Cutting fluid specialist, Houghton has announced two strategic changes to its European management structure, alongside the addition of a new, European-wide business development department.
Lee Bowditch, formally commercial & country director for the UK and Ireland, has secured the position of EMEA business development director for Fluid Intelligence Solutions, while Matthew Bartle advances his position within Houghton from UK sales director to commercial director of the UK and Ireland.
The managerial restructure comes as Houghton openly looks to further enhance its solutions provision in the coming years – a strategy encompassed through its new, customer-centric initiative, Fluid Intelligence.
“Products are core to our business, but Fluid Intelligence will articulate the supporting functions around those products that we can now offer customers,” Lee Bowditch explained.
“Fluid Intelligence, in short, is a consultancy service that provides access to our combined company-wide expertise, our numerous levels of fluid maintenance management services, and our advanced chemical and equipment portfolio.”
Supported by a team of European-wide business development managers, Mr Bowditch and his team will be supporting Houghton country directors and their national departments with operational consultancy services.
“It’ll be our job to help support new and existing customers reduce their overall costs and drive operational efficiencies through consultancy, trial and training, whilst also helping cultivate opportunities around fluid management and the installation of new equipment.” Mr Bowditch added.
In the second organisational change announced by Houghton, Matthew Bartle will now be driving the metalworking sales division, alongside the management of departments overseeing service and FluidCare within the UK and Ireland.
“This merger of my managerial responsibility alongside departmental creation will ensure all of our customers are immediately addressed by the respective specialist Houghton team. It’ll enable us to be more bespoke in the service we’re providing, whilst streamlining our in-house processes.” Mr Bartle affirmed.
With the managerial changes effective immediately, the Fluid Intelligence service will be fully implemented in March of this year.
Based in Manchester, Houghton is an international manufacturer of industrial metalworking fluids, automated fluid maintenance management machinery and metalworking analytical software, supported by five Houghton R&D laboratories around the globe.
Houghton https://houghton-csc.co.uk
