BOELS IS READY FOR THE FUTURE.
THANKS TO BRAND NEW ENGINES FROM BRIGGS & STRATTON
Boels is always looking for ways to improve and expand. This not only applies to customer services and the number of branches, but also especially to the rental fleet and one of the most important machine components: the engine. Boels recently started doing business with a new engine supplier, Briggs & Stratton, which has developed an innovative power source that is more efficient and ‘greener’. The engines are even better matched to the needs of Boels customers and they also have a positive environmental impact.
“The collaboration between Boels and Briggs & Stratton is perfectly logical,” says Guy Cremer, Director of Fleet Operations at Boels. “We were already familiar with this leading make because of the Vanguard 2-cylinder, a highly reliable, efficient and powerful engine. When Paul Bramhall (Senior Manager Marketing at Briggs & Stratton) approached us, we certainly wanted to listen to what he enthusiastically told us.”
‘Monkey-proof’ and future-proof
For a long time, engines from another supplier were mounted on vibrating plates, lawnmowers, scarifiers, floorboard saws and many other Boels machines. Briggs & Stratton has started making a new series of small engines which have been improved and modernised in countless ways. According to Guy, “The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is significantly lower with the new engines. For starters, the number of service intervals has been almost halved. The oil has to be changed much less frequently than before. The engines are also more economical and cleaner, and that means lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the engines are ‘monkeyproof’ – because of the way they are built, fewer breakdowns occur and the improved and simplified start/stop control has made them as easy to operate as possible.
Market leader steering suppliers in the right direction
According to Guy, the timing of the proposition could hardly have been better. “We were in the process of choosing what we needed to buy. Because the new engines from Briggs & Stratton had a head start in so many areas, deciding to switch did not take long at all. We do business with dozens of machine suppliers and we purchase thousands of their products every year. The suppliers decide which engine to fit in their machines on their own, but as a market leader, we are of course allowed to state our preferences. We were so convinced about the advantages of Briggs & Stratton engines that we decided to exert as much influence as we possibly could. The engines were immediately adapted to make them suitable for a large number of relevant machines. For example, the connections and mounting points had to be matched to the machines we already have in service so the new engines could be fitted without any problems. The supply of parts has also become more efficient. The reason for this is that Briggs & Stratton works with the specialized parts platform SmartEquip, which is faster, easier and therefore more cost efficient for Boels.”
Shared customer philosophy
For Paul, other considerations also play a role. “We not only want to win orders,” he says, “but also provide real added value. Boels, which is now active in 19 countries, wants to pass on the benefits to its customers and we share that same ‘the customer comes first’ corporate philosophy. We are an immensely strong global operator, which is also an advantage for Boels, for example, because we can train employees in their native language.” All the lights are clearly green for a long-term relationship, which will benefit Boels, Briggs & Stratton and our customers.
