How to Get Creative During a Slowing Market

As we continue along here in 2023 with Covid all but in the rearview mirror – it’s amazing to think of the explosion in the Material Handling Industry in 2021 and 2022. Here at Abel Womack, we had two consecutive record years and are projected to continue that trend in 2023 due to the large backlog we have amassed (thanks in part to extended lead times but more so customer activity!).

With all that being said, inevitably things had to slow down given the torrid pace we’ve been on. After somewhat of a roller coaster in Q1 that ended above expectations, we are starting to see a drop here in April and May. I’ve heard from many of our account managers that customers are holding off on all purchases for now or that their business has slowed, and they are cutting MHE expenses.

So, while this certainly is concerning and not what we want to see – we all knew this time would come. So, now it’s imperative that we take a closer look at how to get more creative and find new and unique opportunities that will benefit our customers and prospects, and here’s how!

Raymond Lean Management (RLM)

As of January 1^st, Abel Womack has a dedicated team that manages our lean management What is lean management? It’s a mindset that looks to remove nonvalue added business waste and in turn, value is created. Abel Womack offers a free, no commitment walk through to anyone open to it so this is an easy decision for customers to consider. Based on the walk through and preliminary analysis, we come back with a lean management report with multiple suggestions for things like improved efficiency and productivity. We also discuss areas of opportunity for fast ROIs and always have an eye on continuous improvement in the future. Simply put, this is an initial, no cost option for organizations and a creative way to bring value to our customers when they may not be interested in purchasing say a Raymond reach truck or Tennant floor scrubber.

Automation

One of those buzzwords you hear so much these days is automation. Although in many instances – optimization (via lean management) is the first course of action – some customers are truly ready to dive into the automation world. That is where Abel Womack has extensive experience and is ready to assist! On top of our growing automation sales team, we’ve added an automation business development role. We’ve designed this role to work with our account managers and existing customers to look for areas of opportunity to automate via site visits and walk throughs. It’s very much like RLM but more so once an opportunity is identified for automation. Abel Womack recently picked up the Universal Robots line and is in the process of setting up a robotic/conveying demo area at our HQ in Lawrence, MA. Our customers can see firsthand how it might work with their product.

High Density Storage

In 2022, Abel Womack was the #1 Kardex Remstar dealer in the country and the activity level is continuing to be highly active this year. When customers believe they are out of space in a facility, it is a product like Kardex that can efficiently put smaller parts/devices into a vertical lift module (VLM). With a VLM, customers utilize the vertical footprint and free up valuable real estate on the floor for additional workstations or CNC machines.

Another area we continue to thrive in is the cannabis and indoor growing industries with Montel Mobile Storage. We have a dedicated account manager who has been managing opportunities here in the Northeast and all over the country as these industries continue to ‘bloom’.

Kickstart the future

Abel Womack understands your concerns during these ever-changing times. We’re working hard to bring new tools and technologies to the table to help you optimize and become more efficient and productive. Contact us today for a free walk through or to discuss ideas for streamlining your operations.