UniCarriers Acquires Capital Equipment & Handling
This growth strategy augments a high-performing dealer network by providing the broadest sales coverage and highest quality aftermarket support.
Posted: March 4, 2015
UniCarriers Americas Corporation (Marengo, IL), a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment, continues its diversification in the material handling retail market with the acquisition of Capital Equipment & Handling Inc. (Hartland, WI).
Since 1984, Capital Equipment & Handling has served southern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with a complete selection of material handling and floor maintenance equipment. The company, which has approximately 85 employees, has been an authorized dealer of UniCarriers Americas for more than 30 years.
The acquisition was finalized on March 2, 2015. Terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
UniCarriers’ entrance into the U.S. material handling retail market began in 2014 as a key growth strategy, when the company acquired its first factory-owned dealership, New England Industrial Truck (Woburn, MA). The growth strategy is designed to augment its high-performing dealer network by providing the broadest sales coverage and highest quality aftermarket support.
“With the acquisition of our second retail business, we continue our plans to use factory owned stores as one of several tools to strengthen our distribution network and complement our existing independent dealer partners,” said Anthony Salgado, the president of UniCarriers Americas. “Through future investments like these, we intend to promote the value of the our brand, while providing our growing multi-location customer base with consistent and value-driven national service and support.”
After 12 years in forklift sales, Richard (Dick) Muenster founded Capital Equipment & Handling and over the next three decades, he and his team would turn their small Brookfield, WI, office into a successful business of four thriving locations, serving the material handling needs of companies throughout Wisconsin. Muenster will retire in March 2015.
In 2004, Jerry Ziglinski joined Capital Equipment & Handling’s partnership team. He will continue as branch manager for their Fox Valley location. All four factory-owned dealership sites will operate under the management of Gary Hansen, who has been with CEH since 1985, managing sales and operations for 30 years. Hansen was honored with UniCarriers’ Pinnacle Lifetime Sales Achievement Award in 1996. He will report to James J. Radous III, the executive vice president of sales at UniCarriers Americas, who, in August 2014, took on the added responsibility for leadership of their new Retail Operations channel.
“Capital Equipment & Handling has consistently grown its sales by double-digit increases each of the past five years, positioning the dealership in the top ten percent. We are pleased to have a dealership whose reputation in this Midwest region is as strong as them,” said Radous III. “By leveraging our superior products with their experienced customer sales and support team, the potential for growth in this region is practically limitless.”
Both companies have a long, successful relationship, beginning in 1985, when Capital Equipment & Handling became an authorized Nissan Forklift dealership. Since then, the company earned various honors, including recognition as a Nissan Forklift Nine winner the past five consecutive years and seven times overall. As of 2007, Capital Equipment & Handling has also been a member of the OEM’s dealer advisory group.
“The strong working relationship between our companies over the years, and their strategic alignment of values, make this endeavor a certain success,” added Hansen.
UniCarriers Americas Corporation was formed in 2013, when Nissan Forklift Corporation, North America joined forces with TCM America. The company is a division of UniCarriers Corporation headquartered in Tokyo. The merger positions UniCarriers Americas as the fifth largest material handling equipment manufacturer in the Americas market.
During the past year, the company made several additional investments to provide the groundwork for its growth goals. It expanded its Marengo headquarters campus with a 120,000 sq ft manufacturing annex for additional manufacturing capacity, and grew its product development department by 46 percent. Parent company UniCarriers Corporation is investing $40 million in a global research and development facility to be completed this year, which will shorten product development cycles and increase product technology capabilities.
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