Material handling equipment supplier North Industrial Truck Company has opened a new and expanded facility in Concord, New Hampshire.
The new site is designed to showcase the company’s forklifts, construction equipment, warehouse solutions, and other products.
Nitco says the new facility provides a “huge showroom” for its “cutting-edge” industrial equipment, as well as an expanded shop for top technicians working on the machinery.
The company adds that the new location also has “tremendous visibility” from Interstate-93, and is easier to find for walk-in customers.
At his new headquarters surrounded by bright yellow forklifts and muscular construction equipment, Jeff Hawkins, general manager of Nitco’s New Hampshire branch, talks about the advantages of the company’s new location in Concord.
“We were starting to outgrow the old location,” said Hawkins. A materials handling industry leader since 1969, Nitco expanded into construction machinery in 2011, becoming a dealer for Great Britain-based JCB (one of the world’s top three manufacturers of construction equipment) and launching Northland JCB.
The Concord branch was a key player in this move and Hawkins reports that business has been booming ever since, buoyed by ongoing expansion of Nitco’s traditional core business – materials handling machinery and advanced warehouse solutions – and brisk demand for JCB construction equipment.
In 2015, Northland JCB was named JCB’s Construction Equipment Dealer of the Year for North America for a second time.
“That rapid growth really prompted a decision,” said Hawkins, noting that the old location was “tucked away” at the end of a cul de sac with considerably less accessibility than the new site. The expanded location opened for business on June 5.
The exterior is stocked with an array of heavy equipment for all applications, including a full range of lift equipment (from narrow aisle forklifts and other warehouse trucks to aerial lifts, telehandlers and more).
The branch also stocks utility vehicles, industrial floor cleaning equipment and a comprehensive range of warehouse products, while partnering with other industry leaders to offer a complete lineup of customized warehouse solutions.
The new Concord headquarters includes at least one such solution — a mezzanine system that was instrumental in converting an existing one-story structure into a two-story facility with 19,000 square feet of space.
Inside the work bays, expert technicians service the equipment, though most of the repair and maintenance work is handled by mobile technicians working onsite for Nitco’s customers.
“We have been very successful lately in attracting some of the best technicians in the construction and forklift business,” said Hawkins, adding that “the word is out on the street” about the company’s strong pay and benefits package.
“One of the major reasons for this new branch was to better serve our customers,” said Hawkins. Whether it’s forklifts or big construction machines, “both sectors of the business still rely heavily on good customer service.”
When a customer is experiencing a problem, “we are going to do whatever it takes to solve that problem”, said Hawkins (for example, loaning a piece of equipment or even sending a technician out in the middle of the night). “It builds loyalty with our customers that they know we’re going to be there for them.”
In addition to placing incredibly strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, Nitco’s philosophy also involves a consultative approach that is more about delivering business solutions than simply selling equipment.
“We offer unique solutions to our customers,” said Hawkins. Whether it’s working with a company to get more racking space into an existing footprint or helping them realize fuel savings by switching to lithium ion batteries, he said, “it’s really about developing long-term relationships with the customers.”
Hawkins invites customers and visitors alike to stop by the new Concord HQ to see Nitco’s lineup of versatile industrial machines, and to learn more about its state-of-the-art engineered systems and game-changing warehouse products and solutions.
