Mitsubishi dealership Britannia Materials Handling celebrates triumphant turnaround year.
Britannia — the official dealer of Mitsubishi forklifts in the Kent and South East London area — has transformed its operations over the past year after recent investment.
In late 2017, Britannia was purchased by Mitsubishi importer Red Diamond Distribution (RDD), neighbouring Mitsubishi dealer Bronze Mechanical Handling and its Sales Director Chris Slater, and has since gone from strength to strength. The new team’s input has enabled Britannia to heavily invest in many aspects of the business, including team expansion, facilities and new equipment.
“We’ve worked hard to lay a solid foundation that we can build on in the future,” said Chris Slater. “I’m proud of how much we have achieved this past year and as a company we’re dedicated to maintaining that success.”
Motivated by the new venture, Britannia has been able to grow its business ambitions and has brought in new staff to support its operations. Several mobile service engineers have joined the company, each with significant industry experience, providing essential maintenance services for customers across the region. Britannia is also looking for an additional Sales Executive to join the team as part of company plans for further expansion over the coming months.
“Having a strong team is essential; our staff are the backbone of our company and we want to ensure we’ve got the best people on the job,” said Chris.
Staff training has been a high priority since Britannia modernised its day-to-day operations with the installation of a new fleet management system. With everything now electronic and online, engineers have been equipped with PDAs, generating instant reports that enable jobs to be completed faster and more efficiently.
The company has increased the quality of its existing hire fleet with the arrival of new Mitsubishi trucks and now has a large stock of brand-new forklifts available for immediate sale. Britannia also has a newly liveried lorry to enable immediate response to casual hire requirements.
In addition, the depot and workshops at Britannia’s Ashford site have been refurbished to provide a modern working environment for staff.
Since joining the Mitsubishi dealer network, Britannia has grown its market share significantly in the region, establishing a close working relationship with its customers. Britannia’s commitment saw it beat 2018 sales and service targets, earning the company a Gold Award for Outstanding Achievement at the recent annual RDD dealer conference.
“The support we receive from RDD will allow us to continue the valued work we do with existing customers,” said Chris. “It will also enable us to make new business connections as we expand our operations in the South East area.”
“It has been a remarkable time of change for Britannia and we wholly encourage the great strides they are continuing to make,” said Mike Jones, Managing Director of RDD. “They have put tremendous effort into the business and their services will no doubt prove their position as a very reputable and respected dealer.”
Chris added: “Britannia’s focus this past year has been to enhance every aspect of the company in order to secure our future, and we will make the most of every opportunity in 2019 and beyond.”