By Patrick Avenell

SYDNEY, NSW: Hagemeyer Brands Australia held its national conference in Wollongong earlier this month, with CEO Mark Bilton reporting that this gathering of staff and agents from across HBA’s stable of brands was a successful if intense three days.

The goal of this conference, labelled Future Force 11, was to review what happened in 2010, plan for 2011 and to explain what further changes need to be made across the Hagemeyer business to create sustainable growth in the longterm. Hagemeyer currently distributes Omega, Blanco, De Dietrich, JVC, Polaroid and Omega Altise. In late 2010, Hagemeyer sold its Smeg business back to Smeg Italy.

“It was a full on three days, but the outcome is an organised, highly motivated and well informed team ready to drive the business forward,” Bilton told Current.com.au. “Business transformation begins with personal transformation: if you invest in your people they will invest in each other, and in providing our customers with a better service.”

In addition to inviting guest speakers to educate, inform and entertain, Hagemeyer also previewed new JVC products to its sales team, ran the rule over its finance and logistics operations and enjoyed a performance by the Justice Crew.

Bilton said he was impressed at how unified the Hagemeyer team is.

“I am consistently amazed at how quickly a disparate group of people can coordinate, organise, become highly motivated and fully focused: we have come a long way in just a year.

“I am very proud of our new leadership team; they are capable, competitive, collegiate, commercial, very proactive and very professional. It is going to be a good year.”

Related Stories

Hagemeyer sells Smeg brand back to Smeg Italy

Major changes at the top for Smeg and Omega

Omega and Smeg to separate, with Hagemeyer restructuring its brands