Fifteen months ago, James Adams was sitting at home recovering from a knee replacement when he became bored and began inquiries into manufacturing a new model of forklift from China.
Last Monday, his new firm, Titan Forklift International,
took delivery on the first five custom units slated to be the start of what will eventually be a new manufacturing site in Chatham.
Adams, who is Adams Industrial Forklifts, has been a mainstay in Chatham for 40 years, and said he knew he could build a better forklift.
“We’ve got tons of experience here, I’ve got 11 great employees and we know what it takes to make a good truck,” he said. “What we needed was a strong management team who could find what we needed and make it happen.”
Enter partners Jeremy Corso and Sandra Dorner who travelled to China in January to visit several manufacturers.
“We spent eight days on the ground and travelled about 4,000 kilometers by high speed train,” she said. “
We found the Chinese to be very accommodating.”
A representative from the manufacturer visited Chatham in February and the deal was struck.
Corso, who has a decade of experience in custom sourcing in China, said there aren’t any mysteries to doing business in China.
“It’s a business environment,” he said. “They’re looking for the same things we are, they want their business to be prosperous and they want to spread their product and their name and reputation. Since there can be language issues, you need to make sure your agreements are very specific but that’s just good business.”
“If there’s something that needs to be done, usually they will find a way to get it done. The biggest mentality is to learn the culture and be respectful but that’s true in any culture. They take you on a tour, make a presentation and you get to the business end very quickly.”
Dorner agreed, noting that even the fact that women aren’t prevalent in Chinese manufacturing didn’t slow the process.
“If you know what you’re doing you can make a deal,” she said. “You need a business sense. It’s much easier than some people would have you believe.”
Corso said although there is plenty of run-of-the-mill manufacturing, there is an increase in higher quality and custom work.
“The firm we chose for assembly is ISO 9000 certified,” he said. “When you walk through their forklift assembly line, you would think you’re in Windsor, Ontario.”
Adams said quality was the driving force behind the initiative.
“We could have purchased something off the shop floor with all Chinese components but I wanted something special if my name was going on it. “
“We have the best components in the world in these trucks,” he said. “We have the best steering system, the best engine, the best transmission and so on,” he said.
Although the lift trucks are made in China, he said they use Japanese and American parts, including fuel systems.
“There is no problem with after market parts,” he said. “What we use can be found in stores throughout the area.”
He hopes to have a network of 20 Ontario dealers in the foreseeable future. “We’ve got dealers in Chatham, London, Kitchener, two in Toronto and more on the way.”
He said the Titan brand is priced as much as $10,000 below the $40,000 plus cost associated with other brands.
Currently, there is a 40 to 70 day waiting time between order and delivery, but Adams hopes to decrease that significantly.
“I want to bring bodies in here and start assembling here within a year.”
Corso said Chatham-Kent is plagued by under-employment.
“There are so many millwrights, painters and engineers here who are under employed. We have a large pool of talent, Chatham-Kent is well placed strategically and our cost of operations here is low.”
Dorner said Corso came into the firm as a consultant but the company made him a partnership offer that he accepted.
As a Chatham-Kent native who’s moved back to the community to raise a family, he said there is a promising future ahead.
“We can do this,” he said.
As for Adams, he said, “I’m from Chatham and I’m not going anywhere. This is Titan’s headquarters and I’m really proud and excited about that.”
Good news story at last!
Finally someone that will work hard and know what they are doing for CK
Hopefully it pans out. The truck body looks like a direct copy of the Toyota truck (which it probably is). The front does not look heavy enough, but I am sure these are made for light pallet lifting and hopefully Jim will produce heavier front ends for different industries. As long as he is using Japanese engines, it will work out fine. Too bad though, we just bought 4 new trucks from Toyota and are getting rid of our 3 older models. He could have maybe sent us one for testing.
As a side note: Corso is totally wrong about under-employment in CK for quality skilled workers. Just alone down our street in Blenheim, I would think 4 firms (including ourselves) would hire 15 more people tomorrow if you could find them.
Thessalon boy makes good! Way to go Jim Adams. Congratulations!
Thanks for your well wishes Chris Timmermans……You should come and take a closer look at the mast….its heavy duty and made for a variety of applications not just light pallet lifting.
Keep us in mind going forward!
And let me know if you need some help with employees….I know lots of people looking for a quality employer!