ELWOOD, Kan. — Leading aerial lift manufacturer Snorkel recently announced it is enhancing its customer service in Latin America.

Mike Falcon has been appointed regional sales manager for Latin America. Falcon has 25 years experience in the aerial lift industry, including 18 years with UpRight from 1983 to 2001.

In his new role, Falcon is responsible for developing Snorkel's existing distributors in the region, strengthening the dealer network with new appointments and supporting the sales growth strategy. He is based in Tampa Bay, Fla., and is fluent in Spanish and English.

“I am delighted to join Snorkel at what is a very exciting time for the company in Latin America,” Falcon said. “This is a land of opportunity right now and we have excellent distributors in some key territories. I am looking forward to helping these dealers develop their Snorkel business, while also identifying and appointing distributors in other growth markets where we may not yet have complete coverage.”

Falcon will report to Steve Watts, whom Snorkel promoted from vice-president, distribution to vice-president, sales and marketing - the Americas. Watts is responsible for planning and implementing Snorkel's strategy in a region stretching from Canada to Chile.

Snorkel also appointed a dedicated customer service and product support team for Latin America. Theresa Alvarez, who speaks fluent Spanish and English, takes responsibility for customer service in the region. The role includes processing customer inquiries and orders. Alvarez is based in Snorkel's Fresno, Calif., facility.

Product support is provided from Snorkel's North American headquarters in Elwood, Kan., with additional support from Homer Gonzales, who is also based in Fresno.

Snorkel is currently recruiting an additional product support engineer who will be based in Latin America.

“Latin America offers some exciting opportunities for Snorkel to grow sales,” said Watts. “With the development of this dedicated team, we can truly support our customers in this region and grow together.”

Snorkel manufactures a full line of push-around, towable and self-propelled aerial work platforms.