Interview With The President | about us

What does "teamwork" mean at Morris Material Handling?
Working as a team is vital to our success. There are no key individuals or departments in the company. Everyone – regardless of his or her position – is important. You live and die with your team. We have wonderful people who are highly trained and highly qualified, but we’re just one team.

What is the difference between Morris Material Handling and P&H?
The overhead crane division of P&H was spun off in 1998 and Morris Material Handling was adopted as the company name – it was the name of one of our acquisition companies. We have continued since that time as the original OEM manufacture of P&H® cranes, hoists and replacement parts.

Do you provide a full range of overhead crane products and services?
Yes. We are truly one of the few full-range companies in our industry. Our services encompass the full equipment lifecycle – our goal is to improve the safety, productivity and return on investment of our customers’ operations. We will apply these same principles in maintaining all cranes and hoists. We ensure our quality by having all the certifications you would expect of companies our size. We are not just an equipment manufacturer; we focus on the whole equipment lifecycle and we offer a full-range of services.

Do you sell up-time?
Yes, we sell up-time. We first focus on safety through inspection and compliance, which may require correction and repair of deficiencies. We then work with the customer to establish a customized preventive maintenance program. But, we don’t stop there. We then look for ways to enhance the process or extend the life of the equipment – utilize part of the productivity gains and reinvest them in performance-enhancing modernizations or life-extending overhauls.

How important is operator training?
An increasing number of our customers recognize that operator training is essential to reduce downtime. Morris Material Handling has a dedicated Training Institute where we train not only our own people, but customers as well.

What sets Morris Material Handling apart from your competitors?
No one else in this industry has our experience and expertise in key customer processes. When it comes to mission critical equipment involved in key processes and the services required to maintain and improve these processes, you will find Morris Material Handling with the P&H brand at the very core. This is our heritage; this is our passion. We are the preferred supplier in severe applications and harsh environments. Our engineering, manufacturing and service professionals make the difference – we truly have a deep bench. And these professionals are supported with heavy investments in technology, systems and training. We also have our Training Institute which is unique in our industry.

Are your cranes used exclusively in heavy process applications?
Much of the P&H legacy has been built in heavy lifting or process applications. However, we have made investments to expand our offering to provide cost effective solutions for general manufacturing where applications and environments are less severe. We are making P&H quality and technology available to a wider range of customers. This is the case with our new Industrial Crane offering.

How do you train your employees?
One of our key business principles is that people matter. We offer extensive in-house training and development, and we encourage and support external training. We have recently developed what we call TNT – Top Notch Technician. Every new technician must attend a two-week boot camp to familiarize themselves with the company, safety procedures, customer service and base technologies. This of course is just the beginning of their lifelong training.

How has Morris Material Handling changed over time?
We have evolved from a well-respected manufacturer that happened to provide services to a dynamic organization, where service is at the core of our strategy. For more than a century, and continuing today, the P&H brand has stood for quality, innovation and reliability. In recent years we’ve been adding value to our customer offering by making sure we’re looking at the entire cycle of our customers’ lifting equipment and process operations. We have become very good at focusing our resources to get much closer to the customer. Each customer cares about improving their bottom line and we provide them with tools to achieve their goals.

Where would you like to see Morris a few years from now?
We want to be known for improving the safety, productivity and return on investment of our customers’ operations and industry in general. The products and services are mere instruments in helping customers achieve their goals. We want to be an integral part of our customers’ operations and processes – a true partner.

How do you plan on continuing to lead Morris Material Handling?
Business today is fraught with challenge, the greatest of which is finding good people who do good things to improve customer value. To quote Rowan Gibson (Innovation to the Core), “The future cannot be built by looking back on how successful we have been.” We certainly have been successful, but to succeed now and in the future, we are aggressively developing a culture of openness, responsiveness and responsibility. Our people have a passion for what they do. Our customers deserve nothing less.