Ian Aitchison, Product Manager Multiheads and Export Sales Manager, explains how Yamato’s personal touch is helping customers to solve problems and boost productivity
Ian Aitchison has been with Yamato Scale Dataweigh since the global manufacturer of product inspection equipment opened its UK base in 1993.
Ian was Yamato UK’s third employee in the UK, joining as a service engineer. But he quickly rose through the ranks to take on responsibility for two senior roles: product manager for multiheads and export sales manager.
Judging by his broad grin and easy-going charm – not to mention his long service – it is clear he relishes the work.
Ian said: “I got to know about Yamato machinery when I was working at another company and this is what inspired me to join its UK operation right at the start.
“I already knew Yamato makes great products, but it was our customer focus, really understanding what manufacturers needed, that helped us grow in the UK. Existing and new customers were pleased we had a local presence, and they were impressed by our determination to respond to the problems and challenges they were facing by providing cost-effective solutions that helped them increase productivity.
“It’s always been rewarding to work for Yamato because I feel we make a difference. At the beginning, multihead weighers were very new, using innovative technology. And by listening to our customers, we have continued to evolve our ranges to keep ahead in the increasingly competitive food manufacturing sector.”
Ian recalls the immense satisfaction of building partnerships with customers, advising on the right equipment, creating bespoke solutions and working with them to see the project through from inception to completion.
He said: “It is also immensely satisfying to be able to help customers with training so that they are able to operate our machines to maximum efficiency. And our ongoing support packages are second to none.
“Working at Yamato is always rewarding. It feels like we are making a real difference to the food manufacturing process and customer feedback supports this. I am proud to work for a company that is always striving to develop fresh approaches and is very customer-focused.”
In response to customer demand for the immediate availability of spare parts, to reduce downtime, Yamato UK opened a warehouse in Leeds which provides next-day delivery for thousands of genuine spare parts.
Ian said: “It is critical to have the ability to look after and support our customers if something goes wrong. We have a team of expert technicians on the road and we are able to process inquiries and deliver and install spare parts very quickly.
“Additionally, we have established strong relationships with a small network of hauliers who we trust to transport kit worth from £10k to £100k. We know they take every precaution to ensure that machinery will be delivered in tip-top condition, ready for immediate installation by our experts.”
Ian is Yamato’s go-to expert on multihead weighers and he is always happy to chat with existing and potential customers about how they can make their operations run more smoothly, for maximum efficiency and productivity.