15.06.2007

New head for Haulotte UK

Haulotte has confirmed that it has appointed Philip James, 46, as the general manager of its UK businesses.

These include Haulotte UK, which distributes Haulotte products throughout the UK and Ireland from its base in Telford and UK Platforms the wholly owned rental business that Haulotte acquired early in 2004.
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Philip James

James was previously employed by Akzo Nobel, the worlds largest coatings (paint) company in a number of roles including: strategic sales director Europe, managing director of Akzo Nobel UK, manger of its Canadian business as well as spending five years as a manager at its subsidiary in France.

A resident of Oxford, James worked for Unipart before joining Akzo Nobel, he joined Haulotte in April.

In his new role he will report to Pierrick Lourdain who has managed Haulotte UK for the past four years before being promoted to western area manager for Haulotte last year.

Vertikal Comment

It is always refreshing to see a new entrant into the access industry particularly one with Philip James’ experience. He joins at a good time for the industry and for Haulotte, both are riding high with the promise of several good years ahead.

This appointment should bring an end to Lourdains’ tenure at Haulotte UK. When he arrived four years ago the business was in a mess, its reputation on the floor.

The company had shipped large numbers of machines into the market, not all of which had been paid for, it had supported a start up rental company which had helped rip the profitability out of the UK market and the company was not exactly noted for its local after sales support.

Since then UK Platforms was purchased and turned around to the point where today it can be said to be contributing to the professionalism of the market rather than undermining it.

Haulotte now has a solid reputation in the market and is the principal supplier, at least of boom lifts, to a large number of mid sized rental companies in the UK.
In terms of market share in units sold, it can probably lay claim to being the second largest supplier of self propelled aerial lifts in the country.

All in all Lourdain has done a good job for Haulotte and proved that he could role up his sleeves and turn a business around. His biggest challenge has been sorting out a succession for himself, hopefully in James this part of the job is now done.

If all goes well for Lourdain he could formally take over the world wide sales director’s job later this year. Haulotte had announced over a year ago that one of its four regional managers would be appointed to the post, vacated when Segundo Fernandez was promoted to the post of assistant managing director.