04_SHD_May:ShD re-design 1/5/07 09:35 Page 5
Toyota/BT Merger ■
companies currently employ a
combined total of 950, a
number it hopes to raise to
1,200. In the same period, it
hopes to grow its sales from a
current 7,000 machines
annually to 10,000 in the UK,
up of three existing businesses. TIE UK will a figure that Mathias believes is attainable as
continue to be based in Castleford and be “our products will now cover 90 per cent of
overseen by Steve Hodkinson; TIE Northern the market.”
is a wholly-owned dealer, also Castleford- As you’d expect, the new operation has
based and run by Hodkinson; BT Rolatruc rolled out a series of mission statements. True
will maintain its current locations at Slough, to the Toyota way, they focus on quality,
Nottingham and Leicester, under the auspices innovation and service. It also pledges to
of Mathias. In terms of other UK locations “respect the expectations and ambitions of
and premises, Warrington will still retain its employees, stakeholders and suppliers across the whole company throughout Europe.
two (BT + Toyota) facilities; Old Dalby, an through a never ending search to improve.” It has scalability, and will be expanded. We
ex-military site, will look after the hire fleet; People, it is clear, are key to any company’s have identified that the existing BT system –
and the company is looking to create up to six success in this industry. “We have a great deal ‘MOVEX’ – cannot be beaten. Its primary
further strategically placed regional fleet of competent people,” says Mathias. “We strength is that it is already functional, and
centres, particularly in the south-west, the want to grow alongside them.” migration to it will be complete by
south-east and Scotland. September.”
“The process is underway to merge all the
“We’re being a bit greedy,
The integration of the customer service
operations,” says Mike Mathias. “It’s
complicated in terms of operations and
here, because we want a
sides allows the new company to boast that it
will be able to serve customers from a global,
ownership. Today we are announcing this to
piece of everything.”
multi-national, multi-site scale, all the way
our staff, customers and competitors. We’ve down to a single-site, single-user size of
been working on this for a considerable As far as the market into which the new business. “We’re being a bit greedy, here,”
period. The process started in 2005.” company is launching is concerned, smiles Mathias, “because we want a piece of
Bearing that in mind, both Mathias and Hodkinson and Mathias see a rosy future. The everything!”
Hodkinson were remarkably tight-lipped and market in the UK took a slight dip last year, Visually, the new look will not depart
diplomatic when rumours of a merger which they believe was a blip unique to this considerably from the current one. A joke
surfaced at IMHX. Neither let on that a country. Indeed, early 2007 sales already bear within the industry is that all fork lift trucks
merger was imminent, so the announcement out the fact that demand for product remains are the same, they’re just painted different
that two years of preliminary work had been high. The new organisation will be well colours. Well, TMHUK hasn’t any plans to
carried out therefore came as quite a surprise. placed to sweep up any extra business that’s introduce another colour into the existing
One eye-catching aspect of the new deal is on offer, as it will be presenting complete spectrum! It is combining its two existing
that headcount is expected to increase. “Over geographical coverage, and a unified sales and corporate identities, and its logo will feature
the next three to five years, we are aiming to service operation. Mathias is confident that the TIE and BT logos sitting alongside each
increase our staff by 20 per cent by increasing the two to three per cent growth in the overall other. There is not, as such, an individual
sales volume,” says Mathias. The two materials handling equipment market in the TMHUK logo. The company has released a
UK will continue. sneak preview of the corporate ID on its
In a statement we echo in our ShD delivery trucks and vans. They feature a fork
Investigates feature starting on page 20, lift truck down one side and a pallet truck
Mathias insists that the key to future growth down the other.
in any company is in its people. “We have to In summary, Mathias says, “The main
strengthen our training department to bring difference for our customers is for us to be
the new skills on board,” he says. “There are able to supply both brands. Prior to now,
bound to be some changes in staffing, but the Toyota and BT have been two totally separate
overall opportunities will be greater.” organisations with the only interchange being
One area where complete integration is key at the factory. By pooling areas such as R&D
is in customer service. BT is notoriously good and procurement, there are wonderful
at this, and Toyota is not far away either. opportunities to utilise the strength of the
However, in order to bring the two parties’ operation. The benefits of our combined
customer service departments together heritage and know-how will bring massive
seamlessly, a decision to adopt BT’s existing benefits to our customers. We can offer the
IT platform – which TMHUK describes as whole range from within one family, and we
“the most advanced in Europe” – has been will be very competitive.
taken. “We will supply one of the best value
Hodkinson says: “This will be adopted lifetime experiences money can buy.”
www.PressOnShD.com May 2007 ShD 5
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