Paul Lynam has been named the new Managing Director of Jungheinrich UK, the industry-leading intralogistics supplier. It is a role he will combine with his current position as MD of Jungheinrich Ireland, a position he has held for the last two years. The appointment occurs at a critical moment within the intralogistics industry, and Paul is excited to have the reins of both companies at such a pivotal time.
"The sector is on the cusp of major change," he explained. "We are at the start of a period where the impact of global megatrends such as electrification, digitisation, sustainability and globalisation will mean a lot of change and opportunity for our customers, and we will have to adapt to meet that demand."
"We're seeing more automation coming into play," said Paul, examining the real-world impact of change. "The technology is advancing and the effect of that is that you are creating choices for the consumer and the supply chain. The supply chain can do it the way they've always done it, or they can do it in a way that harnesses new technology and futureproofs their business.
"Our customers are changing, but they are changing at different paces and in different ways. We must change our approach to deal with that. That starts with the products that we're providing (for example, if you create an autonomous truck, you don't need to design a comfortable seat for an eight-hour shift because there's no driver) but it effects every element of our operation, from the people we recruit to how we sell to how we develop the brand."
Jungheinrich is no newcomer to sustainabilityā€”it is an organisation with 70 years of expertise in electromobility. Yet the company's EcoVadis platinum certification combined with the launch of Environmentality, Jungheinrich's approach to tackling climate change head on, was a step change in the company's approach to carbon neutrality. It struck a chord with Paul, who will be leading Jungheinrich UK's journey towards net zero.
"Jungheinrich is taking the issue of sustainability very seriously and we are seeing this not just in new legislation but in the demands of the customer base."
Those shifting demands are impacting every element of the Jungheinrich UK operation.
"We are developing our proposition with respect to the environmental footprint of our trucks both during the manufacturing and in the longer-term operational lifecycle. Not only are we leading the way in the lithium ion segment but we also have the Powerline range of trucks with a smaller physical footprint and zero carbon footprint to the point of delivery across the range."
Central to Jungheinrich's continued success are its people, and there's one facet of Jungheinrich that struck Paul from his first day with the company.
"This is a business with a lot of long-serving and passionate employees who know everything about forklifts," he said. "It seems to run throughout the organisation. Everywhere you go there are lots of people with 20+ years' service and some have close to double that. I believe this is a sign that the company has been doing things very well, but it is equally a company that sees the world is changing and is inviting and enabling customers to go on this journey of change with us.
"The UK is in my opinion one of the flagship units within the global Jungheinrich organisation and the UK is a major economy. The opportunity to continue the development of the business here in the UK was one of those opportunities that don't come around too often. Despite the current local and global economic challenges, it's a good time to be in the industry."