Nilfisk acquire ICM, Industrial Cleaning Machines
The Nilfisk Group have acquired the Midlands based Company ICM - Industrial Cleaning Machines. ICM were established in 1986 and specialise in the sales and service of industrial cleaning machines.
ICM have a substantial industrial customer base across the UK and a well placed workshop and logistical centre in Wolverhampton. Services include new and second hand equipment including full machine refurbishment.
ICM have an excellent service reputation in the industry, providing free site surveys, onsite demonstrations, operator training and all inclusive maintenance packages.
This acquisition supports the recent set up of the Nilfisk Outdoor Division and builds on other recent machine brand acquisitions including Egholm and Jungojet.
The recently announced acquisition takes Nilfisk UK firmly into the Outdoor/Engine driven machine arena allowing them to drive growth in their full range of the green maintenance, utility vehicle and 1.5 cubic metre road sweeper sectors.
Martin Chambers, Director of Operations and Service for Nilfisk UK stated; ‘the acquisition of ICM in the Midlands is a perfect fit for us and it will be very much business as normal in Wolverhampton. The takeover provides us with a well located workshop and engineers with large equipment competencies. This will improve our repair and turnaround of larger equipment and provide us with an excellent logistics base for all areas of operation.’
Nilfisk will be extending their ‘closer to market’ strategy as a result of the changes, holding UK stock at the midlands based facility.
Martin Chambers explains the need to separate service divisions in the UK and how it is likely to affect the overall business; ‘We have a huge portfolio of equipment now, truly everything from a tub vacuum through to a street washing truck. Managing the overall service function is complex and is best structured into separate teams who have the benefit of relevant experience, correct skill sets and regional van stocks.’
‘Our Retail Service Division demonstrates this practice well, with the first time fix rate increased to 95% as a result of dedicated teams and stock holding. The acquisition of ICM and the continued focus on our Outdoor/Engine division will allow us to do the same across the UK within this service critical sector.’
‘Our N-sure intranet system is expected to play a major part in this initiative, N-sure sets out to provide clients with live, transparent information on all machines and all sites nationwide.
At the core of the system are handheld PDA’s carried by the ?? strong engineering team.
The Engineers receive details of new service visits via the PDA, once accepted the system registers information live time and shows the engineer as en-route.
A major advantage is the ability for the PDA device to directly call the client on site with the press of one button. The PDA also acts as a 3 mega pixel camera allowing photographs from site to be instantly transmitted.
When works are completed the engineer enters details and captures the client signature on the PDA screen. Jobs are identified as work in progress, complete or parts on order. All information is accessed live time allowing parts to be ordered immediately, often saving up to 24 hours.
Each client has an individual internet portal allowing them to see both breakdown and maintenance progress across all sites live time. Key Performance Indicators such as first time fix rate, breakdowns per site and same day call outs can be easily monitored.’
There is no doubt that the Nilfisk machine continues to forge its’ way to a bigger, brighter future.
Nilfisk is present today in 43 countries worldwide and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of professional cleaning equipment. Customers benefit from a complete ‘one stop shop’ solution with the product range extending from tub vacuums to road sweepers and trucks.
Any parties interested in learning more or seeking information on Nilfisk UK’s future plans should contact 01284 763163 www.nilfisk.co.uk.
01480 219355
T: 01284 763163
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