In addition to his day job, Trauth is a PEMA board member where he works on driving safety culture through member organisations.
Lanco group, purchased Yardeye in 2022. Mi- Jack had already started on its own technology journey, developing the Mi-Star platform featuring GPS-based automated steering and GPS inventory management. Yardeye’s UWB and GNSS-based equipment, real time locating system (RTLS) and collision avoidance system (CAS) were a perfect fit with Mi-Star. “We knew Mi-Jack because they were at times a competitor. But the companies integrated together really well. Along with the product fit, they opened even more doors for us in North America and with Karlsruhe we gave them a European base of operations with a fully functional team.” Trauth had been appointed managing
director of Yardeye shortly before the acquisition began. While this process can be laborious for the leadership teams, Trauth’s meticulous approach to management helped it to run smoothly. “The M&A process is a real challenge in terms of how much documentation you have to provide. “But I am a big fan of doing your homework, so it turned out that I was already well prepared. I had already a sales plan, SWOT analysis and other strategic documents in place. I would say 80% of it was already done, thankfully. Of course, at the same time you have to keep the business healthy and on the right track.” Yardeye rebranded as Mi-Jack Europe and
grew from a handful of employees to more than 20 system integrators on the books today. “The M&A is just the starting point. After the acquisition you are looking at team integration, technology transition, and navigating the cultural differences between the USA and Germany. But those processes have all been a success.”
Safety focus In addition to his day job, Trauth is also heavily involved with PEMA. “PEMA is making a big difference. It was a very small family when I joined more than 12 years ago, roughly 50 members and now it is over 130. When I started, I saw it more as a networking opportunity as all the crane manufacturers are potential customers. But I saw quickly what PEMA was trying to achieve on safety and I wanted to be a part of its progress. Trauth served on PEMA’s safety committee for over a decade and became a board member two years ago. “PEMA creates a forum for all stakeholders to come together and work to make safety an everyday operational behaviour. Safety is a leadership responsibility and our members understand that. The challenge is always to drive that safety culture right through an organisation.” Along with safety, PEMA is also active
in spreading best practices on technology adoption and sustainability. “The next move is to build even better relationships with the EU. We want to be an influential voice for our industry – almost like an NGO – and be consulted on legislation and on funding for our industry.”
Further growth
Funding has also been important for Mi-Jack Europe. With the parent company’s financial strength behind it, the company has been able to continue investing in new product development. “There are huge benefits to being part of Mi-Jack. It is a well-established, family-owned company for three generations, with a strong and dedicated focus on our industry.
“With Yardeye, I would have appreciated a couple of start-up years with more funding to support innovation, but that was not the strategy. But as part of Mi-Jack I have worked hard to establish that culture. We focus on simplifying and streamlining our processes to free up space for more innovative topics.” Trauth sees a lot of value in being part of Mi-Jack, a company with a strong footprint, great customer relationships and a well-run operation. “Most importantly, they had a long-term vision, they had no intention of just owning us for a few years and then selling us again for profit. They had a strategy to integrate us into their operations so we can all work to add value for our customers together.”
Solution selling As with many areas of port and terminal operations, a constant challenge is managing the sales pipeline. “For a greenfield site in Europe, it can be three to five years between the first enquiry and the sale. Brownfield sites, particularly in India or APAC nations, can be under three years.”
A lot depends on the budget cycle. “Sometimes with a brownfield site you can realise the project with just a one-year lead time. But at the other end of the spectrum, you can wait four years for approval and then have to deliver the entire project in six months.” Whether it is for a greenfield or brownfield
site, applying technology is about solving problems for customers. “The technology is not the objective; it is the enabler. It can give you a strong USP, and that USP opens the door to the customer. Technology provides the value and that value is what keeps me close to the customer.”
www.hoistmagazine.com | October 2026 | vii
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