LMV, Hunter’s exclusive distributor throughout Italy since last July, inaugurated its first ‘Open Doors’ event on Saturday, January 27, at its headquarters in Due Carrare, in the province of Padua. The new, fully functioning show room and training room saw many customers pass through, from morning to evening, interested in touching the new equipment with their hands, but also happy to celebrate with a historic and respected supplier this important milestone and new starting point.
We met with owner Livio Gaja, who told us about the company’s history and the new “Hunter” phase that has now entered its prime.
LMV, founded in 1975, has been dedicated for many years to the marketing of consumables and small equipment for tire dealers. How did the decision to include equipment come about?
It is a project that has a long history. Until six years ago, we did not deal in equipment, only consumables. Although we had been well established in the industry for a long time, we had never considered such a step until the possibility of dealing with the John Bean brand came up. Our condition has always been: either we deal with a new product segment professionally, or it is better to leave it alone. With John Bean, we met competent people and decided to take on this new challenge. We started very slowly, allocating significant investments, but without giving much visibility externally. Then, slowly, we grew, involving all the staff, who have been with us for many years and who embraced the idea enthusiastically, working hard to best sell a brand that was then still quite unknown.
We grew, acquiring competent and motivated staff and building a foundation that we consider quite solid in the distribution of John Bean branded lift bridges and other equipment as far as Emilia Romagna and then also in the northwest, as far as Milan.
That was until 2017, when there were the first approaches with Hunter, which was considering what to do in Italy.
In July 2017, the official announcement of Hunter’s exclusive distribution was made. What has changed in these months?
I had made myself available with Hunter to consider covering all of Italy, and when the company finally matured in its conviction to change representatives, it decided to bet on us. The necessary condition remained, however, that we follow the brand on a national basis.
From July we set to work, contacting those who already used and liked the Hunter brand, which is very popular because of its excellent performance.
The beginning created some hassle for us, because we did not get on a stopped train, but on a running train, and we had to, as a first step, resolve all the dissatisfaction of customers, which had been dragging on for some time.
Did you have to change the corporate structure and organization?
Yes, it was necessary to organize ourselves in a more structured way: before, the figure of the area head or area manager did not really exist, because we did not feel the need for them. As the team got bigger, however, we had to create a structure, because that is the only way to be able to work while making as few mistakes as possible.
Today we have seven area managers: one is in charge of Southern Italy, two in the Center, two in the Northwest and Milan area, and two in the Northeast. Between agents and technicians, the two companies, Commercial LMV and LMV Service, employ about sixty people, about 15-20 of whom joined the team following the acquisition of Hunter brand distribution. Consistent with our personal and family approach, I know everyone’s name.
Has the new structure meant taking on a new style of business management that is more formal and less family-oriented?
Actually the area manager is a figurehead who has more experience and the task of filtering commitments, but the style of the company has remained as it always was: a family. A lot of employees also hang out on weekends and participate in events like this one at Open Doors without being paid; they are here in plain clothes to have a prosecco together. The team has been working with us for many years, has put in the effort and continues to do so, answering their cell phones even on Saturdays and Sundays. I myself still go around with the van delivering goods to customers we have been working with for 30 years; with many there is really a relationship of friendship and acquaintance between families. Sometimes, I don’t even consider it work anymore.
We hope to be able to maintain this kind of relationship with employees and customers for as long as possible, because so far this has been the key to our success. When times change, if this approach becomes anachronistic to the market, then we will have to consider what to do.
Why are there two company names: Commerciale LMV and LMV Service?
Commerciale LMV is the main company, while LMV Service deals exclusively with installations and assistance on machinery. They are two different VAT numbers and two different company names, with different administrators.
Fifteen years ago, we became an authorized Corghi assistance centre. However, when the collaboration ended, the LMV Service company, which dealt exclusively with assistance, had to survive by repairing the equipment of all the brands present on the Italian market. The decision to keep it open was important when we started distributing John Bean and in the meantime we had acquired significant experience in different repair sectors: jacks, lifts, screwdrivers and small equipment.
For those who go around the market to sell, it becomes strategic to know how to solve customers’ small daily problems. It is exclusively a question of service. From a corporate point of view it is certainly an anti-economic business and the company aims to break even. The important advantage, however, is that we are able to give continuity to Commerciale LMV activities. It would be too easy to sell without taking care of after-sales! Those who rely on us have the right to have a complete 360-degree service. And naturally it will be the same for Hunter: we have in fact brought in three new technicians trained and dedicated to these products.
How do you manage the relationship with Hunter’s American parent company?
We have an Italian contact person, Luca Pivetti, who represents the company and supports us. With him we visited customers and addressed previous problems, the seriousness of which had sometimes not been clearly communicated to the company.
Certainly, being in the middle of the ocean, it is not like working with an Italian company: there are times, time zones, customs inspections, trucker strikes and other difficulties that determine delivery times of 60 days.
At the moment we are still delivering the goods sold, but we plan to organize a warehouse from next spring that will allow us to offer a series of ‘standard’ equipment that will be ready for delivery. Clearly, for special products, the customer already knows that he will have to wait.
As far as training is concerned, we brought about ten salespeople and all our technicians to the United States between July and August. In May this year, two American trainers will come to Italy and, on that occasion, we will bring together all the authorized technicians and assistance centers.
What are the main features that distinguish Hunter products from others?
The products have an edge in terms of innovation, compared to any other brand. The machines are easy and intuitive to use, so instructions are kept to a minimum. This allows you to work with precision and speed, but above all, if necessary, it is possible to quickly train new staff.
Hunter technology is very advanced and the machinery is interconnected through the Hunter Net internet platform. The advantage is being able to work proactively with the customer, thanks to diagnosis and cross-checking of data. Those who choose Hunter do so because they have decided to change their approach and become an active part, rather than waiting passively for the customer in the workshop.
The product range also includes the complete line for trucks. While the flagship product is the Revolution tire changer, a very versatile and simple machine to use, even on ‘difficult’ tyres, so the staff, with a minimum of training, is already able to carry out work in the workshop.
How is the Italian market changing?
Many customers hear a lot about innovation and change, but in some cases they don’t have the opportunity to deal with real problems. However, the future is moving forward very quickly and cars are no longer what they were yesterday. This is a very important aspect that operators absolutely must understand: automatic parking, pedestrian and obstacle recognition, hybrid or electric engines are now a reality of our daily lives.
And the risks for those who do not comply are many: a tire dealer could be electrocuted because he got his hands on the battery of an electric car, without knowing that there are completely different safety regulations. Or there are dangers that should not be underestimated: we are used to noisy cars or forklifts with buzzers, but I have seen perfectly silent electric cars being moved in the workshop, with the risk of hitting people.
Today we can experience the change first-hand. We can no longer ignore it, especially young people who, if they want to build a future for themselves, absolutely have to deal with it.
It was like this for us too, who understood that dealing only with consumables was no longer sufficient for the future. Even today it represents 60-70% of our turnover, but in reality it has become an opportunity to make the most of for other products too, given that we visit customers every 15 days. This business gives us the opportunity to get to know each customer, follow them closely and try to offer the right solutions for their every need.
What are the goals for 2018?
We are working to better cover some areas with new agents, but we are in no hurry, we prefer to calmly choose the people who are most similar to our mentality, because the agent is the mirror of the company. It doesn’t mean that having a lot of work is the priority. It is more important for us to work honestly, satisfying the needs of our customers and solving problems whenever they arise or we ourselves make a mistake.
In addition to the first Open Doors event at the end of January, we have planned four evenings spread throughout Italy, with the involvement of area managers and local agents, to meet customers.
As regards turnover, in 2017 we grew by 20%, reaching 11 million euros in turnover, more than we expected.
Other objectives are the supply agreements, which we are defining in recent months, with companies such as Euromster, Volkswagen and Mercedes, and participation in Autopromotec in 2019.
However, our DNA will always remain the same as always: considering problems as opportunities, because they allow us to show the customer what we are capable of doing. It has always worked like this even for consumables: if you recommend the wrong products, after 15 days the customer asks for replacement and solution to the problem. Even more so this will be valid with machines.
Source: PneusNews.it