To spearhead 2008 communications drive BITA, the British Industrial Truck Association, has unveiled a fresh corporate image to help increase awareness of its role promoting best practice and safety within the £2.5billion UK materials handling industry.
BITA's revised look is based on a visually-descriptive new logo (attached) and colour scheme, designed to emphasise credibility and authority, which will be applied across the wide range of activities undertaken by
BITA on behalf of its members and the industry as a whole.
BITA is the focal point for forklift manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and media in the UK. By interpreting and influencing technical and legal complexities at the highest European and international levels, during a period of extraordinary change and challenge for the UK fork-lift truck industry, BITA provides unique support to its members' business activities.
BITA's activities include providing a highly-respected range of publications - safety booklets and technical guidance notes - as well as its unique corporate partnerships, in leading materials handling show IMHX and CFTS, the company behind the quality-assured Thorough Examination fork-lift inspection scheme.
BITA's new logo - unveiled by new BITA President, Brendon Sparks, at the Association's 22nd Annual General Meeting on May 11 - lies at the heart of a commitment to improve internal and external communications. Enhancements will include regulatory synopses and briefings, plain-English technical summaries, economic and market forecasts, plus a fully overhauled website with online purchasing capability. Oxfordshire communications agency Razor has recently been appointed to provide PR and strategy support.
Brendon Sparks, Director of the Industrial Machinery Division at Nissan Motors GB, has assumed the BITA Presidency from Steve Hodkinson, Deputy Managing Director of the newly-formed Toyota Materials Handling UK Ltd. It is the second time Sparks has taken on this role.
He commented: "We must seek new initiatives that our association can adopt to the benefit of its members. We look to improve communication with our individual members and to the media alike, providing tangible benefits not only in terms of enhanced information provision, but also in terms of practical business benefits. Our new image is the first of many exciting initiatives in the pipeline."
Outgoing President Steve Hodkinson commented: "I am delighted to hand over the Presidency to such a capable and committed individual as Brendon Sparks. I am sure that under his leadership we will see BITA continue to deliver ever-higher levels of support."
Also newly-elected to BITA's board are:
Richard Close (Briggs): Vice President, Development & Member Services
Tim Waples (Doosan): Vice President, Communications and IMHE Director
Tom McLoy (Still): TSG Chairman, statistics and TPC liaison
Tony Wheeler (REMA): Component Suppliers Group (CSG) Chairman
Geoff Bolton (MSI Forks): TPC Chairman
Among current board members continuing, or taking new roles, are:
David Rowell (Hyster) FEM/BMHF Representative
Brian Tyrer (Pyroban) IMHE Director and CFTS Director
Steve Hodkinson CFTS Director
Presentations at BITA's AGM took stock of world market conditions and current technical issues. Guest contributors included Stan Simpson of the US-based Industrial Truck Association, plus Stuart Turner, the award-winning motivational speaker and former scion of BMC/Ford rally sport.
The British Industrial Truck Association, BITA, is a substantial and dynamic trade association representing a membership of 82 fork-lift truck manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and media operating in the UK.
BITA is the voice of the industry in matters technical and legislative at the highest levels in Europe and internationally. It enjoys a close working relationship with bodies such as the UK Health and Safety Executive, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the International Standards Organisation (ISO).
As a member of the British Materials Handling Foundation (BMHF) BITA is allied with the Fédération Européenne de la Manutention (FEM), the European manufacturers' association of materials handling, lifting and storage equipment.
BITA produces a wide range of specialist publications, encompassing best practice and health and safety assurance, as well as technical guidance notes and unique market insight. Its specialist committees include the Truck Suppliers Group (TSG), Technical Policy Committee (TPC), and the Component & Services Group (CSG) among many others.
BITA members, including international brands such as Nissan, Toyota and JCB, manufacture and distribute over 90% of all new forklifts procured each year in the UK. They employ 7,000 people directly, and enjoy a combined annual turnover of £1.3bn. Their provision of goods and services equates to a value of £2.5bn each year, and plays an increasingly important role in the UK's overall economic health, supply chain effectiveness and environmental performance.