News June 2012 INDUSTRY ‘Optimistic glow’ at BITA’s AGM
Expert speakers at the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA) AGM cas t an optimistic glow on the outlook for the UK’s lift truck sector, despite continuing market challenges.
A positive economic forecast for the sector, together with industry news from across the Atlantic, BITA’s successes in attracting young people to the industry, and the forthcoming IMHX 2013 event, all gave cause for buoyant mood among BITA members. The AGM, on 11th May 2012, marked the completion of the two-year BITA presidential term of Tim Waples, of Doosan Industrial Vehicle UK Ltd, and his successor paid tribute to his achievements in office.
Incoming president David Rowell, of Hyster, said: “Tim has presided over BITA at a time of much change in our industry. All of it has been extremely positive, particularly the continuing recovery from the depths of recession and the launch of an industry apprenticeship scheme under the aegis of the BITA Academy at City of Bristol College.
“His will be a hard act to follow but I am committed to playing my part in achieving BITA’s aim of ‘lifting industry
APPOINTMENT Hans joins BITA Board
BITA has appointed Hans-Herbert Schultz of Jungheinrich (UK) Ltd to its Management Board. Hans-Herbert, who has worked for Jungheinrich for 12 years, has been UK Managing Director since 2006 and is based at the company’s UK headquarters in Milton Keynes. Commenting on his appointment, Hans-Herbert said: “I am honoured to be appointed to the BITA Management
8 June 2012 Storage Handling Distribution
Board. BITA plays a vital role as the voice of the industry, representing the interests of its members at UK and European level. “I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues on the Board, and playing my part in furthering the interests of the 78 fork lift truck manufacturers, suppliers and service providers across the UK that BITA represents.” BITA Secretary-General James Clark
said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Hans-Herbert to our Management Board. He further strengthens our active and busy board of industry professionals representing the industrial truck sector nationwide. “He has already attended his first meeting of the Board, and has immediately begun to contribute his invaluable experience to the Association and its policy making.”
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standards’ for the benefit of BITA members.” BITA members remain optimistic about the economic outlook according to the results of qualitative research carried out by Oxford Economics to inform the twice-yearly economic forecast it produces for BITA members. The 2012 UK Forklift Truck Market Outlook, which is available exclusively to BITA members, was presented by Scott Livermore of Oxford Economics. He said: “Although output in 2011 has been weaker than expected and the statistics indicate that manufacturing activity is expected to remain sluggish this year, evidence provided by the BITA members themselves provides room for cautious optimism for the sector.
“Order books and actual sales in the sector appear to be in better shape than the macroeconomic position would suggest. Although manufacturing felt the brunt of the weaker-than- expected second half of 2011, with growth averaging just 0.5% compared to an expected 2% last September, survey data has picked up over the last six months. This has been helped by a rebound in new orders, both total and export orders.”
Pass the bling: Outgoing BITA Presidet Tim Waples (left) hands over the ceremonial gong to David Rowell.
Jim Moran, president of the Industrial
Truck Association based in the US shared insights from across the Atlantic, where similar trends are apparent with the market showing modest recovery but subject to vagaries of market and the political backdrop of the forthcoming Presidential election. Encouraging ‘new blood’ into the industry – where the average age of engineers is over 50 – has been a priority for BITA since last year’s AGM in 2011. Led by Bill Goodwin, the BITA apprenticeship programme has gone from strength to strength. Goodwin announced the establishment, in April 2012, of an industry steering committee on apprenticeships
comprising most major companies. There are now 108 fork lift truck engineer apprentices currently in place across the UK, with another 29 planned for later in the year, against BITA’s industry target of 200. The establishment of the BITA Academy at City of Bristol College in November 2011 has played an important part increasing the number of apprenticeships on offer. Looking to the future, the BITA apprenticeship programme will be focusing on establishing closer contact with schools to attract young people into FLT apprenticeships.
www.bita.org.uk
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