At EP Equipment everything is about growing together as a community. As the community keeps growing, EP continues to invest in the support infrastructure and into the regional market.
“In recent years, the spanish market has seen a substantial growth by EP through a multi-channel sales approach and the dedication of local partners as well as investment by EP. Now it is time for EP Equipment to take the next step to prepare for future growth. For this reason, we will integrate the Spanish sales management into our European organisation even more and give it the structure needed to support the needs of our local partners“, says Arjan van Zanten, VP Business Development at EP Europe.
We are very happy to announce our new Regional Sales Manager Spain at EP EQUIPMENT EUROPE.
Colin Ballard, known to many of you as Dealer Manager from Tomi Maquinaria has now joined EP Equipment Europe.
“Colin has been a huge asset working at Tomi for the last years and growing the market for us. His efforts in preparing trainings not only for his dealers but the whole Spanish speaking community within EP as well as his dedication for the brand and our products have made it an easy choice for us to approach Colin for this position. We are very happy that Colin is excited about this idea and to take our Spanish dealer community to the next level.“
As we want you to find out more about Colin and what he plans with EP, Katie Oakley has talked to Colin:
Colin who are you? Where are you from and what have you done so far in life?
My name is Colin Ballard, born in Liverpool and raised in Hertfordshire (UK). I studied graphic design and work for a big company in London after passing my degree. I left the London rat race after around 6 years and qualified as an electrician back in my hometown. I worked in this field for many years before moving to Spain around 10 years ago. Once in Spain, I worked for a well-known automatic door company in Murcia in the export sales department. After some years working for them, and improving my Spanish, I was approached by Tomi Maquinaria S.L to work for them. Tomi Maquinaria is where I learnt about EP for the first time and I have been very involved since day one with the growth of the brand in Spain.
What has been your main motivation to join EP?
EP is a great company, full of energy and ideas. After working closely with the whole EP team for some years now through Tomi Maquinaria, it has been a natural progression for me to fill this role as an EP sales manager, and one that I am very honoured to have been offered.
Which product do you find most interesting and what do you want other people to know about this product?
There are so many great products in the range, and all the time there are new and exciting models arriving to the market. The RPL201H is such a competitive ride on pallet truck, for it’s speed, lithium technology and price that it has always been a favourite of mine. In the forklift range, the EFL trucks are a joy to sell. Simple, cost effective and above all, reliable. I really enjoy seeing these trucks heading out into the market.
Why do you think the EP Product works in the Spanish market?
Everyone needs a good product to sell, and there is a lot of competition on the market, but EP dealers have the opportunity to offer something a bit different from the rest, like the integrated chargers in forklifts, diesel chassis with lithium batteries, great pallet trucks, and in my opinion, the best Order Picker on the market the JX0.
But good machines are nothing without great support, which is where EP really excel. The EP-Care online platform and access to technical support both locally and from factory, are what really makes the difference between EP and the rest of the field.
What hobbies do you have and how do you spend your weekends?
I wish I had more time for hobbies. I like to keep fit when I can, and my weekends are spent playing with my kids, walking my dogs in the mountains, and generally just enjoying the Spain lifestyle and weather.
What is your biggest wish for your first year at EP?
My first year’s ambition is to get to know everyone from the forklift sector in Spain, there are many people, many kilometres to cover, and many different ways for everyone to work together. There are some great people out there, and everyday I make a new contact. I enjoy meeting new people.
We’re very happy to have Colin in the EP family. Want to join our global dealership network and our Spanish dealer community? Contact Colin today colin.ballard@ep-equipment.eu