MANGAR INTERNATIONAL APPOINTS FORMER VOLKSWAGEN SENIOR MANAGER TO TOP MANAGEMENT POST
Mangar International, the market leading manufacturer of innovative lightweight moving and handling equipment, has appointed a new managing director.
Andrew Barker, 38, brings a wealth of experience to the Presteigne-based firm having headed-up Volkswagen's sales and marketing division at their regional HQ in Singapore .
And he has high hopes for the future of Mangar International:
“My aim is to double turnover over the next 5 years and to be one of the top 100 best small companies to work for,” he said.
“I am absolutely delighted to be working for such a fantastic, forward thinking company and I'm proud to have been accepted into what is a very ambitious and innovative team.”
“We have set key objectives for the next five years and the intermediate steps required to achieve these. Without mentioning specifics, they broadly fall into the four categories of: financial, brand equity, innovation and employee equity.”
“If we are to achieve our objectives then clearly we are going to have to do things differently in all areas, from operations, sales and marketing to service etc. We are all going to have to operate outside of our traditional comfort zones. Key to this is communication within the company and having and sharing small successes as we move forward.”
Andrew says belief in Mangar International's products, its people, ideas and innovation convinced him he was right for Mangar and Mangar International was right for him.
"2006 is going to be a massive year for Mangar International,” he said.
“We've got a new website coming, a new product brochure, not to mention the launch of the award winning Camel, which I am convinced will be a tremendous success. Nothing can match its ease of use, its flexibility, its light weight, its portability or its lifting capacity.”
“This really is just the beginning – people will be hearing a lot more from Mangar International in 2006.”
The news of Andrew's appointment sees former company managing director and founder David Garman move into the role of chairman.
He sees it as a step in the right direction for Mangar International and is excited about the introduction to the team:
“After twenty-five years of endeavour, battling and excitement to get the company started, known and soundly established with a range of unique products, a change in the top management became imperative for the next phase of expansion into global markets,” Mr Garman said.
“By good chance we have Andrew Barker who, in my opinion, is the right person in the right company at the right time. He has the personality and the professional skills to lead the enterprising and well-qualified management team and staff to new heights and areas of trading in the next few years.
This is a time of great transition, and I have no hesitation in relinquishing my former position to Andrew and taking up my new appointment as chairman of the company.”