TotalKare, which sells mobile and fixed lifts to national operators and independent workshops, has been bought by a team led by lifting specialist David Hall, existing Chairman Mike Lord and Directors James Radford and Peter Geobey. The buyout was supported by Santander.
The team said it expects to build on a record year that saw it boost turnover by £300,000, with the emphasis now on making the most of the roll-out of the new fixed two and four-post lifts and the launch of an online training platform to improve efficiency and health and safety in the sector.
David Hall explained: “This is a very exciting time to be heading up the management buyout, with TotalKare the market leader in our field and with lots of exciting new products to promote. This strong platform for growth owes a lot to the hard work and vision of former MD Tim Jackson and Technical Director Michael Gilliam.
“In the short-term, we want to build on our reputation for delivering solutions, so that it is about much more than just selling a specific set of lifts. It’s about the complete customer experience from their first contract through to initial site assessment, the training we provide and our best-in-class servicing and maintenance packages.
“Our plan is to grow 20% over the next 18 months, with a specific focus on increasing market share with our two and four-post fixed lifts and the successful introduction of our innovative online training programme. The latter will reduce the time engineers need to be out of the workshop, with the courses completed on a tablet or laptop meaning they can be started and finished in a timescale that suits both the business and the employee.
“There are also some really ambitious plans for the longer-term, but we are keeping those close to our chest for now.”
