B&B Attachments Ltd, located in Cramlington, Northumberland is the leading independent supplier of forklift truck attachments in the UK. Established in 1980, the company has developed a reputation for the provision of high-quality products from leading, worldwide manufacturers. To develop and grow their business further, B&B has recently appointed a new Chairman, Tim Christian, who will take on a consultancy role, to drive the business forward.
For over three decades, B&B has facilitated the sale of Kaup, Liftek and other companies' products, both across the UK and internationally. Emerging from the recession, the company is now expanding its range of services. There are newly-formulated hire packages available, as an alternative to purchase, and a dedicated attachment fleet for this purpose. There is also an in-house design department, creating original, bespoke products for customers' specialist requirements. With these aspects poised and ready for development, the new appointment promises to be a busy one.
Tim Christian is the founder of TC Associates Ltd; a business consultancy, strategic planning and management advisory firm located in Middlesex. Tim will act as an external advisor, using his experience in senior positions and Non-Executive Director roles to guide B&B forward with its new services.
As a seasoned entrepreneur, with demonstrable success in managing and growing software-based businesses, the move into materials handling and manufacturing is a fresh, eagerly-anticipated challenge, as Tim explains:
"This is a very exciting time for B&B and I'm delighted to be part of it. I'm actually married to a girl from Peterlee and have family in Chester-le-Street, so I've been coming to the area for many years now. In the months to come, we hope to grow several key aspects of the business; I would like to see our hire department flourish, and want us to export even more products. I also look forward to encouraging the development of B&B's own product portfolio.
"We are also looking to become a much bigger part of the local employment landscape, by providing jobs to the North East of England, where rates of unemployment are so high. To me, and the rest of the board of directors, this starts with the appointment of apprentices, getting new people into work in this industry."
Tim will now join Mike Barton, John Lamberth, Neal Fowler and Alan Harrison on the board of directors, which has over 80 years of combined experience in the forklift truck attachment industry. Managing Director Mike Barton explains why the appointment of Tim will be so beneficial to the board's overall aspirations for the company:
"I know how many organisations have suffered at the hands of the recession, and I am delighted that B&B has now reached a point where we're looking to emphasise new areas of our business. I have every confidence that Tim will be a fantastic asset to the company, giving us a fresh perspective and some new ideas to work with. I look forward to immersing him in all things attachments - starting at the IMHX 2013 Exhibition in March - he'll be an expert before he knows it!"