Alwyn Smith

The US materials handling operation of Barloworld Ltd has a new president, a restructured branch network and a mandate for growth as the south east region's exclusive dealer for Hyster forklifts. Barloworld has world headquarters in Sandton, South Africa, near Johannesburg.

Alwyn Smith became president of the Charlotte-based Barloworld Handling LLC unit on 1 July, succeeding Stan Sewell, who retired on 31 July after decades with the company and nine years in the top position. Smith and Sewell collaborated during July to transition functions.

In assignments with sister businesses in South Africa, Smith had been affiliated with Barloworld Logistics, a provider of logistics and supply chain management services, as finance director for three years and, earlier, with the Barloworld Steel Tube unit for 10 years as director of finance and then managing director of the stainless steel business unit.

Smith reports to South Africa-based John Blackbeard, who became chief executive officer of the parent company's handling division in October 2007.

Courts Holland continues as chief financial officer of the US unit.

In 11 contiguous south east states, Barloworld Handling owns and operates 30 full-service branches.

The business implemented four geography- and market-driven branch consolidations during early and mid-2007.

Barloworld Handling consolidated its Hickory, North Carolina branch with its larger Charlotte site; the Bartow, Florida branch with the Tampa, Florida location; the Columbus, Georgia branch with the Montgomery, Alabama site; and the Jackson, Tennessee branch with the Memphis, Tennessee location.

No official layoffs occurred, says Heather Cummings, Barloworld Handling marketing manager. "People could join other locations," she says. "Some did not do that, but there was not a layoff of any groups" relating to the forklift branches.

The consolidations followed a 2006 corporate directive to streamline operations. The goal: unlock shareholder value for the publicly traded parent firm.

During 2007, Barloworld's US industrial distribution division sold its Ditch Witch of Georgia dealerships to Ditch Witch manufacturer Charles Machine Works Inc of Perry, Oklahoma in April and its Freightliner truck dealerships to a consortium of three buyers led by the Texas-based Lonestar Freightliner Group in August. Some administrative layoffs occurred in the US and other workers were transferred to South Africa as a result of those sales.

Barloworld's US operations had operating profit of ZAR71 million (USD10.4 million) on sales of ZAR1.88 billion (USD275.5 million) for the fiscal year ended 30 September. In the previous fiscal year, the US operating profit was ZAR83 million (USD10.8 million) on sales of ZAR1.81 billion (USD234.8 million).

The US operations employ more than 1,000 persons including more than 400 road service technicians. In 1979, Barloworld Ltd acquired an existing Hyster dealership in Charlotte and began the process of establishing its presence in the US.