Schermer

Giel Claes and Bob Schermer are leading the effort to unify five regional operating Equipment Depot companies in a single US entity based in Houston (Forkliftaction.com News #502).

Claes was named president and chief executive officer of the Pon North America materials handling group in July and Schermer assumed duties as the chief operating officer of Equipment Depot in May.

Privately held trading and service company Pon Holdings BV has assembled the US companies now operating under the Equipment Depot identity and also has four Gunco rental companies in western and central Europe and four Motrac materials handling equipment companies in western Europe.

"Our vision is that Equipment Depot will be the (US) industry leader and preferred business partner by creating mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with our customers in the materials handling and contractor services industries," says Claes.

Claes

"Consolidating the regional companies under one umbrella will give us the opportunity to adapt best practices from each operation and deploy our resources where they provide the best return," states Schermer, noting that customer and supplier "operations are increasingly becoming regional and national".

Claes joined Pon in 2004 as service and operations manager for Pon Equipment. After six months he became managing director of Pon Equipment BV, the Caterpillar earthmoving equipment dealership in the Netherlands. In February 2009, Claes was appointed managing director of Pon Power BV in the Netherlands.

Schermer began his material handling career in 1987 as general manager of LeveeLift Inc's Louisville, Kentucky location. He opened additional Kentucky locations in Lexington, Bowling Green, Hopkinsville and Paducah. Schermer became vice president of all LeveeLift operations in 2006 and CEO and president in 2008. LeveeLift assumed the Equipment Depot identity in 2008.

For all operations, Equipment Depot has 40 locations providing materials handling solutions, aftermarket products and construction equipment rentals, covering all or parts of 12 states.

In addition to forklifts, Pon Holdings through its subsidiaries engages in the import, logistical activities, marketing, distribution, and service and maintenance of cars, company vehicles, and tyres. In addition, it sells passenger cars, commercial vehicles, automotive parts, earthmoving equipment and power generation diesel and gas engines; shipping products; and equipment and power systems. The company was founded in 1895 and is based in Almere, the Netherlands.