Key appointments into strategic portfolios turn the gears for GLTC

Goscor Lift Truck Company’s promotion of a strong team to head up strategic portfolios of the business some few years ago has already paid dividends. The team, with a wealth of knowledge of the business, has succeeded in further directing and coordinating the activities of the company towards accomplishment of its objectives.    

A strong management team that understands the business is as important as the product or service you offer. With that in mind, leading materials handling (MHE) specialist, Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC) promoted key members of its existing management team into strategic portfolios a few months back, and they have been instrumental in reinforcing the company’s strong growth trail.

Shaun Morton, who became part of the Goscor family back in 2010 following the merger of his previous company, MPM, with GLTC, took the reins as the Rental/Used Director. Backed by his proven expertise in the MHE industry, Morton has already set the Rental/Used division on a growth path, and figures speak for themselves. When he joined in 2010, there were about 200 units in the short-term rental/contract maintenance fleet. Today, there are more than 1 560 units in Johannesburg alone.

The Rental/Used division was basically ticking along when Morton took over, but a combination of factors have set the business on an upward trajectory. One of the key growth factors, as Morton reasons, is the growing trend towards used equipment and customers’ growing preference for rental than outright purchase, especially driven by the tough economic conditions. This has been complemented by GLTC’s own initiatives. “The upgrade of our Rebuild Centre in March 2017, which is purely focused on refurbishing ex-long term rental units, has ensured the best possible quality of used forklifts. We have also overhauled our business systems, thereby significantly improving our customer service and easing the way customers deal with the division,” he says.

Aftermarket drivers

A key driver of GLTC’s business has always been its strong customer service, and the company understands that a successful customer service strategy is a leadership issue. With that in mind, four years ago Anthony Fouché was promoted to become the Director of Aftermarket in August 2016.

The aftermarket division is a crucial arm of GLTC’s business. It takes care of the short-term rental business nationally, and is also responsible for parts supply and technical services across the country. Fouché – who started his career with tyre maker, Goodyear, before spending 13 years at Barloworld – has been with Goscor for the past eight years, having started as the Cape Town branch manager. He is proud of his department’s achievements to date. “I am proud of what we have achieved in this division. We have outstanding people and the success has hinged on simply doing what has to be done,” he says.

Fouché reiterates that Goscor’s mission is not only to be a supplier of leading MHE brands, but to also provide the much-needed aftermarket support to ensure maximum uptime for customers. “We aim to maximise customer retention through excellent service, which ultimately means growth for their businesses,” he says.

Meanwhile, Lex Wilson has taken the reins as National Service Manager. Wilson, who previously headed up GLTC’s Johannesburg service department, aims to replicate the successes achieved at the regional office on a national scale. “The goal is to implement what made us successful in Johannesburg across the national regions,” he says, adding that, together with a strong and committed team, this will further raise GLTC’s service reputation across the country.

As technologies continue to evolve, Wilson is clear that training is very crucial in making sure that the service department stays abreast of the new technologies. “Learning new technologies and procedures – including for our customers – is the glue that keeps everything together for the national service portfolio,” concludes Wilson.