Hiab opens dedicated Scottish depot following acquisition of Cumbernauld dealer
Hiab, the leading provider of on-road load handling equipment, has opened a Scottish sales and service depot in Cumbernauld, Glasgow following the acquisition of local dealer Logan Inglis.
The opening of Hiab’s own depot in Scotland is a key part of its strategic plan to get closer to its customers and provide services and solutions in a partnership approach.
“This purchase has, from day one, been very much part of our ‘route to market strategy’ which we embarked on in 2017,” says Ian Mitchell, Hiab Director-Dealer Manager UK and Ireland. “Starting with our acquisition of Walkers in the East Midlands last year, the opening recently of our new Hiab London Depot in Bishops Stortford and Hiab Dudley locations, this acquisition brings our strategy of getting closer to our customers to Scotland.”
Hiab has purchased the Logan Inglis business in Cumbernauld and has secured the current site on a long-term lease.
All current Logan Inglis staff have transferred across to Hiab following the acquisition, with a separate agreement in place to retain the services of current owner Robert Morrison, during the transition period.
The site will be subject to significant investment and improvement over the next 12 months.
“Our customers in Scotland will benefit from the Cumbernauld site being part of a larger Hiab-owned national network of both installation and service facilities that can meet their needs both in Scotland and further afield in the UK,” adds Mitchell.
Hiab Scotland will offer the full range of Hiab loader cranes and demountable products, and the full suite of service offerings including R&M packages, repairs, servicing, parts supply and load testing certification, as well as bespoke and tailored service arrangements.
The Cumbernauld site today also has a thriving bodybuilding business, serving a number of sectors of the market, which also formed part of the purchase and will be developed further as a service by Hiab.
In charge of the new site is Matt Ritchie, Hiab Dealer Manager for Scotland, who can’t wait to “take the Scottish business to the next level”.
“I’ve been really encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm of the staff at Cumbernauld and am really looking forward to building on the existing relationships with customers and establishing new ones,” says Ritchie.
Rogier van der Linde, MD of Hiab UK and Ireland, adds: “The opening of Hiab Scotland is the next logical step in our strategy to be closer to our customers, putting more focus on our services and to become a solutions provider. We have a fantastic opportunity now to grow our market share in Scotland for demountables and put more focus on loader cranes, but moreover it’s about adding fantastic customer service to the region by having our own workshop and giving customers access to our large fleet of field service engineers.”
The strategic investments we have made over the last 12 months demonstrate the commitment Hiab UK is making to succeed in its ambition to become the number one solutions partner, shaping and inspiring the industry,” he adds.
A further dealer acquisition is expected to be announced before the Autumn.