In an effort to heighten its focus on relationships in the mining industry, equipment manufacturer Philippi-Hagenbuch (PHIL), Peoria, IL, has enhanced its dedicated mining sales team for customer satisfaction. The new structure includes a larger sales force focused on growing relationships both in the United States and internationally.
“There are inherent and unique challenges in mining that Philippi-Hagenbuch equipment can help address,” says Josh Swank, newly appointed vice president of sales and marketing. “With our new structure, we will be even more in tune with the issues our mining customers face every day. The enhanced understanding will help us develop new and innovative equipment solutions to address our clients challenges more efficiently.”
As new opportunities arise in mines throughout the world, Swank says, PHIL is committed to providing proactive solutions to each and every customer.
“This restructuring enables us to work more closely with each mine, providing innovative ideas as well as quick resolution to issues they may encounter,” he says.
He points to the development of truck bodies engineered specifically for oil sands and hard rock/ore and PHIL’s new Vehicle Recovery Tool as examples of innovative PHIL products that have evolved from the focus on solving the daily challenges its customers face. Each of these products has resulted in increased efficiency and productivity for mining operations.
Swank, a 12-year PHIL associate, oversees the new mining industry sales group. Other core team members include Michael McCafferty, director of mining products; Robert Whitehead, business development representative; and Rob Bradley, business development representative.
McCafferty, who was previously at PHIL from 1988 through 2003, is focusing on global markets. He is drawing on an extensive international sales background and more than 20 years of industry experience in leading an aggressive effort to create new distributor partnerships in key mining regions such as Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, Europe and South America. With those new partners, who already have close relationships with specific mining operations, he’ll be working to more fully understand the region-specific needs to develop effective solutions.
McCafferty says he hopes to leverage PHIL’s relationships with local experts in much the same way the company has done with Joy Global Australasia, formerly P&H MinePro Australasia. While PHIL has been providing solutions to Australia’s mining industry since 1971, the relationship with Joy Global has provided both firms additional opportunities in the Australian market and allowed PHIL to respond to customers’ unique needs and challenges more quickly.
“Our experience with Joy Global demonstrates how much more valuable you can be to customers, and how innovative you can be as an equipment manufacturer, when you form strong relationships in the region,” McCafferty says. “We’re looking forward to working with new partners across the globe.”
From his base in Elko, NV, Whitehead is working closely with customers throughout Nevada and Utah, where there is a significant concentration of mining operations. He brings more than 10 years of industry experience with hard rock ore, gold and copper mining to his new position.
Bradley is working with all mines west of the Mississippi from the company’s headquarters in Peoria, IL. The 14-year industry veteran is focused on understanding his clients' challenges and serving as a liaison with PHIL’s engineering team in the process of developing solutions.
