TECHNICAL SALES DEPARTMENT NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION TO ANY HODGE-ITE, BUT FOR ANYBODY OUTSIDE THE COMPANY, IT WAS A DIVISION THAT WAS HEAVILY RELIED ON FOR MANY & MORE SOLUTIONS FROM MACHINE COMPARISONS TO WORK STUDIES TO CONTRACT INFORMATION TO ALMOST ANYTHING TECHNICAL, ALL OF WHICH IS COVERED IN THE FOLLOWING IN-DEPTH OFFERING, DESCRIBED INITIALLY BY THE ORIGINAL LEADER & DIRECTOR, E.E.(TED )FARMER, AND THEN BY HIS MORE THAN ABLE LIEUTENANT, M.S.(MARTIN) EDE.
Along with their thoughts, Ted & Martin have supplied various articles & photographs, and we will be hopefully inserting them in as near chronological order as possible.
We begin with their own introduction……….
As Technical Sales Department was originally based in London, and then Northampton as a Group function, it was felt that it could be included as a seperate category as per the "Regions" shown on the Front Page.
We have supplied some departmental history over the following pages, and also explained how Tech Sales Dept developed from the Materials Handling Division, and those who worked in the Department.
We also cover how the BH Newsletter started in a small way, and became such an important part of the Company.
E.E.Farmer, M.S.Ede.
THE EARLY DAYS by TED FARMER.
It is stunning to realise that what I got to write about now dates from over half a century ago !
In the late 1940`s, I believe that Bernard Sunley, the effective founder of Blackwood Hodge, agreed to take a very high proportion of production for an initial period, if Euclid built a factory in the UK. This put pressure on to find additional markets into which to sell these machines.
By the middle 1950`s, a man by the name of Douglas Stobie was given the task of further exploring sales possibilities, aided by Kenneth C. Johnson. At that time, around 1956, I was working for an organization named British Iron & Steel Research Association, on a project to investigate possible applications of mobile plant designed primarily for civil engineering and mining, for use in bulk materials handling in the steel industry.
Quite separately, the Central Electricity Generating Board was planning a number of new coal fired power stations much bigger than any before, which would consume more coal and require bigger stocks than could be handled by semi-fixed equipment like the travelling bridges & grabs formerly used. So there was definite scope for further investigation.
Doug Stobie came to see me at BISRA, and then Ken Johnson took over from him and was joined by Leslie Cutting, fresh from 25 years in the Royal Engineers, in what became B.H. Materials Handling Division.
They came along with a proposal to carry out trials of a range of machines on iron ore & coal handling, and asked BISRA to act as independant observers & recorders. These trials were at Dorman Long Steel Works, Middlesbrough, and on coal at various power stations: Brighton, Northfleet, Little barford, & West Thurrock come to mind. Detailed results of these trails and photographs were published by B.H. in 1960 in two books: "Iron Ore Stockpiling with Euclid Motor Scrapers", and "Coal Handling by Euclid". I still have my copies.
During this time Ken Johnson was working quite hard to persuade me to join BH at meetings, at venues, varying from the dining car on the Friday evening Middlesborough – Kings Cross train, to the gents at the Coach and Horses in Hill Street, Mayfair (which was then under the stars). I stalled for a long time – the salary was no inducement but a car was fairly attractive and eventually I agreed and joined 25 Berkeley Square on 1st June 1960, which was something of a cultural change.
Ted`s frst Company car, 1959 Ford Consul MK2, on the fine iron ore stockpile at the Steel Company of Wales` site at Port Talbot, in 1962.
Leslie Cutting was my guide and mentor. He and I were around London and all over the country visiting consulting engineers and engineering contractors. The CEGB had three Project Groups, effectively internal consultancies, planning and designing new power stations, in addition to regional offices. Steel works, particularly Steel Company of Wales at Port Talbot, took up mobile plant for raw materils stock handling.
Same site, this time showing a TS-14A doing the business.
Euclid Wagon HIrers (later BH Hire) had Euclid S7 scrapers on hire on the fine iron ore stocks and coking coal. Having some experience of SCW and on the introduction of the Euclid TS14, I had the task of running trials of the machine on the fine ore stocks which resulted in multiple sales. On the strength of that Gerald Zitter sent me to visit steelworks in Belgium and Luxembourg which was an unforgettable excursion, and then to a steelworks in Holland where a Gradall was used to clear the lining of an oxygen steel converter – the first in Europe.
An unusual application was at Northfleet Power station, where a fleet of SS12 three axle scrapers were top loaded and very successfully carried, spread and compacted the fly ash in a worked-out chalk quarry. Ken and Leslie had also sold two Euclid TC12's with 22ft coal blades to Northfleet – very impressive coal movers.
To support the brief for some original thinking, Les Cutting dealt with another early odd-ball. A heavy duty breadown truck was required for the Dartford Tunnel, then under construction. It had to be capable of a non-stop 180 degree turn in the tunnel and pull out a crippled, fully laden truck. An S7 tractor, gooseneck and draft arms, was coupled to a flat bed trailer mounted with a heavy crane. One of the units was parked each end of tunnel for many years.
Pit waste disposal from deep mines gave rise to many job studies, particularly in South Wales and for TS14's, which increased substantially after the Aberfan disaster.
In 1962 Les Cutting became London Area Manager and Ken Johnson had an urge to go to Africa. Tony Barker, then Home Sales Controller, appointed me Manager Materials Handling Division, which was a big name for a small group. I was joined by Reg Cook, previously in Parts and Area Sales.
About that time Geoff Dimmock, a mining engineer, arrived after a chance meeting with Gerald Zitter in his native Rhodesia, and also Malcolm Earnshaw who had been with Caterpillar in Africa. Sometime later, Geoff moved to BH Canada and the next day Lach Thorburn turned up with a letter of introduction from BH Australia. Alan Hadwin brought experience of opencast coal mining with the Coal Board and a contractor.
Tony Barker also handed me the additional job of Advertising Manager, which meant the pot was very full- especially when it was decided to go into the Crystal Palace Exhibition in a big way. What started as the Sales Department Monthly Newsletter, later to grow into BH News, and the high quality pocket diary were both launched about this time. We were doing a lot of things in addition to materials handling and it was decided that "Technical Sales Department" was a more suitable title.
A wide range of demands required a wide range of talents to respond and a number of talented people contributed to Technical Sales and conversely, a number of functions were a consequence of the aptitudes and abilities of the people. The aim was to have people of differing but complimentary talents to make a good team – probably the best in the business anywhere. Martin Ede has compiled a list of department personnel later.
Inevitably there came a time when a press deadline clashed with a tender closing date: advertising and related items needed more attention and Tony eventually agreed to bring somebody in. A.D. 'Blackie' Blackford, originally MD of BH Pakistan and then in a 'short straw job' in Germany, rejoined BH to take it over, including Newsletter and diaries.
All of the power station business was by formal tender to a specification and strict terms of condition of contract. The Health & Safety culture was increasing and the CEGB were calling for rollover protection, fire protection and noise levels before there were any national standards, they issued their own. CEGB Standard 98996 for noise levels sticks in the mindlike the phone number.
A lot of investigation & developement was necessary, and was an interesting learning process. We could accomodatefor all manner of items if the Works Dept. agreed, and there was no conflict with warranty. We were complimented on a very high standard of tenders and were very successful. All CEGB contracts contained a requirement for operator instruction, initial and ongoing, which was the reason there was a driver instructor in the team, firstly Jimmy Verdon, who later transferred to Sales, succeeded by Joe Coyle, both originally from B.H. Hire. Coal handling plant was also supplied to power stations in Hong Kong and India through British engineering contractors.
Tony Barker, being an engineer, was very keen on product training and some quite ambitious schools were put on, taking a great deal of preparation. That required more product information which came from factory and site visits, exhibitions and so on – which was the start of the technical library.
In a competitive comparison at a sales school, Tony said "Thats interesting, how many have they sold ?" Answer – "Dont know, but we will find out" – which was the start of a rather covert but expanded market statistics function, which evolved to a group job.
Contract information started as a result of ignorance of a big project and under Alan Hadwin, became a key component in forecasting and budgeting, certainly in the UK.
February 1979, and a European Group Sales Seminar, at the Sheraton Skyline, and another shot of the attendees enjoying dinner during one evening.
In late 1979, Terex Newhouse held training courses, see the text below, and the photo below shows some of those present, and all of whom we are sure you will be able name …….
In 1979/80 Technical Sales was relocated from 25 Berkeley Square, to the new office block at Hunsbury Hill, Northampton, to become part of B.H. Group Services and to operate on a long anticipated and much needed Group basis. The plan was for 12 people, and provision was made in the new building.
Following a change in top management, the plane was scrapped and all the aspirations were unfulfilled.
Just before the end of Ted`s contribution, we have a series of images from the early 1980`s onwards to the end in 1990.
1983, one of the directors favourites….who worked for him, the BH Family Tree!!
1985, and the Chinese invasion, a delegation interested in mining & construction, or how to copy your dumptrucks legally….several well known faces….Ted, Martin, Ted Flanz, Keith Matthews, the local greenkeeper, Wun Hung Lo, and also some Chinese gents !!
1986, and the Tech Sales crew find themselves losing their linchpin to retirement….Vera Boultwood gives up her day job…..
December 1986, Steve Wheatman, (obviously straight from school), Martin & Ted hold the latest CEGB Tender docs prior to its submission….looks like they need a 40C to carry it……
….and last but one, summer 1987, following the tender from previous image, a shot of the JBH crew (upper echelon of course) involved in the sale & production of that 100th TS-40C coal scraper to Drax……or was it ?? Ask Uncle Ted if you want to know the truth.
….and finally, 1987 again, and Ted receives the ultimate accolade for his sterling work over the previous 26 years selling to the power companies. Wonder why they only used the local green keeper to present it to him ?
After a major upheaval in 1989 and after more than 30 years, in June 1990 what remained of Technical Sales department ceased to exist. Martin Ede and myself left the Company in the restructuring prior to the ill-fated takeover by BM Group. After some consultancy work and health problems, I retired.
End of part one.
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