In an era of heightened competition, tightening margins and growing customer requirements, a leading player in the heavy duty vehicle lift sector has determined that the key to success lies is one crucial area – more spending. Contradictory? Perhaps, but consider the context. The company is Stertil-Koni, already recognized as a leader in heavy duty vehicle lifts, and the spending is directed towards ongoing product training for its employees and distributor network across North America.
A quick visit to one of the company’s warehouses in Stevensville, Maryland is revealing. Recently, dozens of attendees from across the country gathered in this picturesque town right over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge for a powerful, two-day combination of classroom instruction and hands-on product training. The topics were expansive, yet practical. These included safety procedures, lift demonstrations and configurations, shop foundation requirements and an overview of new shop equipment to make servicing and maintaining heavy duty vehicles more efficient, ergonomic and safe.
Explained company president, Dr. Jean DellAmore, “Research shows that skilled people who participate in continuous learning enjoy more rewarding careers and simultaneously deliver greater value to their employers and customers. Talk about a return on investment! In this economy, at all levels, ‘learning is earning.’”
Historical context also comes into play. The overall demand for new technologies and systems is accelerating at a breathtaking pace. Therefore, industry leaders – and their teams – have to be ahead of the learning curve. In addition, environmental stewardship is also requiring advanced vehicle lifting systems that are quantifiably more “green.” That is why Stertil-Koni showcased its highly regarded EARTHLIFT Mobile Column Lifts in product demonstrations.
These lifts are made from components that are 98% recyclable, use bio-degradable oil, feature batteries that are 100% recyclable, and employ an Active Energy Retrieval System to deliver up to 50% more lifting cycles at maximum load. Equally important, green lifting does not detract from performance. Lifting capacities for EARTHLIFT range from 18,500 lbs. to 22,000 lbs. per column. When pressed to quantify the scope of the Stertil-Koni investment in continuous learning and hands-on training each year, DellAmore smiled and said, “Substantial.”
He concluded, “We strive to convey some element of learning across our network every single day. Whether it’s in the form of product updates, short instructional videos we call ‘Tech Talk’, or in-classroom sessions, our overriding objective is to raise the bar in terms of product knowledge and service that in turn inspires our customers to be more loyal and active.”
For more information, visit www.stertil-koni.com.