NEWS | PRODUCTS
US LIFTING SOLUTIONS FIRM BOOSTS INVENTORY TO SERVE DISTRIBUTOR DEMAND
levels on more than 400 of its best- selling items and given the go-ahead for manufacturer representatives and inside sales teams to begin sharing details of the programme with distributors. President and CEO Doug Stitt and his
U
team said they have been working for more than a year to get manufacturing processes, product management protocols, sales reporting, distributor feedback loops, and warehouse space planning “in top working order to support increased levels of on-the- shelf inventory, resulting in faster order turnaround, higher order fill rates, and stronger relationships with the below- the-hook distributor network”. The result was the list of more than
400 items that are in stock, ship within one business day, and ship for free, with no additional shipping charges added to the invoice. “In-stock inventory matters in our industry,” said Stitt. “And Caldwell is responding to serve distributors better. “Our in-stock programme makes
us more efficient, smarter, and better prepared to serve customers than ever before because it forces us to focus on what matters: supporting distributors,” Stitt continued. “Our customer service team hears
how important in-stock availability is on a daily basis. We know we win orders because we have more equipment on the shelf and are ready to ship. The fact that these items ship via standard ground for free is the icing on the cake,” added Jeff Ferchen, director of business development.
Caldwell thinks that President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, signed into law in 2021 and authorising funds for the likes
Jim Harkins, owner of Hardu. 12 | November 2023 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
S below-the-hook lifting solutions provider The Caldwell Group has increased in-stock inventory
Caldwell has increased in-stock inventory levels on more than 400 items.
of federal-aid highways and highway safety programmes, justifies increasing inventory levels, even when much of the manufacturing and construction segments are still worried about the possibility of a recession. “That means more bridges being built,
more water and sewer pipes being laid, and more highways being improved,” Stitt said. At the same time, he said Caldwell is seeing increased demand from offshore drilling, aerospace, and energy-related industries. “Certain industries are still enjoying significant growth due to pent up post-Covid demand, I think.” To make the change possible, Stitt and
the team looked at their entire operation. They made production processes more efficient with a dedication to Lean processes. They reviewed historical sales trends and seasonality data, and streamlined picking and shipping efforts. “We know distributors don’t want to
carry extra inventory, which adds cost to their business. So, they need to count on us to replenish quickly when they need to. We’ve set ourselves up to do just that,” Stitt said. Items on the bolstered in-stock list include, for example, lifting and spreader beams, hooks and beam clamps. Meanwhile, The Caldwell Group has
also welcomed two new manufacturing representative firms to the team, Hardu and Mocker & Associates. Hardu and owner Jim Harkins are well-
known in the lifting industry, as Harkins worked as a product advisor for I&I Slingmax for 24 years and prior to that, spent a decade as a service manager at Northeastern Crane & Hoist.
He is based in Milford, Massachusetts, US, and has spent more than 35 years in the industry. “Caldwell has been providing lifting solutions for me for my whole career so I couldn’t be happier joining the team as a manufacturer’s representative. It feels great knowing that I am working with the best, the brightest and the nicest people,” he said. “I love this industry and love helping distributors and their customers find the best lifting solutions.” Mocker & Associates, founded in 1974, is based in Chesterfield, Missouri, and is a manufacturer’s representative for a variety of manufacturing companies covering Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Arkansas. ‘Putting our customers first is our main
priority. This is why we only align with vendors who do the same. We value our relationships and have some of the longest-lasting partnerships in the industry’ is its company mantra. Ryan Bryzeal, sales engineer, Mocker
& Associates, said: “We take on a hands- on approach walking customers through the process – from specifying the correct product, to assisting with installation and training, to continual customer service and support.”
Based in Illinois, Caldwell provides
below-the-hook lifting equipment for users across the globe including lifting beams, sheet lifters, coil grabs, beam grabs, Renfroe lifting clamps, and RUD lifting points. Speciality equipment for mill duty use, vacuum lifters, load rotators, fork truck attachments and more are also available.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83
