Pon Material Handling, parent company to Waco, Texas-based Equipment Depot, last week named David Turner CEO of the global forklift, aerial lift and material handling companies owned by privately held Pon Holdings. Pon, which was based in the Netherlands, has moved its group staff to Houston from locations throughout the United States and Europe.
Turner will be responsible for managing Pon’s global material handling group of companies with operations in the U.S. and Europe. The 13 distinct operating companies had sales of more than $1 billion in 2008, and currently employ more than 2,600 people, with more than 65 locations in eight countries.
The Pon Material Handling group is comprised of three uniquely branded material handling sales, service and rental groups:
• The five Equipment Depot material handling companies of the Pon North America group;
• The four Gunco rental companies in western and central Europe;
• The four Motrac material handling companies in western Europe.
“Combining all of Pon’s material handling companies under one umbrella will give us the opportunity to adapt best practices from both continents and deploy our resources where they provide the best return,” Turner said. “It also allows us to develop stronger relationships with customers and suppliers whose operations are increasingly becoming global.”
Turner replaces Donald Moes, who is retiring after 42 years in the material handling and rental business in the U.S. Moes started his equipment career with Clark Equipment and then acquired his own dealership Central Texas Forklift, which later became known as Equipment Depot. For the last two years Moes served as CEO of Pon North America’s Equipment Depot material handling group, now being rolled into the new Pon Material Handling group based in Houston.
“While this is a challenging time for the material handling and aerial lift business, Pon is committed to be an industry leader for years to come,” Turner added. “We continue to acquire successful companies that fit our performance criteria and whose employees can grow with us.”
Turner most recently served as managing director of Pon Power in the Netherlands. From 2003 to 2007, Turner was president and CEO of W&O Supply based in Jacksonville, Fla., which was acquired by Pon Holdings in 1999.
The group staff, previously based in New York, Cincinnati, Amsterdam, Chicago and Houston, has been consolidated in temporary offices in southwest Houston while the company looks for a permanent location.
Equipment Depot is No. 21 on the RER 100.
