brand by the Piab Group speaks to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What does your role involve on a day-to-day basis?
My role is to provide an environment where all colleagues feel safe and valued, our culture is one where people are encouraged to conduct their roles in a manner in which they feel they will best perform.
It is therefore important to create an environment where people can excel and produce high performance. We strive for colleagues to enjoy coming to work, because we feel that to excel at anything in life, you need to enjoy what you’re doing.
Therefore, some of my time is spent supporting colleagues on individual matters, guiding them to the best possible outcome.
1-2 days a week I also get to visit customers, or meet with partners within the industry, I particularly enjoy learning about other companies’ processes in production and manufacture, logistics etc, and collaborating with customers or partners to find the best possible solutions for improving safety in the workplace, ergonomic handling, productivity and efficiency.
We exist to provide expert advice on reducing manual handling, increasing productivity, improving working efficiency and improving workplace well-being for staff.
How would you explain the Piab Group Culture?
In a nutshell, the Piab Group culture is characterised by the spirit of change, evolution, and innovation. It emphasises the importance of creating critical components to reduce energy impact, improve production, and ensure safer working environments. The culture is built on the belief in an automated world that conserves resources and prevents human injuries. The company fosters a collaborative environment where team players, forward thinkers, and committed doers are valued. The company encourages all employees to contribute ideas through a programme called piDea. This programme embraces new challenges, and continually strives for improvement. It is dedicated to evolving automation for the betterment of its customers and the world, highlighting a commitment to sustainability, safety, and efficiency.
How does this culture assist your clients’ requirements?
Piab Group’s commitment to innovation delivers cutting-edge technologies and products for clients in automation, lifting, and handling tasks, enhancing operational efficiency and productivity. The culture of adaptability enables PIAB Group to customise products and solutions to meet specific client requirements, ensuring a tailored fit for diverse industries.
Do you have direct contact with customers, and get involved with developing solutions?
Absolutely, I actively engage with our customers, relishing the opportunity to immerse myself in their projects, especially when it entails intricate problem-solving. Our company thrives on challenges; they serve as our catalyst keeping a razor-sharp focus and consistently exploring cutting-edge automation advancements. The most fulfilling aspect for me is witnessing the successful fruition of our collaborative efforts. When we’ve not only tackled a challenge but also played a pivotal role in helping a customer reach their goals, it adds an extra layer of gratification to the work we do.
Tell us how Piab Group are growing in the UK
Piab Group continues to strengthen its presence and achieve growth in the UK market, leveraging its global resources while addressing local needs effectively. For instance, in the UK, the logistic market has grown exponentially, and the company saw a need for a new lifting solution, hence the birth of the Container Unloader. This system allows companies to reach inside the container for unloading purposes and allows the operator to easily lift and unload a container in half the time. The company continues to invest in R&D, developing vacuum and gripping solutions that cater to various industries, ensuring the company remains competitive and meets specific needs of its clients.
What makes Piab Group unique in your industry?
As part of Piab Group, TAWI benefits from a global network, offering localised sales and support services for timely assistance worldwide. In the UK, we cover the entire country offering our unique vacuum lifting technology to companies both large and small, from huge corporations like Amazon to small one-man woodworking operations. We have a team of expert engineers who are available for installs and training aligned with UK protocols. We also offer our customers bespoke solutions to their lifting dilemmas through our local expertise supported by our engineering team over in Sweden.
What solutions do you offer customers?
TAWI offers a comprehensive range of ergonomic lifting solutions designed to enhance efficiency, safety, and productivity in various industries. Our solutions cater to a wide array of lifting needs, from lightweight components to heavier goods. From vacuum lifts to hoists and cranes, TAWI offers a broad spectrum of material handling solutions, enabling businesses across industries such as food and beverage, manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and more, to improve their operational efficiency, safety, and employee well-being.
What sectors do these clients work in?
We take pride in our collaborations with clients spanning diverse industries such as Logistics and Warehouses, Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Wood and Steel, Chemical, Automotive, and more. Our ergonomic solutions offer the reassurance essential for safeguarding your workforce against injuries.
How can your solutions help?
TAWI’s versatile lifting solutions boost efficiency, safety, and ergonomics across diverse industries from manufacturing to printing and packaging. Vacuum lifting technology helps to streamline processes; for instance, in the logistics and warehousing industry products can be efficiently moved from one location to another.
What new services/solutions are you offering for 2024?
2024 saw the launch of a brand-new innovative product, The Container Unloader. The new Container Unloader’s combination of efficiency, versatility, safety, and ergonomic design makes it a transformative solution for the logistics and warehousing industry, addressing many of the longstanding challenges faced by businesses when unloading containers.
How future-proof and flexible are your solutions?
Our existing product set of solutions are flexible by design, the concept of the product range is designed to be flexible to meet varied needs of our customers. Each customer has their own specific requirements and is looking for individual and specific outcomes.
Our product set can be utilised in all environments, from IP requirements in food production and pharmaceuticals, through to warehousing and construction environments. Having a product that is diverse and durable in this way, allows PAIB to adapt to the past, present and future needs of our customers.
In a world of demanding challenges, PIAB Group offers solutions. We are inventors and curious explorers, finding opportunities in the unknown. Continual innovation of new solutions and products drives positive change within industry and we stive to stay at the forefront of innovation, developing solutions to fulfil present and future customer needs… Hint – extremely soon TAWI – a brand by PIAB Group will be launching a revolutionary product for pallet building!
What do you see as the biggest opportunities in the coming year for PIAB Group?
PIAB Group has a unique opportunity due to our position within industry as a leading provider of gripping, lifting, and moving solutions, improving our customers’ productivity, sustainability, and safety through evolving industrial automation.
There are specific opportunities of note, where exponential growth is present in geographical markets and certain industries. This will drive future customer needs and at PIAB Group we’re innovating solutions to fulfil these future needs.
A good example is the recent global digitalisation and is an area whereby PIAB Group are again at the forefront, e.g. PIAB Group has a company specific AI, PIAB currently provides an AI assist for all staff, think of a virtual PA! The opportunities are endless with AI and data gathering. Data is valuable information and specific data in specific situations will be a future customer requirement.
Perhaps the world will have a PA, provided by PIAB Group one day!
What are the biggest challenges facing PIAB Group and your industry?
The largest most exciting challenge for PIAB Group is to stay at the forefront of innovation and continue to lead industry development, developing products, solutions, and services to meet future customer need, and drive industry forward for the betterment of all, contributing heavily to an automated world where no resources are wasted, and no humans are injured.
Do you cover the whole of the UK?
Yes, we work with customers up and down the breadth of the UK and Ireland.
Piab Group
01604 591 120
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