STARCO marks ‘historic day’ in its history

With a flip of the calendar page June became July, and STARCO and Bohnenkamp each began a new chapter in their histories. STARCO reports that the start of the new month found its offices “buzzing heavily with activity,” and the company shares that much progress has been made since the signing of a deal between the two companies in May.

“Our employees have made the impossible in less than two months possible. I am truly impressed and proud to reach this milestone today, where I have presented our 2020 Strategy for all employees,” said STARCO chief executive officer Richard Todd at a celebration to mark the changeover on 1 July.

A priority for STARCO in June was to contact its potential new customers – trailer manufacturers in Germany and Slovakia that previously worked with Bohnenkamp. During the month, company representatives visited the top 11 trailer-customers, companies that account for more than 80 per cent of the transferred turnover.

“Overall, the customers welcome the change, primarily because we are specialised in wheel development and manufacturing for high speed trailers and can initiate joint product development,” reports STARCO chief commercial officer Thomas Ballegaard. “Also, we have a broader product range. For a start we just need to get to know each other – but we are already talking long-term business and orders of new products.”

Last month, the Danish company also adjusted its customer care setup to ready it for servicing the new customers. The ramp up covers both organisational changes to the Customer Care team in STARCO’s Central warehouse in Winsen, Germany and the installation of new equipment in its Trailer & Caravan Centre in Arendonk, Belgium. “We hope, in just half a year, to prove to the customers whom are affected by this deal that we can bring value as a supplier and as a strong partner for the future,” comments Ballegaard.

As Richard Todd recently told Tyrepress.com, he expects STARCO’s turnover to drop by around 25 per cent in the short term as a direct result of divesting a number of STARCO aftermarket businesses to Bohnenkamp, but he stresses that in the long run the company aims for growth. Following the Bohnenkamp business transfer on 1 July, around 80 percent of STARCO’s business will take place in the original equipment segment.

STARCO still operates aftermarket operations in France, South Africa, Poland, the UK and Switzerland. Poland was recently the first market to receive the new e-commerce platform the company is currently rolling out.