A Conversation with Maria Hadlow at Lift & Hoist International
David Wilson, the CEO of Columbus McKinnon, sat down with Maria Hadlow of Lift & Hoist International to discuss building a progressive company by putting customers at the core of the business and helping improve their safety, productivity, and uptime.
“I love thinking through multi-dimensional problems,” says David, “I am a fairly analytical person and have a passion for progress in general – advancement, innovation, and technology.” David’s background in engineering colors his management style. “I can listen and understand a problem then apply leadership approaches with my team. We differentiate our solutions with a deep understanding of how we function as a company and how our customers operate.”
David goes on to share more about his background and how it led him to Columbus McKinnon. “Seven months into the role I am even more excited than when I was when I first decided to join. We have the opportunities and the potential to create something very special… the organization has demonstrated its progress in terms of gross margin expansion, on-time delivery, quality enhancements, development of the operational side of the business, and in the earnings power of the company.”
The conversation then shifts to David’s outside-in focus, building a commercially oriented, market-led, and customer-centric company that continues to be operationally excellent while focusing on growth.
“Our customers are key to everything we do, which is why as an organization, we are more outside-in focused and market-led. We have to ask how do we best serve customers with improvements to the customer experience?”
David goes on to discuss building a customer-centric company to help improve the safety, productivity, and uptime of its customers. “Our customers are key to everything we do,” says David. “Which is why, as an organization, we are more outside-in focused and market-led. We have to ask how do we best serve customers with improvements to the customer experience?”
“As we look at fiscal year 22, which begins in April, and we look at our core strategic initiatives, they are underpinned by improving the customer experience. Making sure we do what we say we are going to do, in terms of meeting delivery commitments, launching products that solve customer problems, and focusing on aftermarket service,” says David. “We also need to solve the evolving needs of customers that have developed further through the pandemic, such as using video connectivity, remote service and technician support, more online training, and learning management systems.”
As Columbus McKinnon evolves product lines, there is a focus on minimizing impact to global customers while trying to create more value. “From an outside-in perspective, we have a lot of communication and feedback from the customer making sure we are getting their input into the process” says David. “I see it as being a net-positive for customers and Columbus McKinnon as we seek to simplify our offering.”